Hank Mobley - Messages (Reissue)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:15
Size: 175,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:57)  1. Bouncing With Bud
( 5:41)  2. 52nd Street Theme
( 6:15)  3. Minor Disturbance
( 7:32)  4. Au Privave
( 8:42)  5. Little Girl Blue
( 6:37)  6. These Are The Things I Love
( 6:04)  7. Message From The Border
( 5:37)  8. Xlento
( 5:49)  9. The Latest
(10:01) 10. I Should Care
( 6:56) 11. Crazeology

With the exception of Hank Mobley's original "Alternating Current," which was left out due to lack of space, this single CD has all of the music from the two Prestige LPs Mobley's Message and Hank Mobley's Second Message; a two-LP set from 1976 which had the same Messages title and catalog number, but also the complete program, is actually the preferred acquisition, but will be difficult to locate. The first session mostly features the fine tenor Hank Mobley jamming on four superior bop standards, including "Bouncing with Bud," "52nd Street Theme" and "Au Privavem" and his own "Minor Disturbance" in a quintet with trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor; altoist Jackie McLean has a strong cameo on "Au Privave." The second set, recorded a week later, is less of a jam session, with Mobley, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist Walter Bishop, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor essaying three of Mobley's now-obscure compositions, Benny Harris's "Crazeology" and the standards "These Are the Things I Love" and "I Should Care." The two dates give one a good example of Hank Mobley's playing prior to becoming a regular Blue Note artist, where he would create his greatest work. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/messages-mw0000201086

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley; Alto Saxophone – Jackie McLean; Bass – Doug Watkins; Drums – Art Taylor; Piano – Barry Harris, Walter Bishop; Trumpet – Donald Byrd, Kenny Dorham 

Messages (Reissue)

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Kenny Dorham - Kenny Dorham Sings And Plays: This Is The Moment!

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:33
Size: 86,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:04)  1. Autumn Leaves
(2:55)  2. I Remember Clifford
(4:15)  3. Since I Fell For You
(4:11)  4. I Understand
(4:45)  5. From This Moment On
(2:37)  6. This Is The Moment
(5:26)  7. Angel Eyes
(4:29)  8. Where Are You?
(2:40)  9. Golden Earrings
(3:05) 10. Make Me A Present Of You

The release of this recording must have surprised most jazz listeners at the time, for trumpeter Kenny Dorham sings on all ten selections. He had never hinted at any desire to sing previously (although he had sung a blues regularly with Dizzy Gillespie & His Orchestra in the 1940s) and, as it turned out, this was his one and only vocal album; the sales were probably quite a bit less than Chet Baker's records of the period. Dorham had an OK voice, musical if not memorable, but the arrangements for these selections (which utilize his trumpet and Curtis Fuller's trombone, both of which are muted all the time) are inventive and pleasing. The supportive rhythm section is also an asset; pianist Cedar Walton made his recording debut on this album (released on CD via the Original Jazz Classics imprint), which is a historical curiosity. ~ Scott Yanow   

http://www.allmusic.com/album/kenny-dorham-sings-and-plays-this-is-the-moment!-mw0000118945

Personnel: Kenny Dorham - trumpet, vocals; Curtis Fuller – trombone; Cedar Walton – piano; Sam Jones – bass; G.T. Hogan – drums; Charlie Persip - drums

Kenny Dorham Sings And Plays: This Is The Moment!

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Oliver Nelson - Meet Oliver Nelson / Main Stem

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 72:25

Size: 165.8 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 2012

Art: Front

[7:02] 1. Jams And Jellies

[6:51] 2. Passion Flower

[3:44] 3. Don't Stand Up

[5:30] 4. Ostinato

[6:52] 5. What's New

[6:34] 6. Booze Blues Baby

[6:50] 7. Main Stem

[5:50] 8. J & B

[4:33] 9. Ho!

[6:11] 10. Latino

[5:18] 11. Tipsy

[7:03] 12. Tangerine

Kenny Dorham, Joe Newman (tp), Oliver Nelson (ts), Ray Bryant, Hank Jones (p), Wendell Marshall, George Duvivier (b), Charlie Persip, Art Taylor (d).

”Meet Oliver Nelson” marked the leader recording debut of a considerable talent in tenor saxophonist Oliver Nelson (1932-1975). He was to win even greater acclaim later as a composer and arranger, but at 27 he was already a vastly experienced performer and a notably imaginative soloist, affectingly sensitive on ballads like Passion Flower and What’s New, with a voluminous sound, full and fiery, on more driving material.

For his debut he had simpatico company in trumpeter Kenny Dorham, so lyrical on Booze Baby Blues, and a shrewdly chosen rhythm section in pianist Ray Bryant, bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Art Taylor. It was a noteworthy beginning.

Recorded almost two years later, “Main Stem” was much more like a typical Prestige blowing session of the time, heavily dependant on the wit and invention of the participants. Fortunately, Nelson again chose his colleagues well. Trumpeter Joe Newman is particularly good and pianist Hank Jones is his usual lucidly impeccable self in a swinging rhythm section with bassist George Duvivier and drummer Charlie Persip, while the leader, on both alto and tenor, produces an abundance of melodic, well-constructed solos over a satisfying session.

