Night Watch – Kenny Dorham
This exquisite K.D. classic can't be described in words. It's a delicate yet profound medium-tempo swinger in K.D.'s unique style, with lots of rhythm section activity, especially for the bass. Listen to our audio excerpts! Explore this song with the Minus You tracks of our "K.D. Challenge" version for a real treat.
- Recording: Kenny Dorham - Trompeta Toccata
- Recorded on: September 14, 1964
- Label: Blue Note (BLP 4181)
- Concert Key: F minor
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Trumpet - Kenny Dorham
- Tenor Sax - Joe Henderson
- Piano - Tommy Flanagan
- Bass - Richard Davis
- Drums - Albert "Tootie" Heath
Video
- The Alexander Brown Quartet, Alexander Brown (tpt), Ewen Farcombe (p), Neil Swainson (b), Morgan Childs (d), live at The Jazz Bistro, 7/13/23.
This medium swinger might be thought of as a sequel to Back Road. Like that song, Night Watch is in F minor with a 24-measure form; however, the form is ABB rather than AAB. The melody is largely diatonic, and it develops as logically as any K.D. created. The head has a lot of rhythm section activity, with stop-time and hits throughout the A section; in a few places, the bass doubles the rhythm of the melody. On the B section the melodic rhythm is less active; the bass fills in the time in the first four measures, at first in quarter-note triplets. The rhythm section plays with a 4-feel only on the fifth and sixth measures of the B sections.
The solo chorus is also related to Back Road, with a rhythm section figure on the A section that is essentially the same rhythmic pattern as the second chorus of Back Road's solo section. The changes are similar too, slightly winding chromatically on the A section and more diatonic for B.
Some articulations in the melody on this original recording are different from our "K.D. Challenge" version (see album cover above right). The melody as it appears here is notated in the "original" first and second parts which are available under this album cover.
Please note that the lead sheets and rhythm section parts are identical for all three album covers, only the second parts are customized. Minus You audio tracks are only shown under "The K.D. Challenge" cover.
The solo chorus is also related to Back Road, with a rhythm section figure on the A section that is essentially the same rhythmic pattern as the second chorus of Back Road's solo section. The changes are similar too, slightly winding chromatically on the A section and more diatonic for B.
Some articulations in the melody on this original recording are different from our "K.D. Challenge" version (see album cover above right). The melody as it appears here is notated in the "original" first and second parts which are available under this album cover.
Please note that the lead sheets and rhythm section parts are identical for all three album covers, only the second parts are customized. Minus You audio tracks are only shown under "The K.D. Challenge" cover.
"Trompeta Toccata" was recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs.
"Trompeta Toccata" was Kenny's last studio album as a leader. It was also the last recording he did with Joe Henderson and the only studio album he led with Tootie Heath on drums.
"Trompeta Toccata" was Kenny's last studio album as a leader. It was also the last recording he did with Joe Henderson and the only studio album he led with Tootie Heath on drums.
- Recording: Don Sickler - Night Watch
- Recorded on: September 21, 1990
- Label: Uptown (UPCD27.39)
- Concert Key: F minor
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Alto Sax - Bobby Porcelli
- Tenor Sax - Ralph Moore
- Baritone Sax - Gary Smulyan
- Trumpet - Don Sickler
- Trombone - Carl Fontana
- Piano - Richard Wyands
- Bass - Peter Washington
- Drums - Kenny Washington
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Don Sickler: This octet arrangement is not available on jazzleadsheets.com but is available as a print publication.
Creating the octet arrangement, where I heard the A section as a trumpet melody alone, also gave me a different idea for a quintet arrangement, with a different second part which goes more with the rhythm section. Trumpeter Roy Hargrove recorded my quintet arrangement on his Public Eye album, also in 1990, but this album is unfortunately not available as a download, so I elected to let you hear my octet arrangement. I also use the second horn as a background instrument with the rhythm section figures that start each solo chorus, and both horns in harmony for piano or bass solo choruses. My new Quintet second parts are found under EXTRAS.
Note that the lead sheets and the rhythm section parts are the same for all three album covers. The second parts are the same for the two Sickler albums but different for the original Dorham version.
Creating the octet arrangement, where I heard the A section as a trumpet melody alone, also gave me a different idea for a quintet arrangement, with a different second part which goes more with the rhythm section. Trumpeter Roy Hargrove recorded my quintet arrangement on his Public Eye album, also in 1990, but this album is unfortunately not available as a download, so I elected to let you hear my octet arrangement. I also use the second horn as a background instrument with the rhythm section figures that start each solo chorus, and both horns in harmony for piano or bass solo choruses. My new Quintet second parts are found under EXTRAS.
