Sample performed by Brass10

10051 – Blue rondo a la Turk

Dave Brubeck

Arranged by Roger Harvey

Difficulty: Hard

Price: £25

Programme notes:

Dave Brubeck and his pioneering jazz quartet explored what were for jazz unusual time signatures in 2 albums of the 1960s: Time Out and Time Further Out. Blue rondo a la Turk was one of the most successful of the pieces, along with Take Five, on Time Out. It has outer sections in 9/8, divided into groups of 2+2+2+3 as well as the more usual 3+3+3. The central section is a regular 4/4 blues.

Brubeck himself has made various versions of this tune including one for full orchestra.

Performance notes:

The 3rd trumpet and /or 2nd trombone parts can be played by improvising jazz players.

The solo sections from J-K and P-Q can be played by either of these players. The open solo choruses at M and N can be repeated or omitted as wished. The tutti chorus at O can also be omitted if desired.

Take a lively tempo but rhythmic accuracy is more important than speed. Always take care that the groups of 3 are not too slow.

In the improvised sections the tuba can use the part as a guide and vary the bass line if wished.