Kenny Dorham

[Claude Schlouch]

Hello folks,

Our great friend left us 34 years ago.

RIP Kenny!

[ValerieB]

and i miss him lately more than ever!

[Guest the mommy]

what do you miss about him? was he funny? witty? charming? the sound of his trumpet?

[Rooster_Ties]

I'm not saying he's overrated, but I have to admit that Dorham is a guy who hasn't exactly knocked me out over the years -- or at least he hasn't really spoken to me that deeply.

I know him primarily from his BN leader dates (I've got most of them), and most of his various sideman appearances on BN (especially those with Joe Henderson), and a couple co-leader dates with Jackie McLean (originally on UA?) -- I'm talkin' about MATADOR and INTA SOMETHIN'. I may have heard one or two of his dates that are now OJC's (QUIET KENNY is the only one that comes to mind). Maybe a live air-check from the early-to-mid 60's (one of the Steeplechases?). And of course he's also on POINT OF DEPARTURE.

Sorry to be a downer here. He's certainly not a bad player either (or that uneven, come to think of it). Just not somebody I've ever been dyin' to hear more and more from.

Edited December 5, 2006 by Rooster_Ties

[ValerieB]

what do you miss about him? was he funny? witty? charming? the sound of his trumpet?

i didn't really know him. i just miss his talent as a player and composer.

[Jazz Kat]

People just think of musicians by their playing. Dorham, made some great albums!

[Guy Berger]

I'll give Our Thing a spin today.

[Guest the mommy]

jazz cat, i think valerieB seems to be boyz with a lot of jazz musicians so i imagine he or she thinks about many of them by more than their musical contributions.

[BruceH]

He was "the un-crowned king"!!

I recently (finally) got a copy of Trompeta Toccata, which caused me to dig Kenny all the more.

[Aggie87]

jazz cat, i think valerieB seems to be boyz with a lot of jazz musicians so i imagine he or she thinks about many of them by more than their musical contributions.

She was married to one, the mommy. I'm sure she knows quite a few of them.

[Spontooneous]

I admire KD because he was persuasive without raising his (instrumental) voice. He knew he didn't have the punch-you-in-the-face power of Dizzy or Brownie, so he found other ways to get across.

I admire KD because he seemed willing to try anything and measure himself against anybody. Bird, Max, Monk, Rollins, Horace, Cecil, Andrew Hill, Muhal Richard Abrams.

I admire KD because of the never-ending line of development in his playing. Have you HEARD the way he was playing on that last recording with Abrams?

KD fans, unite!

[brownie]

KD lives!

[Stereojack]

A unique and always recognizable voice on his instrument, AND a fine composer. What more could anyone want?

[Jazz Kat]

jazz cat, i think valerieB seems to be boyz with a lot of jazz musicians so i imagine he or she thinks about many of them by more than their musical contributions.

no

[Peter Friedman]

Kenny Dorham is one of my favorite trumpet players. His solos had a lyrical quality that , to my ears, told a story. His playing reaches me emotionally in a way that few other trumpet players can match. His compositions are also first rate.

[B. Goren.]

Kenny Dorham is one of my favorite trumpet players. His solos had a lyrical quality that , to my ears, told a story. His playing reaches me emotionally in a way that few other trumpet players can match. His compositions are also first rate.

[Hot Ptah]

jazz cat, i think valerieB seems to be boyz with a lot of jazz musicians so i imagine he or she thinks about many of them by more than their musical contributions.

I find this comment to be fairly incredible. Are you joking, or what?

[ladenso1]

Kenny Dorham is one of my favorite trumpet players. His solos had a lyrical quality that , to my ears, told a story. His playing reaches me emotionally in a way that few other trumpet players can match. His compositions are also first rate.

I feel the same way--interesting how this veteran from the Bird era and Joe Henderson found themselves to be such kindred musical souls.

I would add that I rarely fail to identify him when I turn on the radio and he's soloing. This is in contrast to a recent query on the Discography forum asking if an uncredited trumpeter on a rare record is Booker Little. I have that record but I couldn't go beyond a statement that that trumpet player well might be Booker. I'm very confident that if KD were uncredited on a record I'd be able positively to identify him after hearing half a chorus or less.

[Big Al]

I just recently picked up WHISTLE STOP for the first time. Subsequently started kicking myself for waiting to pick up this beautiful work.

[Guest the mommy]

what is incredible? i think valerieB seems to know some of these musicians on a more personal level so he or she probably can, despire jazz cat's protests, memorialize them on a level other than simply musical.

[Guest the mommy]

there ARE people behind the music, after all. real people. and some people on the board know or knew them.

[chris olivarez]

Is Afro Cuban in print?

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

i saw a homeless guy at tower today buying a copy of Whistle Stop

[Clunky]

Dorham's sound has always had very human qualities to it. Where as Brownie is unabashed joy for life, Kenny's was more searching and questioning , a major talent and a favourite.

[Big Beat Steve]

Kenny Dorham is one of my favorite trumpet players. His solos had a lyrical quality that , to my ears, told a story. His playing reaches me emotionally in a way that few other trumpet players can match. His compositions are also first rate.

"Lyrical" just about says it. I don't go too much for "Quiet Kenny" (a bit too subdued for my taste) but I find his albums done for the TIME label around 1960 really enjoyable (among other KD records I've heard - far from all, though).