I haven’t heard much of jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham’s music, and you probably haven’t either. It’s a pity because as many of his peers noted, he was the definition of underrated. He also died tragically young at the age of 48 of kidney disease in 1972, just five years after this delightful set was recorded at the Blue Morocco club in the Bronx.
This date, released as a double LP for Record Store Day as well as on a single CD, is the epitome of mid-century jazz, played by a top notch ensemble. Dorham is joined by alto saxophonist Sonny Red (Sylvester Kyner), pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Denis Charles. I hope they had as much fun playing this music as I’m having listening to it (I suspect they did).
The program kicks off with Dorham’s own tune “Blue Bossa,” which gives the set its title; it’s a hard bop with a bit of a bossa feel that was inspired by a 1961 South America tour. Also by Dorham is the swinging blues “Blue Friday,” with great solos by Walton and Red.
Resonance Records puts out a lot of great live jazz sets from this era, but this may be one of the more important, simply because rather than bringing to light a previously unheard live date by one of the giants of jazz, it provides a well deserved showcase for Kenny Dorham, who unfortunately remains lesser known today.
The seven tracks are an hour and a quarter of solid jazz, kicking off with “Blue Bossa” in a cool duet between Red and Dorham — the trumpet-alto combination providing a sweet tonal variation on the more common trumpet-tenor setup.
It winds up with an extended take on the Miles Davis contrafact known as “The Theme,” a blues based on the Gershwins’ “I’ve Got Rhythm” that showcases Walton’s superb keyboarding both soloing and vamping, and allows Denis Charles the final solo. In between those bookends are Charlie Parker’s bop “Confirmation” with Walton’s stride-like intro, Eubie Blake’s blue ballad “Memories Of You” with my favorite of Red’s performances, another ballad standard “My One And Only Love” with Dorham’s tone and technique forefronted, Milt Jackson’s highly recognizable hard bop “Bags’ Groove” where Red’s long solo take pushes the envelope, and another of Dorham’s outstanding swinging blues, “Blue Friday.” It’s just assumed that Paul Chambers’ bass work is solid throughout, but don’t miss his insouciant solo on “Blue Friday.” If I have one minor disappointment it’s that Dorham was so generous a leader that sometimes Red gets more time than the trumpeter.
With all of Resonance’s usual superb packaging and liners including interviews and remembrances from the likes of Bob Blumenthal, Dan Morgenstern, and trumpeters Eddie Henderson, Charles Tolliver and Steven Bernstein, this might be my favorite of their reissues yet. Dig some hard bop with an overlooked great, Kenny Dorham’s Blue Bossa In The Bronx.
(Resonance, 2025)