Meet Oliver Nelson/Main Stem  

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Kenny Dorham - The Best Of Kenny Dorham - The Blue Note Years

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:46
Size: 135,3 MB
Art: Front

( 4:26)  1. Minors Holiday
( 4:16)  2. Lotus Flower
( 6:00)  3. Mexico City
( 5:38)  4. Philly Twist
( 7:57)  5. Blue Bossa
( 7:11)  6. Short Story
(15:16)  7. Una Mas (One More Time)
( 7:58)  8. The Fox

Often lost in the shadows of A-team players like Dizzy Gillespie and Clifford Brown, trumpeter Kenny Dorham quietly made a name for himself throughout both the bebop and hard bop years from the mid-'40s to the mid-'60s. His tart tone and mercurial phrasing ideally framed here, The Best of Kenny Dorham offers newcomers a perfect way to get familiar with one of modern jazz's top composers and players. Starting with 1955's classic Afro-Cuban LP, the eight cuts include such essential Dorham originals as "Minor's Holiday," "Blue Bossa," and "Una Mas." And helping out along the way are tenor saxophonists Joe Henderson and Hank Mobley, guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Horace Silver, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. A fine snapshot of Dorham in his eclectic prime. ~ Stephen Cook https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-kenny-dorham-blue-note-years-mw0000082543

Personnel: Trumpet – Kenny Dorham; Kenny Burrell - Guitar; Paul Chambers - Bass; Richard Davis - Bass; Kenny Drew - Piano; Cecil Payne - Saxophone; Philly Joe Jones - Drums.

The Best Of Kenny Dorham - The Blue Note Years

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Clifford Jordan - Mosaic

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:40
Size: 180,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:06)  1. Sunrise In Mexico
(5:20)  2. Extempore
(4:49)  3. Down Through The Years
(4:05)  4. Quittin' Time
(4:46)  5. One Flight Down
(3:56)  6. Windmill
(5:00)  7. Don't You Know I Care?
(4:59)  8. Mosaic
(3:54)  9. Cumberland Court
(4:52) 10. A Story Tale
(5:39) 11. You're Driving Me Crazy
(3:28) 12. Defiance
(6:03) 13. Prints
(5:03) 14. Hip Pockets
(5:16) 15. They Say It's Wonderful
(5:16) 16. If I Didn't Care

Two excellent early Clifford Jordan albums, Starting Time and A Story Tale, are reissued in full on this single CD. Jordan, whose sound was just beginning to become quite distinctive in 1961, is heard with a quintet also including trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Wilbur Ware, and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath, and on a set with altoist Sonny Red, Tommy Flanagan or Ronnie Mathews on piano, bassist Art Davis, and drummer Elvin Jones. 

With the exception of four selections, all 16 tunes are group originals. Best-known are Walton's "Mosaic" and "One Flight Down," but all of the music is high-quality hard bop. Dorham and Red are both in excellent form, constantly challenging Jordan. Fine if formerly obscure music. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/mosaic-mw0000010913

Personnel: Clifford Jordan (tenor saxophone); Sonny Red (alto saxophone); Kenny Dorham (trumpet); Ronnie Mathews, Tommy Flanagan, Cedar Walton (piano); Wilbur Ware (acoustic bass); Elvin Jones, Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums).

Mosaic

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Joe Henderson - The Complete Blue Note Studio Sessions (5-Disc Set)

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2021
Time: 79:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 180,9 MB
Art: Front

(15:18) 1. Una Mas (One More Time)
( 8:58) 2. Straight Ahead
( 7:20) 3. Sao Paulo
( 5:08) 4. If Ever I Would Leave You
( 8:01) 5. Blue Bossa
( 9:09) 6. La Mesha
( 4:14) 7. Homestretch
( 6:02) 8. Recorda Me
( 7:23) 9. Jinrikisha
( 7:24) 10. Out of the Night

If an artist stamps his jazz passport with any one of these labels Blue Note, Verve, Milestone it's pretty much a guarantee that you've arrived in style. Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson has traveled with all three and more. The 2021 reissue from the prestigious Mosaic Records focuses on Henderson's 1960s tenure with Blue Note offers a new opportunity to experience an abundance of rich and creative jazz from the decade.

Big band and bop were duking it out in the late 1940s, bebop gained a foothold in the 1950s and the 1960s saw some amazingly creative artists emerge as they conjured up even more jazz hybrids (straight jazz, Avant-Garde, fusion and more). Henderson began to come of age during the very late 1950s, the tail end of one of the most dynamic and creative decades for jazz. He then moved confidently into the 1960s and beyond. He began to gain momentum in the 1960s (sitting in with saxophone master Dexter Gordon early on), learned from listening to other sax giants including Charlie Parker and Sonny Rollins and soon teamed up with numerous A-list artists including trumpeter Kenny Dorham, a Blue Note co-artist. The spotlight shifted a bit during the seventies and eighties for Henderson but he was amazingly prolific in the 1990s. Verve championed him during that decade with a high profile 'come back' campaign and sessions such as Lush Life (1982) contained everything from the supple and smoky "Isfahan" and "Blood Count" to the soaring and spontaneous "Johnny Come Lately." Touring took him to various venues and in a talk backstage after a mid-1990s concert, Mr. Henderson was dapper and smartly dressed, low key, quiet and reserved. He was a joy to talk to. But his constant companion, a lit cigarette, was absent, probably due to venue restriction (chain smoking eventually took him down in 2001.)

