X-Nico

3 unusual facts about Unsquare Dance


Unsquare Dance

On 8 May 2013, Google honoured the American designer and filmmaker Saul Bass on the occasion of his 93rd birthday with a Google Doodle and a video featuring this piece.

Brubeck points out in his liner notes that "'Unsquare Dance', in 7/4 time, is a challenge to the foot-tappers, finger-snappers and hand-clappers. Deceitfully simple, it refuses to be squared. And the laugh you hear at the end is Joe Morello's guffaw of surprise and relief that we had managed to get through the difficult last chorus".

Although it is rarely covered, Brubeck has recently endorsed an arrangement and recording by British pianist and composer Paddy Milner.


Time Further Out

The tracks are ordered by the number of beats per bar, starting with "It's a Raggy Waltz" and "Bluette" in 3/4; "Charles Matthew Hallelujah", a tribute to his newborn son, in 4/4; "Far More Blue" and "Far More Drums" in 5/4; "Maori Blues" in 6/4; "Unsquare Dance" in 7/4; "Bru's Boogie Woogie" in 8/8; and concluding with "Blue Shadows in the Street" in 9/8.


see also