Dorian – Ronnie Mathews
An exploration of—you guessed it—the dorian mode (the A and C sections of this AABBA form composition). This song is available in two different keys, so now you can get both your F dorian (concert) and C dorian (concert) together. Minus You editions and tracks are from the "Further Explorations" recording, with audio for any instrumentalist to play along with. Also, Ronnie's Solo piano arrangement.
- Recording: Roy Haynes - Cracklin'
- Recorded on: April 10, 1963
- Label: New Jazz (NJLP 8286)
- Concert Key: F minor
- Vocal Range: , to
- Style: 3/4 swing (medium)
- Tenor Sax - Booker Ervin
- Piano - Ronnie Mathews
- Bass - Larry Ridley
- Drums - Roy Haynes
Video
- Description
- Historical Notes
- Solos
- Piano Corner
- Bass Corner
- Drum Corner
- Guitar Corner
- Inside & Beyond
- Minus You
Our audio excerpt starts with the melody. A 16-measure rhythm section intro (notated in the C treble clef lead sheet) establishes F dorian by alternating harmonically between F minor 7 and E-flat major 7. The rhythm section keeps their pattern going under the melody of the A sections of this AAB1B2AA composition. The arrangement ends with the piano soloing over the two-measure F dorian vamp. We have notated Ronnie's coda in the C treble clef lead sheet.
"Cracklin'" was recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs.
An earlier performance of this composition has now been released by Uptown Records with Ronnie on piano as part of Kenny Dorham's quintet. This was originally a live radio broadcast from club The Flamboyan in Queens, NY, on January 15, 1963.
Abbey Lincoln wrote a lyric to Dorian, titled The Man With The Magic. The lead sheet is available in our Sing JAZZ! songbook, a collection of stunning, lesser-known vocal selections from the Second Floor Music repertoire (Sing JAZZ! contents).
An earlier performance of this composition has now been released by Uptown Records with Ronnie on piano as part of Kenny Dorham's quintet. This was originally a live radio broadcast from club The Flamboyan in Queens, NY, on January 15, 1963.
Abbey Lincoln wrote a lyric to Dorian, titled The Man With The Magic. The lead sheet is available in our Sing JAZZ! songbook, a collection of stunning, lesser-known vocal selections from the Second Floor Music repertoire (Sing JAZZ! contents).
Solo Piano Arrangement: We're also making available Ronnie's own Solo Piano Arrangement, which contains the obbligato moving triplet lines you hear him play under the tenor sax melody on the recording.
Related Songs
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- Recording: Don Sickler - Further Explorations Vol. 1
- Recorded on: May 24, 2003
- Label: jazzleadsheets.com (JLS 1034)
- Concert Key: C minor
- Vocal Range: , to
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Flugelhorn - Don Sickler
- 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
This Minus You version is in C minor. The intro is eight measures long with a chromatically descending piano line, which Ronnie played on the original recording (see album cover at left) at the end of the A and C sections. The coda is the same as the intro, with the descending line doubled in the melody, ending on an A♭ major chord.
There are melody parts for all instruments as well as individual parts for piano and bass. The drummer should get the Bass part. Click on the Minus You tab for more details and the solo format.
There are melody parts for all instruments as well as individual parts for piano and bass. The drummer should get the Bass part. Click on the Minus You tab for more details and the solo format.
"Further Explorations" was recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs.
Don Sickler: I originally met pianist Cecilia Coleman in 1991, while I was on tour with the T.S. Monk Band and she was in her home state of California. In 1999, she moved to NYC and started living on 28th Street in NYC a few blocks east of us. We were both determined to do some playing together. She introduced me to bassist Tim Givens; saxophonist Bobby Porcelli, who was always looking to play (we'd been playing together since the late 1960s) brought in drummer Vince Cherico. We'd play as a quintet as much as possible at the rehearsal studio in my loft. When Bobby wasn't available, we'd often play as a quartet. I always loved the chemistry of this rhythm section, so it was natural for me to take this trio with me to Rudy Van Gelder's studio to record projects.