Note that the lead sheets and the rhythm section parts are the same for all three album covers. The second parts are the same for the two Sickler albums but different for the original Dorham version.
"Night Watch" was recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs.
Same personnel as "The Gigi Gryce Project" plus plus Sickler, trombonist Carl Fontana and baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan.
Same personnel as "The Gigi Gryce Project" plus plus Sickler, trombonist Carl Fontana and baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan.
- Recording: Don Sickler - The K.D. Challenge
- Recorded on: October 6, 2001
- Label: jazzleadsheets.com (JLS 1033)
- Concert Key: F minor
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Trumpet - Don Sickler
- Piano - Cecilia Coleman
- Bass - Tim Givens
- Drums - Vince Cherico
Don Sickler: Our "K.D. Challenge" version has largely the same arrangement as the original recording. If you listen carefully to Kenny's original rhythm section arrangement from the "Trompeta Toccata" album, you'll note that I've only made a few changes to his original rhythm section parts, and I'm playing Kenny's melody as he did, except I like to play the last note in the third measure long. Kenny and Joe Henderson play it together, short, on the original recording. Minus melody players can certainly go back to Kenny's way, without me to contend with.
Unlike the original, this version has a bass solo and a drum solo. In these solo sections, the rhythm section hits on the first eight measures are still played for the soloist to work around. The bass solo choruses have the piano taking over the bass part (indicated as "Bass cue (play for Bass solo) on the piano part), with the trumpet playing the upper hits that are elsewhere voiced by the piano. The trumpet also doubles these hits in the drum solo chorus; here this section is almost a "drum shout," focusing on the hits rather than the solo.
As with our other "K.D. Challenge" songs, the rhythm section parts have the melody notated on a separate upper staff, as well as all important rhythms of the other rhythm section parts notated under the lower staff.
Note that the lead sheets and rhythm section parts are identical for all three versions. The second parts differ for the Joe Henderson/Kenny Dorham album but are the same for both Sickler albums. If you order a lead sheet from one album, and the same lead sheet is also shown under a different album cover, the check mark will show up everywhere indicating that you've already ordered that part. You can't buy it twice.
To learn why we think Kenny Dorham's music is so important, click About The K.D. Challenge.
Unlike the original, this version has a bass solo and a drum solo. In these solo sections, the rhythm section hits on the first eight measures are still played for the soloist to work around. The bass solo choruses have the piano taking over the bass part (indicated as "Bass cue (play for Bass solo) on the piano part), with the trumpet playing the upper hits that are elsewhere voiced by the piano. The trumpet also doubles these hits in the drum solo chorus; here this section is almost a "drum shout," focusing on the hits rather than the solo.
As with our other "K.D. Challenge" songs, the rhythm section parts have the melody notated on a separate upper staff, as well as all important rhythms of the other rhythm section parts notated under the lower staff.
Note that the lead sheets and rhythm section parts are identical for all three versions. The second parts differ for the Joe Henderson/Kenny Dorham album but are the same for both Sickler albums. If you order a lead sheet from one album, and the same lead sheet is also shown under a different album cover, the check mark will show up everywhere indicating that you've already ordered that part. You can't buy it twice.
To learn why we think Kenny Dorham's music is so important, click About The K.D. Challenge.
"The K.D. Challenge" was recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs.
Don Sickler: Most of the quartet "K.D. Challenge" tracks, like the three-solo-chorus Minus Melody track here, were recorded with me playing in the percussion booth in Rudy Van Gelder's studio. The trio could hear me and have a soloist to comp for, but I wasn't recorded on the master. At that time, in 2001, I was only thinking of the traditional play-a-long scenario—rhythm section only for a soloist.
I had been playing my quintet arrangement of Night Watch with this rhythm section a lot back then, so we decided to do Night Watch first on that day's recording session. Everyone wanted to loosen up, so before I went into the isolation booth, we decided to do a take, just for fun, and let everybody loosen up with solo choruses. Fortunately we did, so now we have Minus You tracks that can also feature each rhythm section player.
