Speculate – Kenny Dorham

This "Max Roach special" is challenging on two levels. Above and beyond the fast tempo, the rhythm section stop-time throughout the head makes it a workout for the whole band. This stop-time is not challenging because it is busy or full of activity, but quite the opposite; it consists mostly of single, isolated, precisely placed hits that answer or punctuate key melodic phrases. The timing of these hits (some on the beat and some off) is of the utmost importance, especially at the tempo on the recording. They do not occur on every measure or even every chord change implied in the melody; for example, the third and fourth measures of the A section are played by the horns alone. The melody is elegant in a Tadd Dameron vein—but packed with eighth-note bebop lines in the bridge. The changes are similar to Dameron's Our Delight, but with a "rhythm changes" bridge.

On this recording, the horns play in octaves almost throughout, harmonizing in the last three measures of the head. Our quintet arrangement has a few more harmonized passages and is based on a sextet arrangement, also available here, by jazzleadsheets.com's Don Sickler. Click on Historical Notes for more details about this arrangement. The lead sheet is the first part for both the quintet and sextet arrangements; the rhythm section parts (Piano, Bass and Drums) also work for both.