Back Road – Kenny Dorham
With its bluesy melody and rhythm section stop-time, this song is quintessential K.D. and deserves to be more widely known. Second parts from the Joe Henderson/Kenny Dorham book are available, plus our K.D. Challenge version has Minus You tracks for all instruments.
- Recording: Joe Henderson - Our Thing
- Recorded on: September 9, 1963
- Label: Blue Note (BLP 4152)
- Concert Key: F minor
- Vocal Range: , to
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Trumpet - Kenny Dorham
- Tenor Sax - Joe Henderson
- Piano - Andrew Hill
- Bass - Eddie Khan
- Drums - Pete La Roca
Video
- Description
- Historical Notes
- Solos
- Piano Corner
- Bass Corner
- Drum Corner
- Guitar Corner
- Inside & Beyond
- Minus You
The solo form is its own work of art. It's also AAB (24-measures), but expanded to a two-chorus format for each soloist. The first chorus's distinctive A section rhythm section pattern [excerpt] is doubled up in energy for the second chorus A section [excerpt}.
The solo changes for the A section are also different from the melody: dominant chords mostly moving in fourths. The rhythm section A section figures are essentially a conversation between bass notes and piano chords, alternating once within each measure on the first chorus, and twice on the second. This gives the soloist an added rhythmic layer to work with, breaking up the swing 4-feel time which returns on the bridge.
Transcriptions of Kenny Dorham's and Joe Henderson's solos will soon be available. Click on the second album cover for our "K.D. Challenge" version which has Minus You audio tracks, perfect to help you master this Dorham composition. The lead sheets available there are identical to the ones listed here.
Just recently saxophonist Ari Ambrose
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- Recording: Don Sickler - The K.D. Challenge
- Recorded on: October 6, 2001
- Label: jazzleadsheets.com (JLS 1033)
- Concert Key: F minor, No key center
- Vocal Range: , to
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Trumpet - Don Sickler
- Alto Sax - Bobby Porcelli
- Piano - Cecilia Coleman
- Bass - Tim Givens
- Drums - Vince Cherico
Video
- Description
- Historical Notes
- Solos
- Piano Corner
- Bass Corner
- Drum Corner
- Guitar Corner
- Inside & Beyond
- Minus You
Due to the rhythm section stop-time activity in the head, we consider it important for the pianist, bassist and drummer to know what the other rhythm section members are doing, especially if playing with one of the Minus You rhythm section tracks. Accordingly, in all three rhythm section parts we have also included the melody on a separate. smaller upper staff, and we've written 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.
Note that the lead sheets available here are the same as the ones under the Henderson album cover. They function as both regular melody lead sheets and as parts for the Minus You tracks. Second parts, as played by Joe Henderson and Kenny Dorham on "Our Thing," can be purchased under the "Our Thing" album cover.
To learn why we think Kenny Dorham's music is so important, click About The K.D. Challenge.
Click here to learn more about "The K.D. Challenge" recordings and be sure to check out the rest!
[ex] Here is an excerpt of our full recorded exclusive audio track. The format of this recording is essentially the same as the original Joe Henderson version:
-- melody
-- sax solo 2 choruses (1 and 2) [different rhythm section figures, see Description]
-- trumpet solo 2 choruses (1 and 2)
-- piano solo 2 choruses (1 and 2)
-- out melody
-- coda
The piano solo choruses are not in the Minus Melody version.
clip] minus melody
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play the melody
-- solo 4 choruses: rhythm section plays figures 1, 2, 1, 2
-- play the out melody and coda
[clip] minus piano
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures for the melody
-- play figures/comp for the alto sax solo and trumpet solo:
2 choruses each, alternating figures 1 and 2
-- solo 2 choruses over bass and drums playing figures 1 and 2
-- play figures for the out melody and coda
[clip] minus bass
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures for the melody
-- play figures/walk for the alto sax, trumpet, and piano solos:
2 choruses each, alternating figures 1 and 2
-- play figures for the out melody and coda
[clip] minus drums - sticks throughout
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play figures for the melody
-- play figures/comp for the alto sax, trumpet, and piano solos:
2 choruses each, alternating figures 1 and 2
-- play figures for the out melody and coda
clip bass and drums only - to feature piano, guitar, vibes, or any melodic instrument that likes to play without harmonic accompaniment
-- count off sets up the melody
-- play the melody
-- solo 4 choruses: rhythm section plays figures 1, 2, 1, 2
-- play the out melody and coda
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Kenny Dorham
August 30, 1924 – December 15, 1972
Trumpeter/composer Kenny Dorham was very much on the jazz scene from the mid-1940s through most of the 1960s. He worked and recorded with all the major figures in the modern jazz movement, which includes the legendary Billy Eckstine big band, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Max Roach as well as Kenny Clarke, Sonny Stitt, Fats Navarro, J.J. Johnson and many other giants of that period. Read more...