Kenny Dorham

McKinley Howard "Kenny" Dorham (August 30, 1924 – December 5, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and occasional singer. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention or public recognition from the jazz establishment that many of his peers did. For this reason, writer Gary Giddins said that Dorham's name has become "virtually synonymous with 'underrated'."

Dorham also composed the jazz standard "Blue Bossa", which was first recorded by his associate Joe Henderson.

Biography
Dorham was one of the most active bebop trumpeters. Early in his career, he played in the big bands of Lionel Hampton, Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie, and Mercer Ellington, and in Charlie Parker's quintet. He joined Parker's band in December 1948. He was a charter member of the original cooperative the Jazz Messengers. He also recorded as a sideman with Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins, and he replaced Clifford Brown in the Max Roach Quintet after Brown's death in 1956. In addition to sideman work, Dorham led his own groups, including the Jazz Prophets (formed shortly after Art Blakey took over the Jazz Messengers name). The Jazz Prophets, featuring a young Bobby Timmons on piano, bassist Sam Jones, and tenorman J. R. Monterose, with guest Kenny Burrell on guitar, recorded a live album, 'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia, in 1956 for Blue Note. In 1963, Dorham added the 26-year-old tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson to his group, which later recorded the album Una Mas. The friendship between the two musicians led to a number of other albums, such as Henderson's Page One, Our Thing, and In 'n Out. Dorham recorded frequently throughout the 1960s for Blue Note and Prestige Records, as leader and as sideman for Henderson, Jackie McLean, Cedar Walton, Andrew Hill, Milt Jackson, and others. Dorham's later quartet consisted of some well-known jazz musicians: Tommy Flanagan (piano), Paul Chambers (double bass), and Art Taylor (drums). Their recording debut was Quiet Kenny for Prestige's New Jazz label, an album which featured mostly ballads. An earlier quartet featuring Dorham as co-leader with alto saxophone player Ernie Henry had released an album together under the name "Kenny Dorham/Ernie Henry Quartet." They produced the album 2 Horns / 2 Rhythm for Riverside Records in 1957, with double bassist Eddie Mathias and drummer G.T. Hogan. In 1990, the album was re-released on CD under the name "Kenny Dorham Quartet featuring Ernie Henry".

Death
During his final years, Dorham suffered from kidney disease, from which he died on December 5, 1972, aged 48.

As leader

 * 1953: Kenny Dorham Quintet (Debut, 1954)[10"]
 * 1955: Afro-Cuban (Blue Note, 1955)[10"]
 * 1956: 'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia (Blue Note, 1957) – live
 * 1956: And The Jazz Prophets Vol. 1 (ABC-Paramount, 1956)
 * 1957: Jazz Contrasts featuring Sonny Rollins (Riverside, 1957)
 * 1957: 2 Horns / 2 Rhythm featuring Ernie Henry (Riverside, 1957)
 * 1958: This Is the Moment! (Riverside, 1958)
 * 1959: Blue Spring with Cannonball Adderley (Riverside, 1959)
 * 1959: Quiet Kenny (New Jazz, 1960)
 * 1960: The Arrival of Kenny Dorham (Jaro International, 1960) – reissued as The Kenny Dorham Memorial Album (Xanadu, 1976)
 * 1960: Jazz Contemporary (Time, 1960)
 * 1960: Showboat (Time, 1961)
 * 1961: Whistle Stop (Blue Note, 1961)
 * 1961: Hot Stuff From Brazil (West Wind, 1990)
 * 1961: Inta Somethin' with Jackie McLean (Pacific Jazz, 1962) – live
 * 1962: Matador (United Artists, 1963)
 * 1963: Una Mas (Blue Note, 1964)
 * 1963: Scandia Skies (SteepleChase, 1980)
 * 1963: Short Story (SteepleChase, 1979)
 * 1964: Trompeta Toccata (Blue Note, 1965)

As sideman
With Art Blakey
 * The Jazz Messengers at the Cafe Bohemia Volume 1 (Blue Note, 1955) – live
 * The Jazz Messengers at the Cafe Bohemia Volume 2 (Blue Note, 1955) – live

With Joe Henderson
 * Page One (Blue Note, 1963)
 * Our Thing (Blue Note, 1963)
 * In 'n Out (Blue Note, 1964)

