OPERA MISSISSIPPI CELEBRATES A JAZZ LEGEND WITH “TAKE 5”

Opera Mississippi continues its 76th season on Monday, October 18, at 7:30 p.m. with the  Duling Hall Concert Series, sponsored by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. Take 5, A Dave Brubeck Tribute Concert, features the Sam Bruton Quartet, a jazz group known for their mellow sounds, fiery charts, and wild improvisations on rhythms. Tickets may be ordered online at operams.org for $30. Any remaining tickets, will be on sale at the door for $35.

“If you love Dave Brubeck, you’re going to love this concert; if you love jazz you are going to love this concert. This group is one of the finest jazz quartets anywhere.” said Dr. Jay Dean, artistic director of Opera Mississippi. “ Sam Bruton is one of the finest jazz pianists that you will hear anywhere in the world; he is joined by an equally extraordinary trio. This is truly a do-not-miss event!”

Dave Brubeck has become an American icon for the world of jazz piano and composition. Considered to be one of the foremost performers of “cool jazz,” he achieved global recognition in his field. His style ranged from refined to bombastic, reflecting both his classical training and his extraordinary improvisational skills. His compositions are known for employing unusual and complex rhythms and harmonies. He was also a composer of orchestral, sacred, and television music. Everyone knows the most famous musical work ever recorded by his quartet, Paul Desmond’s “Take Five.”

Sam Bruton is a jazz pianist, composer, and professor of philosophy at The University of Southern Mississippi. He has performed with nationally known artists including Delfeayo Marsalis and Don Rickles and Mississippi artists Vasti Jackson and the Capital Big Band.

Saxophonist Larry Panella is director of jazz studies at The University of Southern Mississippi. He has performed with numerous artists including the Phil Collins Big Band, the Woody Herman Orchestra and Natalie Cole.

Bassist David Pellow hails from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and has performed in the United States and Japan with such jazz artists as Billy Eckstine, David Liebman, Jimmy Ponder, Joe Morelllo, Dianne Schuur and Back Pizzarelli. He was trained at Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon Universities and served at Carnegie Mellon as an artist-lecturer, teaching professor and the Director of Jazz Studies from1994 to 2009. He recently earned a PhD in Music Education and String Pedagogy Studies at Southern Miss.

Completing the ensemble is drummer Nathan Sanders, who is a D.M.A. candidate in Percussion Performance at the University of Southern Mississippi. He received his bachelor’s degree in music education at USM, and his Master of Music in Jazz Studies from Northern Illinois University. A versatile percussionist, Sanders finds himself at home in a wide range of genres. He has held the drum chair for the prestigious NIU Jazz Orchestra, NIU Jazztet, USM Jazz lab 1 and Jazztet, as well as the Reggie Thomas Organ Trio, and the Larry Panella Quartet.

“Join us in celebration of the timeless genius of Dave Brubeck as we re-create the joyful jazz of his seminal quartet,” said Bruton.

For more information on tickets to this and the entire Opera Mississippi season, visit operams.org or call 601.960.2300.

NOTE: Duling Hall’s Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocol: Effective August 30, 2021, for the health and safety of our patrons, staff, and artists, entry to Duling Hall will require either proof of a full course COVID-19 vaccination, with their final dose at least fourteen days prior to the event or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken in the prior 72 hours. Accommodating this temporary policy will allow artists to earn a living, our staff to be employed, and live music to have a place in society again. We will keep everyone posted on any changes moving forward.