Mosaic collected nearly fifty cuts on five CDs and captured a world of spontaneous creativity. In addition, a modest yet informative booklet is included. A book's worth of praise could follow, so let's look at a few tracks from each compact disc: Everything gets underway with the title cut from trumpeter Kenny Dorham's Una Mas (1963) album in which Henderson joins as a featured sideman. At over fifteen minutes, the opening track is a celebration of the then contemporary sounds of Bossa Nova, with hints of other styles including the blues. He may be the second billed musician on the disc, but Henderson's sax is supple, lush and creatively enticing as a close bond was being forged between the two men. Everyone swings, and they are upbeat on "Straight Ahead," one of the other standout tracks from the Dorham-lead sessions. (full review => https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-complete-joe-henderson-blue-note-studio-sessions-joe-henderson-mosaic-records)

Personnel: Joe Henderson: Saxophone; Kenny Dorham: Trranumpet; Herbie Hancock: Piano; Tony Williams: Drums; McCoy Tyner: Piano; Bob Cranshaw: Bass; Duke Pearson: Piano; Richard Davis: Bass, Acoustic; s: Drums; Tommy Flanagan: Piano; Ron Carter: Elvin Jones: Bass; Cedar Walton: Piano; Lee Morgan: Trumpet; Curtis Fuller: Trombone; Grant Green: Guitar; Bobby Hutcherson: Vibraphone; J.J. Johnson: Trombone; Al Harewood: Drums; Woody Shaw: Trumpet; Andrew Hill: Piano.

The Complete Blue Note Studio Sessions CD1

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Styles: Jazz
Year: 2021
Time: 76:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 175,6 MB
Art: Front

( 8:17) 1. La Mesha (alternate take)
( 7:38) 2. Homestretch (alternate take)
( 8:33) 3. Teeter Totter
(10:05) 4. Pedro's Time
( 5:38) 5. Our Thing
( 6:20) 6. Back Road
( 8:06) 7. Escapade
( 7:11) 8. Teeter Totter (alternate take)
( 5:31) 9. Our Thing (alternate take)
( 9:18) 10. In 'N Out (alternate take)

The Complete Blue Note Studio Sessions CD2

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Styles: Jazz
Year: 2021
Time: 76:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 175,7 MB
Art: Front

(10:25) 1. In 'N Out
( 9:09) 2. Punjab
( 6:17) 3. Serenity
( 7:11) 4. Short Story
( 6:25) 5. Brown's Town
(12:24) 6. Trompeta Toccata
( 5:46) 7. Night Watch
(11:05) 8. Mamacita
( 8:00) 9. The Fox

The Complete Blue Note Studio Sessions CD3

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Styles: Jazz
Year: 2021
Time: 78:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 180,1 MB
Art: Front

(11:58) 1. Inner Urge
( 9:16) 2. Isotope
( 7:14) 3. El Barrio
( 7:21) 4. You Know I Care
( 7:24) 5. Night and Day
( 8:14) 6. Hobo Joe
( 8:30) 7. Step Lightly
( 6:07) 8. The Kicker
( 5:46) 9. Mo' Joe
( 6:45) 10. If

The Complete Blue Note Studio Sessions CD4

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Styles: Jazz
Year: 2021
Time: 59:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 135,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:08) 1. A Shade of Jade
(8:03) 2. Mode for Joe
(6:53) 3. Black
(6:43) 4. Caribbean Fire Dance
(7:23) 5. Granted
(6:41) 6. Free Wheelin'
(9:28) 7. Mode for Joe (alternate take)
(6:49) 8. Black (alternate take)

The Complete Blue Note Studio Sessions CD5

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Max Roach - Jazz In 3/4 Time

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:41
Size: 100,6 MB
Art: Front

( 6:31)  1. Blues Waltz
(14:21)  2. Valse Hot
( 4:31)  3. I'll Take Romance
( 5:36)  4. Little Folks
( 5:35)  5. Lover
( 7:05)  6. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

At the time of its appearance in 1957, this album, currently part of the limited EmArcy reissue series, was considered somewhat revolutionary due to its all-waltz program. That's become a moot point after all of the triple-meter jazz material that would follow from "All Blues" to "Waltz for Debby" to "Someday My Prince Will Come." What makes this session essential listening is the masterful solo work, and not simply by Sonny Rollins. With Clifford Brown gone, trumpeter Kenny Dorham makes each of his turns, as usual, an adventure in melodic and rhythmic surprises, deliberately getting himself into trouble and always finding a way out. And whereas Rollins almost overcompensates for the absence of Brown, playing these tunes with broad and ballsy, aria-like bravado, Dorham takes the tunes inward, not afraid of the empty spaces where the poetry often resides, and in the process looking forward to a more subtle, implicit rhythmic approach to jazz waltzes, such as Freddy Hubbard's "Up Jumped Spring."

