Blue Bossa – Kenny Dorham
The Kenny Dorham classic—just as Kenny heard it. Did you know it was written around a bass line? Only jazzleadsheets.com has the lead sheet exactly as Kenny originally wrote it. Lead sheets and second parts available, and now with a Minus You bass line track.
- Recording: Joe Henderson - Page One
- Recorded on: June 3, 1963
- Label: Blue Note (BLP 4140)
- Concert Key: C minor
- Style: Latin (Bossa)
- Trumpet - Kenny Dorham
- Tenor Sax - Joe Henderson
- Piano - McCoy Tyner
- Bass - Butch Warren
- Drums - Pete LaRoca
Video
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- J.J. Johnson, trombone; Ralph Moore, tenor sax; Renee Rosnes, piano, Rufus Reid, bass; Billy Drummond, drums. Umbria Jazz 1993
- Don Sickler, trumpet; Bobby Watson, alto sax; Shigeharu Mukai, trombone; Bobby Hutcherson, vibes; Don Pullen, piano; Cameron Brown, bass; Lewis Nash, drums. Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival
This is Kenny Dorham's "jazz standard." Many of you may feel you know it, and maybe you've even performed it. However, you may not be aware of the real magic of the composition: it's written around a bass line. For Kenny, the bass line was a very important part of the composition. If you listen carefully to our excerpt, which starts at the beginning of the melody, you'll hear the bass line. The actual recording starts with an eight-measure introduction, where bassist Butch Warren sets up the melody with four repetitions of the two-measure bass pattern. If you knew the composition but weren't aware of this bass line before, you're in for a real treat when you play the melody with K.D.'s bass line.
The C treble clef lead sheet includes the bass line on a separate staff under both the melody and the shout chorus, so you can see how they fit together. The other editions (B♭, E♭, C bass clef and all second parts) have only the melody line and the chord changes with bass line rhythms shown under the staff. Bass players, as well as anyone else wanting to see the entire bass line, should get the C treble clef edition.
All of our editions also contain Kenny's shout chorus. The shout chorus is constructed around the same bass line.
The C treble clef lead sheet includes the bass line on a separate staff under both the melody and the shout chorus, so you can see how they fit together. The other editions (B♭, E♭, C bass clef and all second parts) have only the melody line and the chord changes with bass line rhythms shown under the staff. Bass players, as well as anyone else wanting to see the entire bass line, should get the C treble clef edition.
All of our editions also contain Kenny's shout chorus. The shout chorus is constructed around the same bass line.
"Page One" was recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs.
Don Sickler recalls,"I had many wonderful conversations with Joe Henderson about Kenny Dorham. Joe and Kenny worked closely together for many years and made quite a few albums together.
"Joe said he was always inspired by Kenny's writing, especially how Kenny wrote for the rhythm section. K.D.'s concept of constructing a melody around a bass line was something that Joe took to heart and used in his own writing. Many aren't aware that the melody of Joe Henderson's "standard," Recorda Me, also on the "Page One" album, is written around a bass line. "
Joe's first recording session was two months earlier, for Kenny Dorham's "Una Mas" album. That album featured another Dorham title, Una Mas.
Jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell wrote and recorded a lyric to Blue Bossa, called It's No Time To Be Blue.
Don Sickler recalls,"I had many wonderful conversations with Joe Henderson about Kenny Dorham. Joe and Kenny worked closely together for many years and made quite a few albums together.
"Joe said he was always inspired by Kenny's writing, especially how Kenny wrote for the rhythm section. K.D.'s concept of constructing a melody around a bass line was something that Joe took to heart and used in his own writing. Many aren't aware that the melody of Joe Henderson's "standard," Recorda Me, also on the "Page One" album, is written around a bass line. "
Joe's first recording session was two months earlier, for Kenny Dorham's "Una Mas" album. That album featured another Dorham title, Una Mas.
Jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell wrote and recorded a lyric to Blue Bossa, called It's No Time To Be Blue.
Essential Bass (Butch Warren)
Many of trumpeter/composer Kenny Dorham's compositions contain specific parts for each member of the ensemble, making the whole greater than the sum of its parts. The lines interact with with the underlying harmonies and rhythms.
This composition is written around a bass line which is shown in the C treble clef lead sheet. For Kenny, the bass line was a very important part of the composition. The eight-measure introduction sets up the melody with four repetitions of the two-measure bass pattern.
Bass players should purchase the C treble clef (with Bass) lead sheet.
Many of trumpeter/composer Kenny Dorham's compositions contain specific parts for each member of the ensemble, making the whole greater than the sum of its parts. The lines interact with with the underlying harmonies and rhythms.
