Sunrise In Mexico – Kenny Dorham

This evocative composition paints a full picture in its detailed arrangement. In true Kenny Dorham fashion, the melody is very simple but there is a lot going on beneath and around the brief theme. The melody is only eight measures long and based on a single chord (Gm7), but quite catchy and effective with its striking long-short phrasing. In the original recorded arrangement, it’s accompanied by a shimmering piano texture alternating left- and right-hand chords in triplets, as well as powerful, rhythmic double-stop figures in the bass. In the second half of the theme, the piano answers the melody while the bass line shifts two beats later.

The intro begins with a strong tutti statement in contrary motion—a descending melody with a rising bass line, eight measures repeated twice. This is followed by 16 measures to set up the head: eight measures of the bass figure with drums only, and eight adding the piano figure. After solos, there are eight more measures of bass and drums to set up the out head. The coda is almost the entire intro: the tutti section twice again, four measures of bass and drums, and then adding piano for a vamp that fades out.

Solos switch to 4-feel swing. The soloists essentially play modally on G minor (G Dorian) but Paul Chambers’ bass line on the recording suggests alternating B♭ major and G minor which is shown below the staff. In his solo, Kenny Dorham defines the eight-measure form by playing a variation of the second four measures from the head in every chorus. As a reference, this is shown in our score and parts based on his first solo chorus.

The two horns are harmonized in the beginning of the intro as well as the first half of the head; this arrangement certainly also works in a quartet setting with the horn player reading the 1st part. For details on the drum part, click on Drum Corner.