KENNY DORHAM

[Claude Schlouch]

Remember that Kenny left us 46 years ago.

RIP

Edited December 5, 2018 by Claude Schlouch

[soulpope]

[Milestones]

Yes, and now I feel I must play some KD.  

[Gheorghe]

Might spin once again "Una Mas". I had that tune for some months in my own playing repertoire, might play it again on some occasions.

I have read a very very moving article about KD in something like "Austin News" or something like that, also focussing on his bitter last years.

I love everything he played, maybe most of all "Afro Cuban", "Round Midnite at the Bohemia", "Una Mas" and sometimes "Trompetta Tocatta". And of course all his work as a sideman: With Bird he is at best on the Roost Recordings, I love the 1952 stuff with Monk, the 54/55 Messengers, and of course his later collaboration with Joe Henderson, and the outstanding rare almost-avantgarde excursion with Andrew Hill and Dolphy. And I discovered just recently his very latest stuff for Strata East with Cliff Jordan and Cecil Payne, but have more difficulties to enjoy those, since it sound´s somehow a bit "lost" if you hear more straight ahead as late as in 1969. It sounds to desperate struggeling for survive to me, when all around that was the New Thing and the electric jazz was just beginning, somehow a sad period for straight ahead acoustic players........

[Milestones]

I don't know much about Kenny's later years.  I think he didn't have any official releases as a leader after 1964--and not much as a sideman either.  I know health was one issue, but I guess another was adapting to rapidly changing times.

I am currently spinning Quiet Kenny.

 

[Daniel A]

The link to the aforementioned article was posted in another thread. It is a very touching story:

https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2018-09-14/trumpet-colossus-kenny-dorham-towers-alongside-the-jazz-gods/

[sidewinder]

The two Uptown CDs have some great later period playing by him - and also interesting essays concerning his 60s work and challenges. 

[Rooster_Ties]

17 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

The link to the aforementioned article was posted in another thread. It is a very touching story:

https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2018-09-14/trumpet-colossus-kenny-dorham-towers-alongside-the-jazz-gods/

I don't know that I've ever seen this particular pic of Kenny with Eric Dolphy, which I'm quite liking!! (from the article)...

[Big Beat Steve]

This thread has prompted me to pull out the one below for listening (a reissue of his 1960 Jaro LP) which was the first KD LP I ever bought (back in the early 80s - not that I have a really huge part of his leader dates anyway).

A very enjoyable session, brings back memories of past listening sessions (and the excellent liner notes by Mark Gardner sum up the gist of what the Austin Chronicle bio linked above says) .

[optatio]

6 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

Might spin once again "Una Mas". I had that tune for some months in my own playing repertoire, might play it again on some occasions.

Do it, I'm doing it right now:

KENNY DORHAM: UNA MAS (ONE MORE TIME). BLUE NOTE RVG EDITION 7243 5 21228 2 0 [1999]

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, Rooster_Ties said:

I don't know that I've ever seen this particular pic of Kenny with Eric Dolphy, which I'm quite liking!! (from the article)...

Great photography ....

[Coda]

Francis Wolff is the photographer. Great link on him with additional photos:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-sight/wp/2014/11/24/rhythm-and-blues-the-photographer-behind-blue-note-records-that-defined-a-label/?utm_term=.c291d98493f4

 

[JSngry]

His Showboat album on Time is a perhaps unlikely gem. Jimmy Heath, Kenny Drew, Jimmy Garrison, and Art Taylor, all in top form.

I found both of his Time albums in the same store on the same day. I bought them both and was expecting Jazz Contemporary (w/Charles Davis & Steve Kuhn) to be the better of the two (and it is indeed a fine record), but damn, Showboat just hit that zone of extra good.

[paul secor]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

His Showboat album on Time is a perhaps unlikely gem. Jimmy Heath, Kenny Drew, Jimmy Garrison, and Art Taylor, all in top form.

I found both of his Time albums in the same store on the same day. I bought them both and was expecting Jazz Contemporary (w/Charles Davis & Steve Kuhn) to be the better of the two (and it is indeed a fine record), but damn, Showboat just hit that zone of extra good.

I agree completely.

[Bluesnik]

4 hours ago, Coda said:

Francis Wolff is the photographer. Great link on him with additional photos

Great pics there.

[Gheorghe]

10 hours ago, soulpope said:

Great photography ....

Strange, but Dolphy who was much younger and one of the young avantgardists, while Dorham was a bebop veteran, looks older than Dorham on this photo.

[soulpope]

Features some formidable late Kenny Dorham ....

[brownie]

Among the favorite KD albums,  I rank the ones with Barney Wilen and Duke Jordan at the top.

Was lucky to be able to attend a couple of evenings when they appeared at the Club Saint-Germain here.

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, brownie said:

Among the favorite KD albums,  I rank the ones with Barney Wilen and Duke Jordan at the top.

Was lucky to be able to attend a couple of evenings when they appeared at the Club Saint-Germain here.

Agreed .... outstanding performances ....

[Late]

The two trumpet line-up (Botschinsky on flugelhorn) is better than expected. And Tete is never off.

[Shrdlu]

Thanks for the tip about the "Showboat" album, Jim. I somehow missed that one. The lineup sure is good.

Kenny plays superbly on a Hank Mobley Prestige album called "Mobley's 2nd Message", July 27, 1956. (Not to be confused with some other albums from the time with almost the same title. A lot of messages were floating around at the time.) Those trumpet-tenor quintet albums can get a bit samey, but this one stands out.

[soulpope]

8 minutes ago, Shrdlu said:

Kenny plays superbly on a Hank Mobley Prestige album called "Mobley's 2nd Message", July 27, 1956. (Not to be confused with some other albums from the time with almost the same title. A lot of messages were floating around at the time.) Those trumpet-tenor quintet albums can get a bit samey, but this one stands out.

👍👍!!

[John L]

I love Kenny Dorham.  If I could have only one KD album, it might be this one, but that probably has as much to do with Philly Joe as KD.  

[HutchFan]

20 minutes ago, John L said:

If I could have only one KD album, it might be this one, but that probably has as much to do with Philly Joe as KD.  

I'm with you, John. Whistle Stop is my desert-island Dorham also.

For me, Philly Joe is definitely part of the equation, but the whole band is lights out. ...And the compositions! ...Everything about it.   

 

Edited January 6, 2019 by HutchFan

[mjzee]

This is probably my favorite KD album; certainly the one I've played most often: