Escapade – Kenny Dorham

Melodic but with intricate rhythm section activity, this Dorham composition is a masterpiece. Every element of the composition, from the precise counter line movement to the interplay between piano, bass and drums, is exquisitely balanced. To help everyone relate to the intricacies of this composition, each part includes cues so you can always be aware of the bigger picture.

The key of this song is not obvious; while the intro pedals around C minor, also the first chord of the head, there are two B♭ pedal point sections that imply B♭ minor. The form is a 20-measure repeating melody with 20-measure solo choruses. All choruses have the same chord progression.

Escapade has many of Kenny's characteristic and intriguing rhythmic compositional elements. The melody is divided into four-measure sections. After four measures of stop time where the melody is answered by the rhythm section, the second four-measure section (which ends in a break) introduces a rhythm section syncopation that is developed further in the next four measures (also ending in a break) when a 4th beat pulse is added to the figure. The next four measures are 2-feel, with orchestrated piano hits against the melody, followed by the previous four-measure section that again ends on the 4th beat of each measure, this time orchestrated differently for the piano without a break in the 4th measure.

The solo choruses start with eight measures of 4-feel, followed by the next three four-measure sections from the melody with no breaks, except the 2-feel section is now 4-feel.

All rhythm section activity is indicated clearly in the piano, bass, and drum parts. Note that the lead sheets and rhythm section parts for all four albums shown above are identical. The second parts are labeled by album. Of course, the Minus You audio tracks are only under "The K.D. Challenge" album cover.

Don Sickler: This was my 20th anniversary recording tribute to this Kenny Dorham masterpiece. I loved the melodic simplicity of Kenny's original recording with Joe Henderson (horns first in unison, then moving to octaves until the last four measures of the melody, where the tenor moves into harmony and adds syncopation with the rhythm section). On my recording, I made a few alterations from the original Joe Henderson recording.

I heard it at a slower tempo (ca. 116) as opposed to the original which was at ca. 136. Great artists sometimes come up with positive new ideas, especially when they're confronted with a new tempo. This 20-bar repeating melody is built over changing four-measure underlying rhythmic sections. At my slower tempo, drummer Billy Higgins heard the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th sections in a light 12/8 Latin feel as opposed to the original, where Pete LaRoca enhanced the bass and piano figures with a swing feel.

Another change in my version is bassist Ron Carter's occasional "low Cs," starting with the last note of the intro (this couldn't have been considered on the original recording, since Eddie Kahn's bass didn't have a low C extension). Both Ron Carter and pianist Cedar Walton were given my transcription of the original piano and bass parts for this recording session. They're also what I also used for the Minus You parts on "The K.D. Challenge" version.

All the parts listed here are identical to the parts shown under the "Our Thing" album cover above left.

The two-horn arrangement by jazzleadsheets.com's Don Sickler on this recording features a countermelody that can be used with the original arrangement. Don plays this line on flugelhorn under the flute melody. The rhythm section plays the same figures as on the original version, but with a 12/8 Latin feel on the intro and most of the head/solo form; the feel changes to swing in the first and fourth 4-measure phrases.

Lead sheets and rhythm section parts are the same under all album covers, but the second parts are labeled by album.

Our "K.D. Challenge" recording is arranged the same way as the original Joe Henderson version, but in a quartet setting. This version swings throughout, without the Latin 12/8 groove of the Spaulding version. Due to the rhythm section stop-time activity in the head, we consider it important for the pianist, bassist and drummer to know what else is going on around their parts. Accordingly, in all three rhythm section parts we have included the melody on a separate upper staff. 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 on the downbeat of the melody's first measure. Minus You tracks are available for all instruments (click on the Minus You tab for details).

Note that the lead sheets and parts under all the album covers are the same, except for the second parts, which are labeled by album. Ordering one part puts a check mark by that part in all albums, so you won't buy the same part twice.


To learn why we think Kenny Dorham's music is so important, click About The K.D. Challenge.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR DRUMMERS and others:
First listen to the piano and bass Intro rhythmic figure.
[>] Now listen to the four-measure rhythm section pattern played by bass and piano starting in the fifth measure (the break is only in the melody section.)
[>] Now listen to the four-measure syncopated pattern starting in measure 9 (the break is in the melody choruses only).
[>] Next, four measures of swing (2-feel for the melody and 4-feel for solos), followed by the last four-measure syncopated rhythm pattern (no break in the 4th measure.)

What do you think? Should you play the sections with figures swing or Latin? Couldn't you do them either way? Check out how our four drummers played them, then see the Description notes for each to see why.