Hill's Edge – Kenny Dorham
K.D.'s Hill's Edge is a wild 16-measure composition based on the first 16 measures of the chord progression of the jazz standard Tune Up; with Kenny's added super slick intro, this arrangement is not only challenging but really exciting to play! Condensed Score and horn parts are available for the recorded arrangement.
- Recording: Kenny Dorham - 'Round About Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia
- Recorded on: May 31, 1956
- Label: Blue Note (BLP 1524)
- Concert Key: D, No key center
- Vocal Range: , to
- Style: Swing (uptempo)
- Trumpet - Kenny Dorham
- Tenor Sax - J.R. Monterose
- Guitar - Kenny Burrell
- Piano - Bobby Timmons
- Bass - Sam Jones
- Drums - Arthur Edgehill
Video
- Description
- Historical Notes
- Solos
- Piano Corner
- Bass Corner
- Drum Corner
- Guitar Corner
- Inside & Beyond
- Minus You
Don Sickler: "If you listened to our audio excerpt, you've just checked out the in and out melodys of K.D.'s composition Hill's Edge plus how the melody is used in the arrangement, coming in after his super slick intro.
"Kenny's recorded arrangement of Hill's Edge is an uptempo “burner” and one of Kenny Dorham’s most challenging arrangements to play, especially at his tempo of ♩ = ca. 320. It's full of intricate bebop lines in that slick style characteristic of Kenny Dorham. Our lead sheet shows the basic melody, but the lead sheets won't give you the excitement of the arrangement; a Condensed Score and 1st and 2nd horn parts are available for the recorded arrangement. The Condensed Score is also the rhythm section part.
"On the recording, there is a 14-measure intro with stop-and-start rhythm section figures filling in around the melody. This intro obscures the form: the bass rests for both the last measure of the intro and first measure of the head, then starts a walking pickup into the third measure. This makes the intro sound like it's actually an even 16 measures, arriving on D major in the third measure for the start of the head. The drums are playing light time through much of the intro hits and breaks, not catching the bass figures. When the melody comes back for the out head, the form is made obvious.
"Our Condensed Score and parts also include Kenny's drum shout—an eight-measure send-off for the drums, played twice, that goes into an open drum solo. After solos, they go back to the melody, then for this arrangement Kenny elected to insert the first 16 measures of Tune Up, like he did after his opening chorus melody before ending."
"Kenny's recorded arrangement of Hill's Edge is an uptempo “burner” and one of Kenny Dorham’s most challenging arrangements to play, especially at his tempo of ♩ = ca. 320. It's full of intricate bebop lines in that slick style characteristic of Kenny Dorham. Our lead sheet shows the basic melody, but the lead sheets won't give you the excitement of the arrangement; a Condensed Score and 1st and 2nd horn parts are available for the recorded arrangement. The Condensed Score is also the rhythm section part.
"On the recording, there is a 14-measure intro with stop-and-start rhythm section figures filling in around the melody. This intro obscures the form: the bass rests for both the last measure of the intro and first measure of the head, then starts a walking pickup into the third measure. This makes the intro sound like it's actually an even 16 measures, arriving on D major in the third measure for the start of the head. The drums are playing light time through much of the intro hits and breaks, not catching the bass figures. When the melody comes back for the out head, the form is made obvious.
"Our Condensed Score and parts also include Kenny's drum shout—an eight-measure send-off for the drums, played twice, that goes into an open drum solo. After solos, they go back to the melody, then for this arrangement Kenny elected to insert the first 16 measures of Tune Up, like he did after his opening chorus melody before ending."
Hill’s Edge is named for drummer Arthur Edgehill, who handles the burning fast tempo with ease and elegance. Edgehill’s debut recording was on Kenny Dorham’s ABC-Paramount album “Kenny Dorham and the Jazz Prophets, Volume 1,” a month before the “‘Round About Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia” performance. Later in the ‘50s, Edgehill recorded on quite a few sessions at Van Gelder Studio—both in the original Hackensack location and later in Englewood Cliffs—with Mal Waldron and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis among others.
Though recorded with a sextet, this is really a quintet arrangement; guitarist Kenny Burrell only solos on the recording, never comping or playing any melodies with the horns.
Don Sickler recorded a septet arrangement of Hill’s Edge on his 1990 album “Night Watch.” Don Sickler: "My arrangement goes right to a Carl Fontana trombone solo after Kenny's intro and 16-measure measure melody. Another version is on saxophonist Charles Davis’ 2009 “A Tribute To Kenny Dorham” album. On Charles Davis' recording he repeats Kenny's 16-measure melody, which then goes right into solos."
Though recorded with a sextet, this is really a quintet arrangement; guitarist Kenny Burrell only solos on the recording, never comping or playing any melodies with the horns.
Don Sickler recorded a septet arrangement of Hill’s Edge on his 1990 album “Night Watch.” Don Sickler: "My arrangement goes right to a Carl Fontana trombone solo after Kenny's intro and 16-measure measure melody. Another version is on saxophonist Charles Davis’ 2009 “A Tribute To Kenny Dorham” album. On Charles Davis' recording he repeats Kenny's 16-measure melody, which then goes right into solos."
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Kenny Dorham
August 30, 1924 – December 15, 1972
August 30, 2025, is Kenny Dorham's 101st birthday: jazzleadsheets.com has added many new K.D. compositions. Jazz At Lincoln Center has dedicated three late-night sets to Kenny's music, played with love by young musicians who want his music to live on. Join in, play K.D. music! Read more...
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