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 bossa nova jazz standard "Blue Bossa", which was first recorded by his associate Joe Henderson.

Biography Dorham was born in Fairfield, Texas. He began learning piano as a child. Attending L.C. Anderson High School in Austin, Texas, he learned saxophone and trumpet. He studied chemistry and physics at Wiley College before joining the United States Army. He moved to Los Angeles to pursue music after his discharge.

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

Career 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 was a charter member of the original cooperative the Jazz Messengers.

Other work From 1958-59, Dorham taught at the Lenox School of Jazz. He composed music for the scores for Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Un Témoin dans la Ville.

Legacy Ron Wynn wrote of Dorham, "A legendary jazz trumpeter, [he] 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."

In 2019, Dorham was honored in Austin, Texas, where he attended L.C. Anderson High School, with a public mural created by artist Jonathan "Chaka" Mahone as part of the City of Austin's TEMPO 2D public art program. Located in East Austin, the mural depicts Dorham with a large sunflower and was described by the project as celebrating the history of Austin and the neighborhood's role as "a beacon for culture".

All five daughters of Dorham attended a tribute concert at the University of Georgia in 2023. A Kenny Dorham Centennial Celebration took place at Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2024. Performers included Bruce Harris, Joe Magnarelli, Jeremy Pelt, Jimmy Owens, Tim Hagans, David Wong, Noriko Ueda, Kenny Washington, Ulysses Owens, Jr., and Joe Farnsworth.

Middle daughter Evette Dorham has taught classes about her father's work for the Swing University program of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Discography As leader

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) Jazz Artists Guild, Newport Rebels (Candid, 1961) 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)