The enigmatic pianist Billy Wallace, who made this single auspicious recorded appearance then disappeared into various urban lounge scenes, is one of the few truly ambidextrous bop pianists. On the opening "Blues Waltz" his solo sounds like Monk playing counterpoint with himself; on his remaining solo spots his interdependent melodies and rapid, two-handed octaves are reminiscent of Phineas Newborn, Jr. Whether or not his saucy, copy-cat rejoinder to Dorham's complex solo on "Lover" was appreciated by its originator, Wallace can't help but impress the listener with his ear and quick instincts. He's a far stronger player than his predecessor, Richie Powell, who perished in the same car crash that took Brown's life. Besides the pop standards, Rollins' "Valse Hot" is a lovely composition, an extended 3/4 melodic equivalent of Brown's "Joy Spring." During each of his solos he clearly exudes a Viennese spirit, bringing to his deliberative, assured melodic constructions the singing bravura of a great tenor, legit or otherwise. It's a performance that clearly ranks with his work on the revered, almost contemporaneous Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2 (Blue Note, 1957).

Roach catches the lilting dancing spirit with heavily accented downbeats on his own "Little Folks, prompting both Rollins and Wallace to go for the gold on their solo turns. And for a change the relatively unfamiliar triple-meter holds down the tempos just sufficiently to allow Roach's bassist, George Morrow, to play some melodic lines during his solos. There seems little doubt that this is the best post-Clifford Brown, Roach-led session on record demonstrating that the fall of the drummer's ensembles from the visibility they once shared with Blakey's and Silver's groups cannot be entirely blamed on the loss of Clifford Brown (though nothing can detract from the luster of this musician's favorite). Consequently, as the only recording by this particular cast (there would be one sequel but without Billy Wallace), Jazz in 3/4 Time is a session that brings with its pleasures no small amount of regret about what might have been. ~ Samuel Chell https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jazz-in-3-4-time-max-roach-emarcy-review-by-samuel-chell.php

Personnel: Max Roach: drums; Kenny Dorham: trumpet; Sonny Rollins: tenor saxophone; Billy Wallace: piano; Ray Bryant: piano (on "The Most Beautiful Girl"); George Morrow: bass.

Jazz In 3/4 Time

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Kenny Dorham - Swedish Sessions 1964

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:35
Size: 146,4 MB
Art: Front

(10:39)  1. Short Story
( 7:37)  2. I Concentrate On You
(10:13)  3. Not Yet
( 6:52)  4. Short Story II
( 7:02)  5. Dorams Epitaph a.k.a. Extension
( 6:59)  6. For All We Know
( 6:25)  7. I Had The Craziest Dream
( 7:44)  8. Skandia Skies

It is a mystery that some musicians do not get the name and wide recognition that is granted to others. Trumpeter Kenny Dorham is one. And although Dorham was in Dizzy Gillespie's big band, Miles replaced Charlie Parker's quintet and Clifford Brown at Max Roach when the former died too early, Dorham had a hard time living his music. Hard to believe when you hear these recordings from Stockholm in 1964. Three songs in studio with Björn Alkes and Bosse Skoglund's hard swinging and forward-leaning rhythm section with Lars Sjösten on piano. The second recording is from the jazz club Gyllene Cirkeln where Göran Lindberg took over the piano stool in front of bassist Göran Pettersson and drummer Leif Wennerström. Dorham is any good at these Swedish sessions, I have to choose it leans on the heat of the studio versions even though Göran Lindberg's piano play in For all we know shimmers. https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/listenin-to-jazz-and-conversation.586956/page-1973

Swedish Sessions 1964

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Tadd Dameron - Fontainbleau

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:18
Size: 71,9 MB
Art: Front

( 4:53)  1. Fontainbleau
( 5:05)  2. Delirium
( 5:05)  3. The Scene Is Clean
( 4:53)  4. Flossie Lou
(11:21)  5. Bula-Beige

One of the prettiest octet albums of the 1950s was Tadd Dameron's Fontainebleau. Recorded in March 1956, the album for Prestige featured Kenny Dorham (tp), Henry Coker (tb), Sahib Shihab (as), Joe Alexander (ts), Cecil Payne (bar), Tadd Dameron (p,arr), John Simmons (b) and Shadow Wilson (d). The regal quality of Dameron's compositions and arrangements are steeped in classy romanticism yet remain in the hip bop realm. The players on the album come together well, as if carefully selected for their tones. Dorham's spirited trumpet playing is paired with Coker's mournful trombone and the deliberate reeds of Shihab, Alexander and Payne. Behind them, the rhythm section swishes along, powered by Wilson. Dameron on piano is an entity unto himself. Fontainebleau is a concept-album tribute to the one-time palace and weekend getaway of the French nobility southeast of Paris. When Dameron saw the landscape and Château de Fontainebleau in 1949, he was emotionally touched by the visiual beauty and symmetry. The forest, lake dotted with white swans and magnificent chateau float into each other, and Dameron's pieces seem to do the same. If we think of the first track, Fontainebleau, as the concept's overture, one can visualize the rising sun crash through the foliage and across the sprawling lawns. The quick-paced Delirium seems to depict the animals dashing about in the forest. The Scene Is Clean sounds like an ode to the swans floating across the water without disturbing the surface. Flossie Lou depicts the architectural exterior of the palace while Bula-Beige, clocking in at more than 11 minutes, seems to be a guided tour of the majestic interiors. For me, the album is as perfect as a panoramic landscape painting of the site. The music is delicate and cohesive, and the solos celebrate the vistas that dazzle the eye. Tadd Dameron died in 1965. ~ Marc Myers https://news.allaboutjazz.com/tadd-dameron-fontainebleau.php

