Brown's Town – Kenny Dorham
A stop-time medium swinger originally recorded by Kenny Dorham with sax icon Joe Henderson. Our "K.D. Challenge" version has Minus You tracks for all instruments.
- Recording: Joe Henderson - In 'n Out
- Recorded on: April 10, 1964
- Label: Blue Note (BLP 4166)
- Concert Key: E-flat minor
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Trumpet - Kenny Dorham
- Tenor Sax - Joe Henderson
- Piano - McCoy Tyner
- Bass - Richard Davis
- Drums - Elvin Jones
0:00
0:00
Several Kenny Dorham compositions begin with a call from the horns with a response by the rhythm section. Brown's Town is a notable example of this, with a distinct "snap" to its stop-time due to the paired 16th-notes in both the melody and rhythm section figures. There is almost a rhythmic inversion between the call, which has two 16th-notes at the end of a pickup leading to the downbeat, and the response which begins with two 16th-notes. The bridge of this 32-measure AABA head is played with a "floating" triplet-based feel. As with Back Road, the changes in the stop-time A sections move around in half-steps; in this song the same motion is used for the solos, which swing with a 4-feel throughout.
"In N' Out" was recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs.
"In 'n Out" was the penultimate recording by Joe Henderson and Kenny Dorham. Bassist Richard Davis played on all three Henderson/Dorham albums recorded in 1964; the other two are Andrew Hill's classic "Point Of Departure", recorded in March of that year with Eric Dolphy, Hill, and Tony Williams, and Kenny's September 1964 album "Trompeta Toccata" with Tommy Flanagan and Tootie Heath.
"In 'n Out" was the penultimate recording by Joe Henderson and Kenny Dorham. Bassist Richard Davis played on all three Henderson/Dorham albums recorded in 1964; the other two are Andrew Hill's classic "Point Of Departure", recorded in March of that year with Eric Dolphy, Hill, and Tony Williams, and Kenny's September 1964 album "Trompeta Toccata" with Tommy Flanagan and Tootie Heath.
- Recording: Don Sickler - The K.D. Challenge
- Recorded on: October 6, 2001
- Label: jazzleadsheets.com (JLS 1033)
- Concert Key: E-flat minor
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Trumpet - Don Sickler
- Alto Sax - Bobby Porcelli
- Piano - Cecilia Coleman
- Bass - Tim Givens
- Drums - Vince Cherico
Our "K.D. Challenge" version has the same arrangement, and is essentially the same tempo, as the original Dorham/Henderson recording. Due to the rhythm section stop-time activity in the head, we consider it important for the pianist, bassist, and drummer to know what else is going on around their parts. Accordingly, in all three rhythm section parts we have included the melody on a separate upper staff, as well as any notable figures below the lower staff that one instrument in the rhythm section has but another does not. In the melody parts, rhythm section figures are also notated under the staff; this is particularly important for this song as the rhythm section is not playing at the beginning of the melody.
Learn more: About the K.D.Challenge.
Learn more: About the K.D.Challenge.
"The K.D. Challenge" was recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs.
The quintet playing on "The K.D. Challenge" recording in 2001 were inspired by their surroundings; they recorded in the same studio as Kenny Dorham and Joe Henderson, and the recording engineer, Rudy Van Gelder, was the same legendary engineer who created the "Blue Note" sound.
The quintet playing on "The K.D. Challenge" recording in 2001 were inspired by their surroundings; they recorded in the same studio as Kenny Dorham and Joe Henderson, and the recording engineer, Rudy Van Gelder, was the same legendary engineer who created the "Blue Note" sound.
Brown's Town begins with a fun call and response section between the horn melody and rhythm section hits/figures. Drummer Vince Cherico plays the hits only with no fills or set ups. Listen to Cherico's subtle and colorful approach to the 6/8-ish B section.
Check out all the great "K.D. Challenge" recordings!
Check out all the great "K.D. Challenge" recordings!
