Jazz Articles about Kenny Dorham

Kenny Dorham: Trumpeter Laureate

by Samuel Chell
November 14, 2006

The critic Gary Giddins once wrote that Kenny Dorham's name is “virtually synonymous with 'underrated'." Which raises a question. Is it possible for a musician who has achieved widespread fame for non-recognition to remain “deserving" of the description?

Possibly so, if Art Blakey's anointing of Dorham as the “uncrowned trumpet king" is to be taken seriously. Moreover, when you review even Dorham's more publicized credentials--Charlie Parker's preferred front-line partner 1948-50, trumpeter on the seminal Horace Silver session (And the Jazz ...

Kenny Dorham: Afro-Cuban

by Javier AQ Ortiz
April 2, 2003

Quick and to the Point: An ageless recording of true historical import in all matters Latin and Jazz.

Several basic and rather obvious reasons to check out this recording:

1. It is one of the earliest well-informed, conceived and arranged mergers of jazz and Afro- Cuban musical idioms. 2. It was –and remains– a germane album in the career of the all-star cast and producing crew. 3. It marks the recorded ...

Kenny Dorham: 'Round About Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia

by Craig Jolley
April 12, 2002

Trumpeter Kenny Dorham played extensively with Charlie Parker, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, and other New York heavyweights of the 1950's and 60's. He was a hot player, but he never built up his technique to the point where he could cut the most daring passages like his contemporaries Dizzy Gillespie, Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, and Freddie Hubbard. On the other hand he said more with his sound, which came in several shades of blue--he paid attention to nuance. He was ...

Kenny Dorham: Whistle Stop

by Robert Spencer
May 1, 1997

If you’re looking for “straight ahead" jazz (in near-perfect form), here it is. Kenny Dorham plays here with the burning rhythm section John Coltrane used on Blue Train : Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Hank Mobley adds his tenor sax to this 1961 session that features Kenny mining the blues and more in a variety of contexts.

“’Philly’ Twist" is a Parkerian (Charlie, not Evan, folks) blues with energetic comping from ...