Personnel: Tadd Dameron (p,arr), Kenny Dorham (tp), Henry Coker (tb), Sahib Shihab (as), Joe Alexander (ts), Cecil Payne (bar), John Simmons (b) and Shadow Wilson (d)

Fontainbleau

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Harold Land - Eastward Ho: Harold Land in New York

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:22
Size: 88,3 MB
Art: Front

( 6:00)  1. So in Love
( 5:46)  2. Triple Trouble
( 7:02)  3. Slowly
( 7:08)  4. On a Little Street in Singapore
(12:25)  5. Okay Blues

Tenor saxophonist Harold Land and trumpeter Kenny Dorham make for a potent front line on this CD reissue, a superior hard bop set. With an obscure and quietly boppish rhythm section (pianist Amos Trice, bassist Clarence Jones, and drummer Joe Peters) giving suitable backup, Land and Dorham stretch out on five selections, most notably Cole Porter's "So in Love," "On a Little Street in Singapore," and Land's "O.K. Blues," which was dedicated to producer Orrin Keepnews. A fine effort that serves as a strong example of Harold Land's early work. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/eastward-ho%21-harold-land-in-new-york-mw0000691038

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Harold Land;  Bass – Clarence Jones;  Drums – Joe Peters; Piano – Amos Trice; Trumpet – Kenny Dorham

Eastward Ho: Harold Land in New York

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Al Haig - Trio And Quintet!

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:00
Size: 115,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:40)  1. Maxology
(5:53)  2. Prince Albert
(6:10)  3. Yesterdays
(3:37)  4. Maximum
(4:01)  5. Just One Of Those Things
(3:09)  6. Yardbird Suite
(2:43)  7. Taboo
(4:55)  8. Mighty Like A Rose
(3:38)  9. S'Wonderful
(1:51) 10. Spotlight
(5:26) 11. 'Round Midnight
(2:49) 12. The Moon Was Yellow

One of the finest pianists of the bop era (and one who learned from Bud Powell's innovations quite early), Al Haig was quite busy during two periods of his career but unfortunately was pretty obscure in the years between. After serving in the Coast Guard (playing in bands during 1942-1944) and freelancing around Boston, Haig worked steadily with Dizzy Gillespie (1945-1946), Charlie Parker (1948-1950), and Stan Getz (1949-1951); and was on many recordings, mostly as a sideman (including some classic Diz and Bird sessions) but also as a leader for Spotlite, Dawn, and Prestige. However (other than little-known dates in 1954 for Esoteric, Swing, and Period), Haig did not lead any more albums until 1974. He played fairly often during the 1951-1973 period, but was generally overlooked. That changed during his last decade, when he was finally recognized as a bop giant and recorded for Spotlite, Choice, SeaBreeze, Interplay, and several Japanese and European labels. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/al-haig-mn0000604469/biography

Personnel: Piano – Al Haig; Bass – Bill Crow, Tommy Potter ; Drums – Lee Abrams, Max Roach; Tenor Saxophone – James Moody; Trumpet – Kenny Dorham

Trio And Quintet!                  

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Cecil Payne - Zodiac

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:51
Size: 96,1 MB
Art: Front

( 7:00)  1. Martin Luther King, Jr. / I Know Lowe
(10:53)  2. Girl, You Got a Home
( 4:25)  3. Slide Hampton
( 7:07)  4. Follow Me
(12:23)  5. Flying Fish

It’s impossible to talk about this album without acknowledging the spectre of death that hangs over it not only is it the third entry in Strata-East Records’ Dolphy Series, a collection of archival recordings from some of the label’s close associates honoring the recently deceased multi-instrumentalist, but it is actually dedicated to two members of the band, Wynton Kelly and Kenny Dorham, who died in between the recording sessions and its release. The point is driven home even further by the fact that the album begins with a tribute from Payne to the fallen Martin Luther King, Jr., a piece that acts as a de facto solo for Dorham his playing all rosy elegance and regal warmth before shifting into the lighter (though equally coolly-paced) “I Know Love,” a showcase for Payne’s sax. While not the most somber jazz track ever recorded, this opening suite is a low-key and mournful way to open the affair, but thankfully the album really picks off and shows these musicians more in their element the rest of the way. “Girl, You Got a Home” is a funky piece, beginning very soulfully with some tight interplay among the rhythm section of Kelly, bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Albert Heath. 