Don Sickler: Most of the quartet "K.D. Challenge" tracks, like the three-solo-chorus Minus Melody track here, were recorded with me playing in the percussion booth in Rudy Van Gelder's studio. The trio could hear me and have a soloist to comp for, but I wasn't recorded on the master. At that time, in 2001, I was only thinking of the traditional play-a-long scenario—rhythm section only for a soloist.
I had been playing my quintet arrangement of Night Watch with this rhythm section a lot back then, so we decided to do Night Watch first on that day's recording session. Everyone wanted to loosen up, so before I went into the isolation booth, we decided to do a take, just for fun, and let everybody loosen up with solo choruses. Fortunately we did, so now we have Minus You tracks that can also feature each rhythm section player.
The melody of Night Watch is accompanied by a combination of stop time with changing rhythmic figures and swing, making it one of the more complicated pieces for rhythm section players in "The K.D Challenge." Check out how both Albert "Tootie" Heath (on the original version) and Vince Cherico (on our Minus You version) take a very similar approach to setting up the hits in the melody. Kenny Washington's approach on Don Sickler's version is also rather similar however he adds a few extra notes.
clip Full track excerpt. Except for the Minus Melody and the trio (bass & drums only) tracks, our Minus You tracks use this format:
-- melody
clip -- (start of the solo section) trumpet solo 2 choruses
-- piano solo 2 choruses
-- bass solo 2 choruses
-- drum solo 1 chorus
-- out melody
mp3 clip minus melody (beginning and solo section excerpts)
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play the melody
-- solo 3 choruses
-- play the out melody
mp3 clip minus piano (beginning and solo section excerpts)
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures and comp for the melody
-- play figures and comp for the trumpet solo 2 choruses
-- solo 2 choruses
-- play figures (bass cues) and comp for the bass solo 2 choruses
-- play figures/comp first 8 measures then tacet for the drum solo 1 chorus
-- play figures and comp for the out melody
mp3 clip minus bass (beginning and solo section excerpts)
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures and walk for the melody
-- play figures and walk for the trumpet solo and piano solo (2 choruses each)
-- solo 2 choruses
-- play figures/walk first 8 measures then tacet for the drum solo 1 chorus
-- play figures and walk for the out melody
mp3 clip minus drums (beginning and solo section excerpts) - sticks throughout. Snaps have been added during the drum solo.
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures and comp for the melody
-- play figures and comp for the trumpet, piano, and bass solos (2 choruses each)
-- play figures or solo around full band figures first 8 measures, then solo the rest of the chorus
--play figures and comp for the out melody
[clip] clip bass & drums only (beginning and solo section excerpts)
By eliminating the comping piano track from the minus melody track, we made a track where the pianist can play the melody and be featured throughout. This bass & drums only track also works great as a feature for guitar or any other instrument (tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins loved to play with just bass and drums, for example). Perfect for an audition tape.
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play the melody
-- solo 3 choruses
-- play the out melody
-- melody
clip -- (start of the solo section) trumpet solo 2 choruses
-- piano solo 2 choruses
-- bass solo 2 choruses
-- drum solo 1 chorus
-- out melody
mp3 clip minus melody (beginning and solo section excerpts)
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play the melody
-- solo 3 choruses
-- play the out melody
mp3 clip minus piano (beginning and solo section excerpts)
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures and comp for the melody
-- play figures and comp for the trumpet solo 2 choruses
-- solo 2 choruses
-- play figures (bass cues) and comp for the bass solo 2 choruses
-- play figures/comp first 8 measures then tacet for the drum solo 1 chorus
-- play figures and comp for the out melody
mp3 clip minus bass (beginning and solo section excerpts)
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures and walk for the melody
-- play figures and walk for the trumpet solo and piano solo (2 choruses each)
-- solo 2 choruses
-- play figures/walk first 8 measures then tacet for the drum solo 1 chorus
-- play figures and walk for the out melody
mp3 clip minus drums (beginning and solo section excerpts) - sticks throughout. Snaps have been added during the drum solo.
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures and comp for the melody
-- play figures and comp for the trumpet, piano, and bass solos (2 choruses each)
-- play figures or solo around full band figures first 8 measures, then solo the rest of the chorus
--play figures and comp for the out melody
[clip] clip bass & drums only (beginning and solo section excerpts)
By eliminating the comping piano track from the minus melody track, we made a track where the pianist can play the melody and be featured throughout. This bass & drums only track also works great as a feature for guitar or any other instrument (tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins loved to play with just bass and drums, for example). Perfect for an audition tape.
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play the melody
-- solo 3 choruses
-- play the out 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...