This composition is written around a bass line which is shown in the C treble clef lead sheet. For Kenny, the bass line was a very important part of the composition. The eight-measure introduction sets up the melody with four repetitions of the two-measure bass pattern.
Bass players should purchase the C treble clef (with Bass) lead sheet.
Chord Melody Arrangement by Bruce Acosta:
With this chord melody arrangement, you can perform this iconic Kenny Dorham tune on guitar. Each melody note is harmonized utilizing a wide range of voicings—basic minor sixth voicings, diminished passing chords, quartal voicings and more.
This is a great resource for intermediate guitarists looking to expand their harmonic vocabulary and develop their facility moving between chord shapes.
A version with tablature is available for guitarists less familiar with standard notation.
The standard notation version is available in two octaves.
With this chord melody arrangement, you can perform this iconic Kenny Dorham tune on guitar. Each melody note is harmonized utilizing a wide range of voicings—basic minor sixth voicings, diminished passing chords, quartal voicings and more.
This is a great resource for intermediate guitarists looking to expand their harmonic vocabulary and develop their facility moving between chord shapes.
A version with tablature is available for guitarists less familiar with standard notation.
The standard notation version is available in two octaves.
- Recording: Don Sickler - Further Explorations Vol. 1
- Recorded on: June 28, 2018
- Label: jazzleadsheets.com (JLS 1034)
- Concert Key: C minor
- Style: Latin (Bossa)
- Trumpet - Don Sickler
- Bass - Jack Aylor
The main reason for this recording, aside from the fun I have playing with a good bass player, is that it also emphasizes the bass line, which K.D. created first, before creating the melody. Kenny first wrote the bass line—a two-measure rhythmic figure. He keeps the rhythmic elements of the figure consistent as the chord progression evolves through the 16-measure composition. Blue Bossa has become an important jazz standard, and the basically simple melody has therefore been put through many variations. Played with K.D.'s bass line, it clearly defines Kenny's original rhythmic direction for the melody.
The online Lord Discography currently (as of 6/2/2024) lists 279 recordings. of Blue Bossa. If you search it on YouTube, you'll also find a lot of concert performances as well as inexperienced musician performances.
In my role as publisher, I always try to present the melody as the composer originally wrote it. I feel that's the best way to present the melody to a new musician. Notating Blue Bossa was therefore very simple for me to show Kenny's original melody, since his bass line dictates the rhythms of the melody.
As you can read in the Historical Notes for my own The Forgotten Line, Joe Henderson told me K.D. came up with an interesting idea when the two were discussing writing music for Joe's "Page One." project. Kenny suggested that each of them come up with an interesting bass line first, then create a composition over it. Not a bad idea! The result: each man created and recorded for the first time their jazz standards: Kenny Dorham's Blue Bossa,, and Joe Henderson's Recorda-Me.
In my role as publisher, I always try to present the melody as the composer originally wrote it. I feel that's the best way to present the melody to a new musician. Notating Blue Bossa was therefore very simple for me to show Kenny's original melody, since his bass line dictates the rhythms of the melody.
As you can read in the Historical Notes for my own The Forgotten Line, Joe Henderson told me K.D. came up with an interesting idea when the two were discussing writing music for Joe's "Page One." project. Kenny suggested that each of them come up with an interesting bass line first, then create a composition over it. Not a bad idea! The result: each man created and recorded for the first time their jazz standards: Kenny Dorham's Blue Bossa,, and Joe Henderson's Recorda-Me.
CLIP Exclusive Minus You audio track, bass alone The minus melody track is played by bass alone. There is no count off, since the bass starts with with an 8-measure intro [the 2-measure bass figure played four times.]
Bass alone track format:
-- intro (8 measures of bass)
-- play melody with pickup
-- repeat melody with 2nd ending to solos
-- solo for 4 choruses
-- play shout chorus with repeat
-- play out melody with repeat to coda
-- improvise over coda [ritard in the 6th measure into downbeat hold [7th measure]
Bass alone track format:
-- intro (8 measures of bass)
-- play melody with pickup
-- repeat melody with 2nd ending to solos
-- solo for 4 choruses
-- play shout chorus with repeat
-- play out melody with repeat to coda
-- improvise over coda [ritard in the 6th measure into downbeat hold [7th measure]
Kenny Dorham
August 30, 1924 – December 15, 1972
August 30, 2024, was Kenny Dorham's 100th birthday: jazzleadsheets.com has added 10 new K.D. compositions: K.D.News! Check them out! Kenny was inducted into the Lincoln Center Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame On October 16, 2024, with a Tribute Concert at Dizzy's Club. Four of Kenny's daughters were in attendance. Read more...