Whisper Not

Benny Golson's medium-slow swing chart Whisper Not began life innocently enough as an arrangement for Dizzy Gillespie's 1956 State Department big band. Although it may not be as complicated as some of Golson's other compositions, the disarming melody is underpinned by some sneakily complex harmonies. The solo space is reserved for trumpet, tenor and piano. Appropriately enough for the title, this arrangement begins at a barely audible volume level with only occasional louder bursts until the brief shout chorus. The famous "march time" segment occurs and the volume level tapers off to a medium-soft level, followed by a dynamic crescendo to a dramatic ending.