With Ernie Henry
 * Presenting Ernie Henry (Riverside, 1956)
 * Last Chorus (Riverside, 1958) – rec. 1956–57

With Milt Jackson
 * Roll 'Em Bags (Savoy, 1949)
 * Invitation (Riverside, 1962)

With Clifford Jordan
 * Starting Time (Jazzland, 1961)
 * In the World (Strata-East, 1972) – rec. 1969

With Abbey Lincoln
 * That's Him! (Riverside, 1957)
 * It's Magic (Riverside, 1958)
 * Abbey Is Blue (Riverside, 1959)

With Hank Mobley
 * Mobley's 2nd Message (Prestige, 1956)
 * Curtain Call (Blue Note, 1957)

With Cecil Payne
 * 1956: Patterns of Jazz (Savoy, 1957)
 * 1968: Zodiac (Strata-East, 1973)

With Max Roach
 * Max Roach + 4 (EmArcy, 1956)
 * Jazz in ¾ Time (EmArcy, 1957) – rec. 1956–57
 * MAX (Argo, 1958)
 * The Max Roach 4 Plays Charlie Parker (EmArcy, 1959) – rec. 1957–58

With Sonny Rollins
 * 1954: Moving Out (Prestige, 1956)
 * 1956: Rollins Plays for Bird (Prestige, 1957)
 * 1956: Sonny Boy (Prestige, 1961)

With Barney Wilen
 * Barney (RCA, 1959)
 * Un Temoin Dans La Ville (Fontana, 1959)

With others
 * Charlie Parker, Swedish Schnapps (Verve, 1958) – compilation
 * Toshiko Akiyoshi, Toshiko at Top of the Gate (Nippon Columbia, 1968) – reissued by Denon
 * Dave Bailey, Bash! (Jazzline, 1961) - reissued as Tommy Flanagan Trio And Sextet (Onyx/Xanadu, 1973) and under Dorham's name as Osmosis (Black Lion, 1990)
 * Andy Bey, Andy and the Bey Sisters (Fontana, 1959) – reissued as Emarcy CD)
 * The Birdland Stars, On Tour Vol.1 & 2 (RCA Victor, 1956)
 * Rocky Boyd, Ease It (Jazztime, 1961) – reissued as West 42nd Street on Black Lion under Dorham's name
 * Kenny Burrell, Kenny Burrell (Blue Note BLP 1543, 1956) – 1 track
 * Tadd Dameron, Fontainebleau (Prestige, 1956)
 * Lou Donaldson, Quartet/Quintet/Sextet (Blue Note, 1957) – rec. 1952–54
 * Matthew Gee, Jazz by Gee (Riverside, 1956)
 * Herb Geller, Fire in the West (Jubilee, 1957) – aka That Geller Feller (Fresh Sound, 2003)
 * Benny Golson, The Modern Touch (Riverside, 1958) – rec. 1957
 * Barry Harris, Bull's Eye! (Prestige, 1968)
 * Andrew Hill, Point of Departure (Blue Note, 1965) – rec. 1964
 * Harold Land, Eastward Ho! Harold Land in New York (Jazzland, 1960)
 * Jackie McLean, Vertigo (Blue Note, 1980) – rec. 1959–63
 * John Mehegan, Casual Affair (TJ, 1959)
 * Gil Mellé, Gil's Guests (Prestige, 1956)
 * Helen Merrill, You've Got a Date with the Blues (MetroJazz, 1959)
 * Thelonious Monk, Genius of Modern Music: Volume 2 (Blue Note, 1952)
 * Oliver Nelson, Meet Oliver Nelson (New Jazz, 1959)
 * Oscar Pettiford, The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi Volume Two (ABC-Paramount, 1957)
 * A. K. Salim, Pretty for the People (Savoy, 1957)
 * Horace Silver, Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers (Blue Note, 1956) – rec. 1954–55
 * Cecil Taylor, Hard Driving Jazz (United Artists, 1958) – reissued by Blue Note
 * Cedar Walton, Cedar! (Prestige, 1967)
 * Randy Weston, Live at the Five Spot (United Artists, 1959) – live
 * Phil Woods, Pairing Off (Prestige, 1956)