Ware is in especially fine form on this track, tying together the disparate passages of the piece by grounding the more ponderous moments in a deep funk, while Kelly’s playing is especially ear catching in the way he stabs at his piano like it’s an organ. After the first two tracks take up nearly twenty minutes, the four-minute “Slide Hampton” feels almost impossibly brief, a feeling that’s enhanced by its quick, jittery, and infectious rhythm, driven by some really dexterous work from Kelly. The final track, “Flying Fish,” may be the album’s highlight, a Caribbean-inspired composition that casts the rhythm section as flighty ground for both Payne and Dorham to vamp on. The track is oddly danceable for something released on Strata-East, maybe the most fun moment ever for the label, and relentlessly uptempo. Though this release may be in part defined by the deaths that preceded it, it’s clear that the recording process was actually a lot of fun for everybody, as their enthusiasm and energy jumps right out of the speakers. This is one of the first Strata East records I really got into and is still one of my favorites, a must-hear for any fans of the flightier moments of Dorham or Kelly’s career, and a fitting tribute for both master musicians. https://lightintheattic.net/releases/3745-zodiac

Personnel:  Cecil Payne, baritone, alto saxophone; Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Wynton Kelly, piano, organ; Wilbur Ware, bass; Albert Heath, drums.

Zodiac

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Milt Jackson Sextet - Invitation

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:15
Size: 116,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:54)  1. Invitation
(5:14)  2. Too Close For Comfort
(4:27)  3. Ruby, My Dear (take 6)
(4:20)  4. Ruby, My Dear (take 5)
(6:33)  5. The Sealer
(6:54)  6. Poom-A-Loom
(4:00)  7. Stella By Starlight
(5:53)  8. Ruby
(3:58)  9. None Shall Wander (take 8)
(3:59) 10. None Shall Wander (take 6)

Once in while, an audiophile reissue can make the listener realize that what seemed like a good, solid record is better than that. If I had been asked to evaluate Invitation before hearing this release, I would’ve said it was a fairly typical early-60s hard-bop record, led by the great vibraphonist Milt Jackson. I might have added that it suffers from neither the overly careful approach that plagued much of the Modern Jazz Quartet’s output, nor from the opposite extreme, of simply blowing long solos on overly familiar standards, something Jackson has done more than enough of in his time. The success of Invitation owes on both counts to the presence of trumpeter Kenny Dorham and alto saxophonist Jimmy Heath. Each contributes not only fine solos, but a couple of nifty arrangements. But what this listener had not fully appreciated from earlier releases is the fantastically subtle interplay of the rhythm section: Tommy Flanagan, piano, Ron Carter, bass, and Connie Heath on drums. On this remastered LP, one hears every nuance with delicious clarity, from the crackle of Kay’s cymbals to the big, fat sound of Carter’s walking lines. Rarely have Jackson’s uniquely swinging vibes been heard in a more sympathetic setting. ~ Duke Baker http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/milt-jackson-sextet-invitation/

Personnel:  Milt Jackson – vibes;  Kenny Dorham, Virgil Jones (tracks 2 & 6) - trumpet;  Jimmy Heath - tenor saxophone (tracks 1, 3-5 & 7-10);  Tommy Flanagan - piano;  Ron Carter - bass;  Connie Kay - drums

Invitation

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Kenny Dorham - The Art Of The Ballad

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:30
Size: 159.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[4:51] 1. Darn That Dream (Take 2)
[3:02] 2. Ruby, My Dear (Take 1)
[5:14] 3. Old Folks
[7:40] 4. It Might As Well Be Spring
[9:09] 5. Falling In Love With Love
[4:21] 6. I'll Be Seeing You
[5:06] 7. My Ideal
[5:22] 8. My Old Flame
[6:51] 9. What's New
[5:03] 10. I Should Care
[6:49] 11. Passion Flower
[5:59] 12. So In Love

Though the least celebrated of the artists featured in Fantasy's initial The Art of the Ballad offering, Kenny Dorham is by no means the most negligible, as this selection of ballads, augmented by some of the leading names in jazz demonstrates. However, with only six Dorham albums on Riverside, Debut and New Jazz to choose from, Fantasy had to turn elsewhere to fill out the CD, to sessions led by Ernie Henry, Oliver Nelson and Harold Land. Indeed, even on Dorham's own recordings, he doesn't always dominate -- the most telling example being Cannonball Adderley's ardent solos that light up "It Might as Well Be Spring" and steal the show. Elsewhere, the listener will hear a number of Dorham's sounds -- the big open sound of "Darn That Dream," the veiled, toned, fleetfingered hard bop Dorham of "Falling in Love with Love," the sweet muted work on Nelson's "Passion Flower," and various combinations of tone and articulation. No rarities; everything is available elsewhere on silver discs. ~Richard S. Ginnell

The Art Of The Ballad mc
The Art Of The Ballad zippy

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Kenny Dorham & Barry Harris Quartet - New York 1964

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:59
Size: 117,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:18)  1. Introduction
(6:55)  2. Confirmation
(6:02)  3. Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me
(7:40)  4. 'Round Midnight
(4:18)  5. The Theme
(4:07)  6. Tin Tin Deo
(8:53)  7. Scandia Skies
(9:44)  8. Manhã de Carnaval

