Poetic Spring – Kenny Dorham

A lot of Kenny Dorham’s music can be described as poetic, but Poetic Spring is particularly well-suited to its title. This song features a simple, lyrical melody that flows smoothly throughout the 24-measure form. The changes are mostly tonal to the key of F major, with a brief visit to A major in the fifth and sixth measures. The form is divided into 16-measure A and eight-measure B sections; B starts similarly to A but moves in a different direction starting in the third measure. A rhythmic coda, with a chromatic descending melody, replaces the last two measures of the out head.

About the arrangement: Full score and parts, including alternate parts, are available for the four-horn septet arrangement from the recording. On the head, the trumpet has the melody throughout while the rest of the band fills in with rhythmic figures. These are not stop-time; the rhythm section plays time around the hits, going back and forth between 4-feel and 2-feel in each eight-measure phrase of the melody chorus. Solos go to 4-feel throughout. There are two sets of backgrounds, at the beginning of the second chorus for the trumpet and baritone sax solos respectively. These backgrounds present the soloists with both melodic and rhythmic material to converse with.

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

Our “Further Explorations” version in the key of C has Minus You tracks for all instruments. The basic rhythm section figures are the same as the original septet arrangement, showing that this song also works in a quartet setting. Click on the Minus You tab for more details.