ENDEIT
Kenny Dorham
Photo: —, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Trumpeters · 1924–1972

Kenny Dorham

American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer (1924–1972)

Born
30 August 1924
Fairfield
Died
5 December 1972
New York City
Country
United States
Record labels
Blue Note
Discography
28 albums

Biography

Kenny Dorham was a jazz musician who played trumpet and voice. Kenny Dorham was born on 30 August 1924 in Fairfield and died on 5 December 1972 in New York City. The music is usually filed under jazz. Record labels: Blue Note. The discography here lists 28 albums, from “Afro-Cuban” (1955) to “Blue Bossa (Live at the Blue Morocco in the Bronx, New York in 1967)” (2025).

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.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Afro-Cuban 1955 'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia 1956 · Live · Blue Note Jazz Contrasts 1957 · Riverside This Is the Moment! Kenny Dorham Sings and Plays 1958 · Riverside Blue Friday 1960 Jazz Contemporary 1960 · Time Records Quiet Kenny 1960 · New Jazz The Arrival of Kenny Dorham 1960 · Jaro International
Blue Lament 1961
Jerome Kern Showboat 1961 · Time Records Whistle Stop 1961 Inta Somethin' 1962 · Live · Pacific Jazz Matador 1963 · United Artists Jazz Una más (One More Time) 1964 · Blue Note Trompeta Toccata 1965 · Blue Note Short Story 1979 · SteepleChase 'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia, Volume I 1987 · Live · Blue Note 'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia, Volume II 1987 · Live · Blue Note
Hot Stuff From Brazil 1988
West 42nd Street 1989 · Black Lion Osmosis 1990 · Black Lion
The Shadow of Your Smile 1990
The Complete 'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia 1995 · Live · Blue Note New York 1964 2006 · Live · Rap-A-Lot Records
The Flamboyan, Queens, NY, 1963 2009 · Live
K.D. Is Here / New York City 1962 & 1966 2016 · Uptown Jazz
Swedish Sessions 2019
Blue Bossa (Live at the Blue Morocco in the Bronx, New York in 1967) 2025 · Live · Resonance Records

Also plays on

Albums where Kenny Dorham is credited as a sideman

1951 Modern Jazz Trombones — Kai Winding, Jay Jay Johnson trumpet
1952 Bird and Diz — Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie trumpet
1952 New Sounds — Max Roach/James Moody/Art Blakey trumpet
1955 Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers — Horace Silver and The Jazz Messengers trumpet
1956 Moving Out — Sonny Rollins trumpet
1956 Max Roach + 4 — Max Roach trumpet
1956 Roll 'Em Bags — Milt Jackson piano, trumpet
1957 Jazz in ¾ Time — Max Roach trumpet
1957 That’s Him! — Abbey Lincoln with The Riverside Jazz Stars trumpet
1957 Quartet/Quintet/Sextet — Lou Donaldson trumpet
1957 Fire in the West — Herb Geller trumpet
1958 It’s Magic — Abbey Lincoln trumpet
1958 Out There With Betty Carter — Betty Carter trumpet
1959 Abbey Is Blue — Abbey Lincoln trumpet
1959 Meet Oliver Nelson — Oliver Nelson with Kenny Dorham & Ray Bryant trumpet
1959 Blue Spring — Kenny Dorham Septet & Cannonball Adderley trumpet
1959 Patterns Of Jazz — Cecil Payne trumpet
1960 Live at the Fivespot — Randy Weston trumpet
1960 Eastward Ho! Harold Land in New York — Harold Land with Kenny Dorham trumpet
1961 Sonny Boy — Sonny Rollins trumpet
1961 Mosaic — Clifford Jordan trumpet
1963 Page One — Joe Henderson liner notes, trumpet
1964 In ’n Out — Joe Henderson trumpet
1964 Our Thing — Joe Henderson trumpet
1965 Point of Departure — Andrew Hill trumpet
1972 Clifford Jordan in the World — Clifford Jordan trumpet
1972 Bull's Eye! — Barry Harris trumpet
1973 Trio & Sextet — Tommy Flanagan trumpet
1973 Zodiac: The Music of Cecil Payne — Cecil Payne trumpet
1976 Percussion Discussion — Max Roach, Art Blakey trumpet

Standards written by Kenny Dorham

TitleKeyFormGroove
Blue Bossa C minor A · 16 Bossa nova

Analysed solos by Kenny Dorham

  • Blues in Be-Boptrumpet · 187 BPM · Eb-maj · 1946-09-04
  • Doodlin'trumpet · 121 BPM · Db-maj · 1954-11-13
  • Lady Birdtrumpet · 212 BPM · C-maj · 1955-11-11
  • Prince Alberttrumpet · 153 BPM · F-min · 1955-11-11
  • In 'n Outtrumpet · 294 BPM · Eb-maj · 1964-04-10
  • Punjabtrumpet · 155 BPM · D-chrom · 1964-04-10
  • Serenitytrumpet · 155 BPM · Eb-maj · 1964-04-10

Teacher of

Joe Henderson 1937–2001 · American jazz saxophonist (1937–2001)

Historic 78 rpm records

  • ROLL 'EM BAGS KENNY CLARKE AND HIS CLIQUE · Kenny Dorham · Julius Watkins · Billy… · 1949 archive.org ↗
  • FOX HUNT JAY JAY JOHNSON'S BOPPERS · JAY JAY JOHNSON · SONNY ROLLINS · KENNY… · 1949 archive.org ↗
  • HILO JAY JAY JOHNSON'S BOPPERS · Jay Jay JOHNSON · SONNY ROLLINS · KENNY… · 1949 archive.org ↗
  • "ELYSSES" JAY JAY JOHNSON BOPPERS · MAX ROACH · Kenny Dorham · Sonny Rollins ·… · 1949 archive.org ↗

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Kenny Dorham play?

Kenny Dorham is known for playing trumpet and voice.

When and where was Kenny Dorham born?

Kenny Dorham was born 30 August 1924 in Fairfield.

What are Kenny Dorham's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Afro-Cuban (1955), 'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia (1956), Jazz Contrasts (1957), This Is the Moment! Kenny Dorham Sings and Plays (1958) and Blue Friday (1960).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.