If you're wondering why Dorian is in C minor and not Ronnie Mathew's original key of F minor, our C minor recording was first a minus vocal version for Abbey Lincoln's lyric (in our SingJAZZ! book). Our version never found a vocalist, so I made it a flugelhorn feature for my "Further Explorations" project.
Don Sickler: I originally met pianist Cecilia Coleman in 1991, while I was on tour with the T.S. Monk Band and she was in her home state of California. In 1999, she moved to NYC and started living on 28th Street in NYC a few blocks east of us. We were both determined to do some playing together. She introduced me to bassist Tim Givens; saxophonist Bobby Porcelli, who was always looking to play (we'd been playing together since the late 1960s) brought in drummer Vince Cherico. We'd play as a quintet as much as possible at the rehearsal studio in my loft. When Bobby wasn't available, we'd often play as a quartet. I always loved the chemistry of this rhythm section, so it was natural for me to take this trio with me to Rudy Van Gelder's studio to record projects.
If you're wondering why Dorian is in C minor and not Ronnie Mathew's original key of F minor, our C minor recording was first a minus vocal version for Abbey Lincoln's lyric (in our SingJAZZ! book). Our version never found a vocalist, so I made it a flugelhorn feature for my "Further Explorations" project.
Exclusive Minus You audio tracks
CLIP Format of the recording:
-- intro
-- melody
-- flugelhorn solo 1 chorus
-- out melody from B1
-- coda (3 times)
mp3 minus melody
-- tacet for the intro
-- play the melody
-- solo 1 chorus
-- play the out melody from B1 and coda
mp3 minus Piano
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro
-- play figures and comp for the melody
-- comp for the flugelhorn solo 1 chorus
-- play figures and comp for the out melody from B1
-- play the coda
mp3 minus Bass
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro
-- play figures and 1-feel for the melody
-- walk for the flugelhorn solo 1 chorus
-- play figures and 1-feel for the out melody from B1
-- play the coda
mp3 minus Drums - sticks throughout (drummers should get the Bass [minus you] part)
-- count off sets up the intro
-- comp for the intro and melody
-- comp for the flugelhorn solo 1 chorus
-- comp for the out melody from B1 and coda
CLIP Format of the recording:
-- intro
-- melody
-- flugelhorn solo 1 chorus
-- out melody from B1
-- coda (3 times)
mp3 minus melody
-- tacet for the intro
-- play the melody
-- solo 1 chorus
-- play the out melody from B1 and coda
mp3 minus Piano
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro
-- play figures and comp for the melody
-- comp for the flugelhorn solo 1 chorus
-- play figures and comp for the out melody from B1
-- play the coda
mp3 minus Bass
-- count off sets up the intro
-- play the intro
-- play figures and 1-feel for the melody
-- walk for the flugelhorn solo 1 chorus
-- play figures and 1-feel for the out melody from B1
-- play the coda
mp3 minus Drums - sticks throughout (drummers should get the Bass [minus you] part)
-- count off sets up the intro
-- comp for the intro and melody
-- comp for the flugelhorn solo 1 chorus
-- comp for the out melody from B1 and coda
Related Songs
Email Send Dorian to a friend
Send this page to a friend via email. Add your name or email in the first field. In the second, add one or more email addresses, separated by a comma.
Ronnie Mathews
December 2, 1935 – June 28, 2008
Ronnie Mathews was born in Brooklyn, NY. He studied at Brooklyn College, and also with pianist/composer/arranger Hall Overton starting in 1953, then continuing his music education at Manhattan School Of Music from 1955-1958. He played with Gloria Lynne (1958-1960) and started his small group jazz recording career with Charles Persip And The Jazz Statesmen for Bethlehem records on April 2, 1960. He also performed with Kenny Dorham in 1960 and 1961, as well as recording in 1961 on sessions with leaders Clifford Jordan (February 14), Roland Alexander (June 17), his own trio session for Savoy (June 19, unissued), Bill Hardman (October 18), and Junior Cook (December 4). Read more...
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