Kenny Dorham

4 1/2 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE

PERSONNEL:

KENNY DORHAM  trumpet
JOE HENDERSON  tenor sax
RONNIE MATTHEWS  piano
STEVE DAVIS   bass
J.C. MOSES  drums

Broadcast "The Flamboyan", Queens, New York, January 15, 1963


TRACKS:

01. Dorian
02. Alan .Grant speaks with the band
03. I Can't Get Started
04. Summertime
05. Alan .Grant Speaks
06. My Injun From Brazil (Una Mas)
07. Autumn Leaves
08. Alan .Grant Speaks
09. Dynamo (Straight Ahead)

This broadcast recording is a treasure unearthed after 47 years. Alan .Grant, who hosted the broadcast from an obscure club in an outer borough of New York City, preserved the tape of the program. It documents the early stage of the partnership between Dorham, one of the great trumpet soloists of the bebop and post-bop eras, and the young tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson. Among the herd of Coltrane clones, Henderson was beginning in the early 60s to attract attention as an individual voice. He went on to be recognized as a modern master of the instrument. The pair made two Blue Note albums together under Dorham's leadership, three under Henderson's and one under Andrew Hill's. This unexpected and welcome preview of their symbiosis deserves a place alongside the Blue Notes. Dorham's solo on "Dorian" includes a quote from "I Get The Neck of the Chicken," an unlikely insertion into a modal piece and typical of his subtle wit. The lyricism of his work on "I Can't Get Started," "Summertime" and an early version of his composition "Una Mas" is based in the warmth of his sound and the depth of his unique exploitation of chords. It is a reminder of why nearly half a century later Dorham is an influence on the harmonic thinking of young players. Henderson, fully formed by 1963, solos with daring, passion and tonal qualities that make him immediately recognizable. The rhythm section of pianist Ronnie Matthews, bassist Steve Davis and drummer J.C. Moses is solid and effective despite Matthews having to accommodate to a horrid piano. The CD presents the club performance intact as a broadcast. .Grant's announcements are on tracks that can be programmed out by those who don't want to hear them on repeated listenings, but they are reminders that there was a time when little clubs presented major players and radio stations did live remotes. By Doug Ramsey -