Exclusive Minus You audio tracks The format of this recording is very simple:
-- melody
-- alto sax solo 2 choruses
-- piano solo 2 choruses
-- trumpet solo 2 choruses
-- bass solo 1 chorus
-- out melody
mp3 minus melody
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play the melody
-- 4 solo choruses
-- play the out melody
The Performance version has two solo choruses instead of four
mp3 minus Piano
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures for the melody
-- comp for the alto sax solo 2 choruses
-- solo 2 choruses
-- comp for the trumpet solo 2 choruses
-- comp for the bass solo 1 chorus
-- play figures for the out melody
mp3 minus Bass
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures for the melody
-- walk for the alto sax, piano, and trumpet solos (2 choruses each)
-- solo 1 chorus
-- play figures for the out melody
mp3 minus Drums - sticks throughout on the recording; brushes can be used for the bass solo
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures for the melody
-- comp for the alto sax, piano, and trumpet solos (2 choruses each) and the bass solo (1 chorus)
-- play figures for the out melody
-- melody
-- alto sax solo 2 choruses
-- piano solo 2 choruses
-- trumpet solo 2 choruses
-- bass solo 1 chorus
-- out melody
mp3 minus melody
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play the melody
-- 4 solo choruses
-- play the out melody
The Performance version has two solo choruses instead of four
mp3 minus Piano
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures for the melody
-- comp for the alto sax solo 2 choruses
-- solo 2 choruses
-- comp for the trumpet solo 2 choruses
-- comp for the bass solo 1 chorus
-- play figures for the out melody
mp3 minus Bass
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures for the melody
-- walk for the alto sax, piano, and trumpet solos (2 choruses each)
-- solo 1 chorus
-- play figures for the out melody
mp3 minus Drums - sticks throughout on the recording; brushes can be used for the bass solo
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures for the melody
-- comp for the alto sax, piano, and trumpet solos (2 choruses each) and the bass solo (1 chorus)
-- play figures for the out melody
- Recording: Harold Danko - Escapades
- Recorded on: January, 2008
- Label: SteepleChase (SCCD 31674)
- Concert Key: E-flat minor
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Piano - Harold Danko
- Bass - Michael Formanek
- Drums - Jeff Hirshfield
In a piano trio setting or piano/bass duo, Brown's Town works great as a bass feature. Because the rhythm section plays the hits together in response to the horn melody in the original quintet arrangement, these hits work just as well with piano and drums—or only piano. Apart from the trio instrumentation, Harold Danko's version is arranged almost the same as the original Kenny Dorham recording. However, the hits are simplified here, with a quarter note on beat 2 instead of two sixteenth notes.
Don Sickler: "I hadn't seen bassist Michael Formanek for a number of years until he was recently at the Van Gelder Recording Studio for a couple of sessions. I checked my files to see if I could find any recordings Michael played on, that contained songs we publish, and, to my delight, up jumped Kenny Dorham's Browns's Town and Escapade, which is on this same trio recording."
As you'll hear, Brown's Town can also be a great Bass feature.
If you get our C bass clef lead sheet, you'll have what you need to play Brown's Town as a Bass feature, as bassist Michael Formanek has on this piano trio recording. On this trio recording, the bass plays the melody for all three A sections of the melody, with the piano playing the bridge melody.
If you get our C bass clef lead sheet, you'll have what you need to play Brown's Town as a Bass feature, as bassist Michael Formanek has on this piano trio recording. On this trio recording, the bass plays the melody for all three A sections of the melody, with the piano playing the bridge melody.
Kenny Dorham
August 30, 1924 – December 15, 1972
August 30, 2025, is Kenny Dorham's 101st birthday: jazzleadsheets.com has added many new K.D. compositions. Jazz At Lincoln Center has dedicated three late-night sets to Kenny's music, played with love by young musicians who want his music to live on. Join in, play K.D. music! Read more...