Happy Birthday to Kenny Dorham

McKinley Howard Dorham, aka Kenny Dorham
August 30, 1924 – December 5, 1972.
 

Trumpet Dude salutes one of the best today, Happy Birthday Kenny! Yes, Kenny Dorham was one of the best voices to ever travel the trajectories of a trumpet. While his playing voice was incredible, he never received the accolades he should have from the jazz establishment, always overshadowed by the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown and Fats Navarro. Perhaps this is simply because he didn’t have a flamboyant personality like the others. I can only speculate, but in fact, he was referred to as ‘quiet Kenny.’ Regardless, his playing has stood the test of time and is now considered some of the best and a must listen for any aspiring jazz trumpeter today. I myself had not heard of Kenny until trumpeter Dave Scott turned me on to him some years ago, asserting that Kenny was his favorite. To this day, I am utterly amazed and challenged by the music that Kenny composed in his improvisations.
[Read more]

Shake, Rattle and Roll

“Shake, rattle and roll”, yes there’s some good vibrations going on in Lala land once again. 5.4 on the Richter today! I lived in LA during the last big Northridge Quake, what a trip!   LA always reminds me of a concert I had the privilege to attend while out there. It was dedicated to Dizzy Gillespie and held at the Hollywood Bowl, “To Diz with Love-Celebrating the Dizzy Gillespie Diamond Jubilee,” with Slide Hampton as Musical Director-and of course playing his bone. Freddie Hubbard played the lead trumpet part, along with a fairly young Roy Hargrove. Clark Terry, Harry “Sweets” Edison and Claudio Roditi were also playing in the trumpet section. At one point Dizzy came on stage all decked out in a bright yellow leisure suit and, of course, received an immediate standing ovation.  Having been a fan of his since middle school, it was quite a treat.  James Moody, David Sanchez and Paquito D’Rivera held down the saxophone section.
[Read more]