Passion Spring – Kenny Dorham

As the title implies, Passion Spring is a great example of the passionate lyricism that defines many Kenny Dorham compositions. This song has a unique flavor, being equal parts major and minor; the cyclical form begins on A minor, but both the melody and changes also imply C major. It’s a relatively simple song, in a compact 16-measure form, but both the song and the recorded arrangement are filled with subtle detail. The second four-measure phrase has a descending chain of II-V7s, balanced by a stepwise “walk up” from C major in the next four measures.

About the arrangement: Full Score and parts are available for the recorded arrangement, including alternate horn parts so it can be played with a variety of septet lineups. Each of the four horns has an opportunity to play the melody, starting with the French horn (3rd part) for a six-measure intro and the first half of the first head chorus, followed by alto sax (2nd part) from the second half to the first half of the next chorus, and trumpet (1st part) finishing out the head. The melody and changes are always slightly varied on each chorus of the in and out heads, and those horns that are not playing the melody add harmonies (and a few countermelodies). There are backgrounds for the trumpet and alto solos, and after the last solo there’s a shout chorus repeated twice, with baritone sax (4th part) on the melody (similar to the head) on the last four measures. The trumpet has the melody for the final out head chorus, which is again arranged and harmonized differently from the in head.

Articulation and phrasing are very important in this arrangement; they create several ingenious subtleties of counterpoint. For example, in the fifth through eighth measures of the second melody chorus, the alto melody is a sequence of two-note phrases answered by two-note phrases from the other horns. The accent on the alto phrases is on the first note, but for the ensemble responses the second note is accented. Also check out the dynamic contrast in the ninth through 11th measures of the shout chorus: the horns play unison and octaves here, but the trumpet and baritone sax alternate two notes loud and two notes soft, creating space for the alto and French horn to bring out these lower notes.

A Concert Score (all instruments in the same key) is also available for study.