Dave Brubeck: Post-Time Out Directions with Dr. Gil Harel

Please join us as Dr. Gil Harel presents a 3-part series on some of the post-Time Out musical directions followed by Dave Brubeck. We kick off the series on November 6 with "Brubeck's Musical Tableaus," a look at some of the music that came out of his travels to exotic locales. Then on November 20, Gil will present "Brubeck's Exploration of Time, Meter, and Rhythm: Successors to 1959's Time Out" which will explore the albums which filled out Dave's experiments with time signatures and polyrhythm. We conclude the series on December 4 with "Brubeck & Sons: Family, Faith, and Holiday Fun in the Twilight of the 20th Century."

Brubeck's Exploration of Time, Meter, and Rhythm: Successors to 1959's "Time Out"

Dave Brubeck's 1959 Time Out album was revolutionary in many ways. In utilizing unusual metrical patterns such as 9/8 and 5/4, he and fellow quartet members Paul Desmond, Gene Wright, and Joe Morello pioneered new paths and sounds in jazz, creating iconic hits such as "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and "Take Five" in the bargain. In the succeeding years, Brubeck and co. would revisit the notion of odd time signatures in the idiom. Time Further Out, released in November 1961, included infectiously catchy tunes such as "Unsquare Dance" (in 7/4) as well as returns to percussion-centered 5/4 ("Far More Drums") and 9/8 ("Blue Shadows in the Street"). The quartet would go on to release more albums in this vein, creating an impressive compendium of metric exploration with Countdown—Time in Outer Space (1961/62), Time Changes (1964), and Time In, which was released in 1966 and would constitute the final album in the "Time" series.

Gil Harel (PhD, Brandeis University) is a musicologist and music theorist whose interests include styles ranging from the western classical repertoire to jazz. Previously, he served on the faculty at CUNY Baruch College (where he was awarded the prestigious “Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Teaching”). Currently, he is Full Professor of Music at CT State Naugatuck Valley, where he has been presented with the AFT "Merit Award for Exemplary Service to the College" for 6 consecutive years. In 2020, he was honored with the coveted Connecticut Board of Regents (BOR) Teaching Award. At NVCC, Dr. Harel conducts the college chorale, a cappella ensemble, teaches music history and theory, and serves as musical director of theater productions.

Registration strongly recommended. Register online or call 203-762-6334. You will be automatically registered for all three sessions.