Whisper Not - What Key/Mode?

[rhysonsax]

I am due to play three Benny Golson tunes in an improvisation workshop soon and Whisper Not is one of them.

There is a nice counter-melody in some Golson recordings and the lead sheet from the New Real Book Vol. 2 includes just a few phrases from that. I have been looking for sheet music that includes the whole of a second horn part but can't find anything yet. Can anyone point me in the right direction ?

As a treat, here is a fine live recording filmed in Holland in1958. Wonderful solos, killer band and looking smart !

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View: https://youtu.be/JN6vCdmOV-Q?si=tFZa8MPL9rRXcXFR


I guess I should just transcribe what Benny plays here in the bridge.

Rhys

 

[dexdex]

I won’t enter the discussion about key. But just thank @rhysonsax for the video above.
I’m a big fan of Golson, and his tenor sound in particular. It is nice to see his embouchure, very similar to Lockjaw Davis‘, who also sounds that way.
Morgan & Golson could well be my top definition of the frontline sound of jazz. Sooooo classy.
Never heard them live…

 

[Pete Thomas]

I guess I should just transcribe what Benny plays here in the bridge.

I would - you have the added bonus of seeing his fingers move.

 

[saxyjt]

This is a very polite version. Have you ever seen Art Blakey so quiet?

Although bit with Mr Golson himself, I like that version by Lee Morgan's sextet:

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[rhysonsax]

I found that John Elliott (pianist and author of "Insights in Jazz") has done a podcast analysing the harmony of Whisper Not. To get the most from this podcast you really have to be familiar with the terminology he uses for describing the harmonic building blocks ("Bricks") of jazz tunes (e.g. Plain Old Turnaround, Launcher) and the "joins" between those Bricks (e.g. Backslider, Bootstrap).

About 4:40 into the podcast John discusses what key he thinks the tune is in and says some interesting things, including:

• I'd probably say D minor as it ends in Dm and the end of each A section is predominantly in Dm
• The key is a tricky one to call on a gig as the tune starts in C minor
• [later at about 6:40] The whole tune has the feeling of being in various minor keys

Rhys

 

[Pete Effamy]

The key is a tricky one to call on a gig as the tune starts in C minor

There are a fair few tunes that “deceive” at the start. When called, they are usually called by key followed by “first chord…” just to make sure.