Listening to Prestige 326: Kenny Dorham

Kenny Dorham is mostly associated with Blue Note, largely because of what has become his signature album, 'Roud About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia. But as prolific as he was, he actually recorded for a wide variety of labels, both as leader and sideman, going back to the beginning of the bebop era--and even earlier: his first recordings, in 1945 were with swing-era bandleaders Mercer Ellington and Frank Humphries. Though he's probably most remembered for his work in the late 1950s and 1960s, he was literally present at the creation, replacing Dizzy Gillespie in Billy Eckstine's band in 1945 and joining Dizzy's big band in 1946. In that same year, he recorded with Sonny Stitt (they were the Bebop

Boys), Kenny Clarke, and Fats Navarro. An auspicious beginning. He would go on to record with Lionel Hampton, Mary Lou Williams, Max Roach, J J. Johnson, and Thelonious Monk before making his debut as a leader: two songs for a 78 (he also sang) that went unreleased for 40 years, so it doesn't really count.

What does count, from this same late 1940s period: he replaced Miles Davis in the Charlie Parker Quintet, and made a series of mostly live recordings that were released on Savoy and Verve.

In the early 1950s, he was a charter member of the Jazz Messengers (Horace Silver edition) and played in groups led by Sonny Rollins and Lou Donaldson, and finally got to make his real debut as a leader, for Charles Mingus's Debut Records, a label that produced some great music but did not get great distribution. He continued to record for Blue Note with the Jazz Messengers, which was a solid gig, and made two albums as a leader for Blue Note in 1955, and one for ABC-Paramount, this last as Kenny Dorham and the Jazz Prophets.

He was still "and the Jazz Prophets" when he hit the Cafe Bohemia for a tentative recording in April of 1956, and then a big evening, with three sets recorded, on May 31st.

So, a major career. But not quite a major reputation as he prepared to make his first album as a leader on Prestige, after having assisted Oliver Nelson on his debut album two weeks earlier. His legendary 'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia was a slow-developing legend. 'Round About Midnight t at the Cafe Bohemia was still the whole title of the LP. It did not become Volume 1, and and there were no Volumes 2 and 3, until many, many years later.

His most recent showing on the Down Beat had placed him 13th, with 72 votes from jazz aficionados (Miles Davis led the pack with close to 2500).

So this session for Prestige is still an audition for the brass ring that he was never quite able to grab with his Blue Note recordings, and in fact, he was never quite able to grab.

He is joined by a dream team rhythm section of Tommy Flanagan, Paul Chambers and Art Taylor, for an album of ballads, both standards and originals. Hey, Prestige had pretty good luck with a jazz trumpeter playing ballads.

Dorham, of course, does not remotely try to emulate Miles Davis and his Harmon mute. Nor does he pull out any bells and whistles born of desperation. Like many another even more unsung jazzman than himself, he goes into the studio to make music, to explore the possibilities of a very nice group of tunes, to develop ideas with his bandmates, to improvise and create.

Today, Dorham is rated among the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time, and today, listening back, what does this album sound like?

It sounds great. A jazz master, who's paid his dues and then some, who's held his own at the highest reaches of jazz, playing what he knows, with the best people. Especially Paul Chambers, who's been absent from Prestige for a few months, I think my favorite cut here is "Blue Spring Shuffle," with some particularly nice Chambers/Dorham interplay.

Order Listening to Prestige Vol 2

 

Listening to Prestige Vol. 2, 1954-1956 is here! You can order your signed copy or copies through the link above.

Tad Richards will strike a nerve with all of us who were privileged to have
lived thru the beginnings of bebop, and with those who have since
fallen under the spell of this American phenomenon…a one-of-a-kind
reference book, that will surely take its place in the history of this
music.

                                                                                                                        --Dave Grusin

An important reference book of all the Prestige recordings during the time
period. Furthermore, Each song chosen is a brilliant representation of
the artist which leaves the listener free to explore further. The
stories behind the making of each track are incredibly informative and