Kenny Dorham spent his career being famous for not being famous, a perennially underrated trumpeter who was overshadowed by Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis and Lee Morgan. Always an excellent bop and hard bop player, Dorham is heard on New York 1964 in solid form. The first five selections were recorded in a trio with pianist Barry Harris in 1964. The music was previously out on an obscure Raretone LP. The last two numbers are from 1963, they match Dorham with pianist Tete Montoliu and were formerly released on a pair of Steeplechase albums, the lone quartet performances from two quintet sessions. The recording quality in all cases is decent and listenable, but far from impeccable. Dorham sounds fine during what would be the last part of a fairly brief career, although nothing all that essential occurs during these boppish performances. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/new-york-1964-mw0001047346

Personnel: Kenny Dorham (tp), Barry Harris (p), Julian Ewell (b) Albert 'Tootie' Heath (d) / Kenny Dorham (tp), Tete Montoliu (p), NH Ørsted Pedersen (b) Alex Riel (d)

New York 1964

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Kenny Dorham - Blues In Bebop

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:47
Size: 166.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[2:49] 1. The Jitney Man
[2:51] 2. Bebop In Pastel (Take 3)
[2:32] 3. Fool's Fancy
[2:53] 4. Bombay
[2:42] 5. Ray's Idea
[2:31] 6. Serenade To A Square
[2:34] 7. Good Kick
[2:25] 8. Seven Up
[2:39] 9. Blues In Bebop
[2:50] 10. Bebop In Pastel (Take 2)
[2:51] 11. Bebop In Pastel (Take 4)
[2:53] 12. Conglomeration
[2:52] 13. Bruz
[2:38] 14. Roll 'em, Bags
[4:34] 15. Scrapple From The Apple
[3:54] 16. Barbados
[3:14] 17. Be Bop
[6:39] 18. Saucer Eyes
[5:35] 19. Man Of Moods
[6:21] 20. Bringing Up Father
[4:21] 21. Groovin' High

Kenny Dorham was a solid and forward-thinking modernist when he emerged in the mid-to late 1940s. The trumpeter was overshadowed throughout his career by the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, and Freddie Hubbard, and became the epitome of the word "underrated." Dorham never recorded as a leader for Savoy other than co-leading the Be Bop Boys with altoist Sonny Stitt, so this single CD is just a sampling of his sideman appearances. Definitely not for completists since all but the Bebop Boys date issued here are incomplete, one wonders who the disc is aimed at, particularly since Dorham's most significant work was made a little later on for Blue Note. The trumpeter is heard with the Billy Eckstine Orchestra playing "The Jitney Man"; performing eight numbers (plus two alternate takes) with the Be Bop Boys (a quintet also including altoist Stitt and pianist Bud Powell); on three songs with a band headed by vibraphonist Milt Jackson and including the pioneer jazz French horn player Julius Watkins; on three tunes from a February 12, 1949 broadcast by the Charlie Parker Quintet (and available in much more complete form elsewhere), and on four of the selections from a 1956 album by baritonist Cecil Payne. The bop and hard bop music heard throughout this CD is consistently enjoyable, but the reissue is a bit of a frivolity. The Be Bop Boys date should have been coupled with some other unrelated all-star sessions instead, with the other Dorham sideman dates being reissued in full in more logical sets. ~Scott Yanow

Blues In Bebop mc
Blues In Bebop zippy

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Kenny Dorham - Afrodisia (2 Parts)

Kenny Dorham had a deeply moving, pure tone on trumpet; his sound was clear, sharp, and piercing, especially during ballads. He could spin out phrases and lines, but when he slowly and sweetly played the melody it was an evocative event. Dorham was a gifted all-round trumpeter, but seldom showcased his complete skills, preferring an understated, subtle approach. Unfortunately, he never received much publicity, and though a highly intelligent, thoughtful individual who wrote insightful commentary on jazz, he's little more than a footnote to many fans.

Dorham studied and played trumpet, tenor sax, and piano. He was a bandmember in high school and college; a college bandmate was Wild Bill Davis. Dorham started during the swing era, but was recruited by Dizzy Gillespie and Billy Eckstine to join their bands in the mid-'40s. He even sang blues with Gillespie's band. He recorded with the Be Bop Boys on Savoy in 1946. After short periods with Lionel Hampton and Mercer Ellington, Dorham joined Charlie Parker's group in 1948, staying there until 1949. He did sessions in New York during the early and mid-'50s, making his recording debut as a leader on Charles Mingus and Max Roach's Debut label in 1953. He then cut Afro-Cuban for Blue Note with Cecil Payne, Hank Mobley, and Horace Silver in 1955. ~Ron Wynn

Album: Afrodisia (Part 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 93:21
Size: 213.7 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[ 5:01] 1. Afrodisia
[ 4:58] 2. Basheer's Dream
[ 8:02] 3. Blue Bossa
[11:00] 4. Mamacita
[ 4:38] 5. Autumn In New York (Live-Set #1)
[ 5:42] 6. Night Watch
[ 7:35] 7. Buffalo
[ 4:28] 8. Minors Holiday
[ 4:14] 9. Lotus Flower
[ 7:45] 10. 'round Midnight (Live-Set #3)
[ 5:34] 11. Philly Twist
[ 6:46] 12. Doodlin'
[ 5:24] 13. La Villa
[ 6:38] 14. Monaco (Live-Set #3)
[ 5:28] 15. K.D.'s Motion

