Blue Spring – Kenny Dorham

Though Blue Spring has nearly the same melody as Blue Spring Shuffle, which Kenny Dorham recorded later in 1959, this song is quite different in many respects. Originally recorded in a septet setting, it's a classic example of K.D.'s arranging style. As is often the case with his arrangements (including Blue Spring Shuffle), the bass has a very important role in Blue Spring. The head has a through-composed bass line which fills in around the long notes of the melody with bouncy rhythmic figures.

The chords are also quite different from Blue Spring Shuffle, though both explore the contrast between parallel minor and major, going to solos on standard blues changes. Blue Spring has some tasty passing chords such as B7 in the fourth measure leading to B♭, and D♭7 in the sixth measure resolving back to F. The 11th measure adds an extra resolution (D♭7-C7-Fm6).

Unlike Blue Spring Shuffle there is only one melody chorus in this arrangement, played twice in and twice out. However there is also an eight-measure intro, in which the trumpet repeats a four-measure blues-scale melody phrase with descending rhythmic ensemble figures filling in; these phrases are punctuated by bass fills. On the first chorus of the head the trumpet plays the melody alone with bass and drums; Kenny Dorham alters and embellishes the melody a bit here on both in and out heads. The repeat of the head adds harmonies in the other horns, as well as piano fills responding to each melody phrase.

The septet arrangement is available as both full (transposed) and concert scores, with a full set of parts icluding alternate parts. As the piano only plays fills on the repeat of the head and comps for the solos, our piano part includes the trumpet melody as cues on both the intro and head. The drum part includes Jimmy Cobb's figures and fills that set up each melody phrase on the repeat of the head, indicated "2nd time as written."