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Album: Afrodisia (Part 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 105:05
Size: 240.5 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[6:22] 1. Who Cares (As Long As You Care For Me) (Live-Set #3)
[5:05] 2. If Ever I Would Leave You
[5:40] 3. N.Y. Theme (Live-Set #1)
[6:33] 4. Mexico City (Alternate Take) (Live-Set #4)
[6:07] 5. K.D.'s Cab Ride
[7:48] 6. My Heart Stood Still (Live-Set #3)
[7:16] 7. Sao Paulo
[8:55] 8. Straight Ahead
[8:39] 9. Royal Roost (Live-Set #2)
[1:07] 10. Dorham's Epitaph
[8:16] 11. Hill's Edge (Live-Set #2)
[6:18] 12. The Prophet (Live-Set #4)
[7:51] 13. Riffin' (Live-Set #4)
[9:30] 14. K.D's Blues (Live-Set #2)
[9:31] 15. A Night In Tunisia (Live-Set #2)

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Afrodisia (Part 2) zippy

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Ernie Henry - Last Chorus

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:20
Size: 104,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:15)  1. Autumn Leaves
(6:28)  2. Beauty And The Blues
(7:49)  3. All The Things You Are
(2:41)  4. Melba's Tune
(4:54)  5. S'Posin'
(6:58)  6. Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are
(4:40)  7. Like Someone In Love
(8:31)  8. Cleo's Chant

Ernie Henry was a promising alto saxophonist who passed away prematurely on December 29, 1957, when he was only 31. He had recorded his album Seven Standards and a Blues on September 30, and four songs for an uncompleted octet date on September 23. This CD reissue has the latter tunes (which feature trumpeter Lee Morgan; trombonist Melba Liston, who contributed "Melba's Tune"; tenor saxophonist Benny Golson; and pianist Wynton Kelly), an alternate take from the Seven Standards set ("Like Someone in Love"), a leftover track from the preceding year ("Cleo's Chant"), the solos of Thelonious Monk and Henry (from the lengthy "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are"), and an alternate version of "S'posin'" taken from the altoist's final recording (a quartet outing with trumpeter Kenny Dorham). Overall, the music is fine and, surprisingly, does not have an unfinished air about it. It does make one wish that Ernie Henry had taken better care of his health, as he was just beginning to develop a sound of his own. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/last-chorus-mw0000036951

Personnel:  Ernie Henry - alto saxophone;  Kenny Dorham,  Lee Morgan – trumpet;  Melba Liston – trombone;  Benny Golson, Sonny Rollins - tenor saxophone;  Cecil Payne - baritone saxophone;  Kenny Drew, Wynton Kelly, Thelonious Monk – piano;  Paul Chambers, Eddie Mathias, Oscar Pettiford, Wilbur Ware – bass;  G. T. Hogan, Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach , Art Taylor - drums

Last Chorus

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Kenny Dorham - Jazz Contemporary

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:55
Size: 143,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:34)  1. A Waltz
(8:09)  2. Monk's Mood
(8:01)  3. In Your Own Sweet Way
(8:27)  4. Horn Salute
(2:57)  5. Tonica
(6:49)  6. This Love of Mine
(5:29)  7. Sign Off
(5:36)  8. A Waltz
(2:53)  9. Monk's Mood
(7:55) 10. This Love of Mine

Originally on the Time label, this LP features the excellent (but always underrated) trumpeter Kenny Dorham heading a quintet that also includes baritonist Charles Davis, pianist Steve Kuhn, either Jimmy Garrison or Butch Warren on bass, and drummer Buddy Enlow. The results are not quite essential but everyone plays up to par, performing three of Dorham's originals plus "In Your Own Sweet Way," "Monk's Mood," and "This Love of Mine." It's fine hard bop, the modern mainstream music of the period. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-contemporary-mw0000320205

Personnel:  Trumpet – Kenny Dorham;   Baritone Saxophone – Charles Davis;  Bass – Butch Warren, Jimmy Garrison;  Drums – Buddy Enlow;  Piano – Steve Kuhn

Jazz Contemporary

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Joe Henderson - Our Thing

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:49
Size: 105,6 MB
Art: Front

( 8:33)  1. Teeter Totter
(10:04)  2. Pedro's Time
( 5:36)  3. Our Thing
( 6:19)  4. Back Road
( 8:05)  5. Escapade
( 7:10)  6. Teeter Totter (alt tk)

Joe Henderson's second recording as a leader features a very strong supporting cast: trumpeter Kenny Dorham (one of Henderson's earliest supporters), pianist Andrew Hill, bassist Eddie Khan, and drummer Pete La Roca. Together they perform three Dorham and two Henderson originals, advanced music that was open to the influence of the avant-garde while remaining in the hard bop idiom. The up-tempo blues "Teeter Totter" contrasts with the four minor-toned pieces and, even if none of these songs became standards, the playing is consistently brilliant and unpredictable. Even at this relatively early stage, Joe Henderson showed his potential as a great tenorman. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/our-thing-mw0000100911

Personnel:  Joe Henderson, tenor sax;  Kenny Dorham, trumpet;  Andrew Hill, piano;  Eddie Khan, bass;  Pete La Roca, drums

Our Thing

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