As I Live And Breathe (vocal) – Kenny Dorham
A beautiful and inspiring composition, with Kenny Dorham's signature touch.
- Recording: Gloria Cooper - Day By Day
- Recorded on: March 14 & 25, 1999
- Label: GAC Music (1001)
- Concert Key: B-flat
- Vocal Range: Alto, E3 to F4
- Style: Ballad
- Vocal & Piano- Gloria Cooper
- Bass - Ron McClure
- Drums - Yoron Israel
Video
- Description
- Historical Notes
- Solos
- Piano Corner
- Bass Corner
- Drum Corner
- Guitar Corner
- Inside & Beyond
- Minus You
This exquisite ballad by Kenny Dorham was written for the vocalist Abbey Lincoln, but she never got to record it. Vocalist Gloria Cooper, who was Second Floor Music/jazzleadsheet.com's vocal editor for many years, fell in love with it when Don Sickler showed it to her, and she wanted to sing it on her first recording.
Don and pianist Cecilia Coleman recorded the instrumental at the Van Gelder Recording Studio.
Don and pianist Cecilia Coleman recorded the instrumental at the Van Gelder Recording Studio.
Don Sickler: "We can thank saxophonist Charles Davis for preserving Kenny's composition As I Live And Breathe. Many years ago Charles brought me a vocal lead sheet manuscript for this composition, which said "music and lyrics by Kenny Dorham." That's our only source, a vocal lead sheet, which is not in Kenny's hand.
"Charles thought it was written for Abbey Lincoln, which made sense, since Kenny was on three of Abbey's albums as a leader. Charles told me that Kenny gave Abbey Lincoln a copy of the lead sheet, hoping she would record it, but unfortunately she never did. Kenny knew Abbey well, having recorded on three of her albums as a leader. When Second Floor Music became involved with the Dorham family in 1983, I gave Abbey a lead sheet myself, but no recording resulted.
"Abbey has a low female voice, so she would have been able to go down to the low D in the melody, in the concert key of A-flat. That was the key the manuscript Charles gave me was in. Gloria Cooper, who also has a low voice, recorded this song in 1999 in B-flat. We're also offering it in C concert, a key more comfortable for most female vocalists, which only goes down to Fsharp below middle C.
Gloria's first album "Day By Day" was recorded in Brooklyn.
"Charles thought it was written for Abbey Lincoln, which made sense, since Kenny was on three of Abbey's albums as a leader. Charles told me that Kenny gave Abbey Lincoln a copy of the lead sheet, hoping she would record it, but unfortunately she never did. Kenny knew Abbey well, having recorded on three of her albums as a leader. When Second Floor Music became involved with the Dorham family in 1983, I gave Abbey a lead sheet myself, but no recording resulted.
"Abbey has a low female voice, so she would have been able to go down to the low D in the melody, in the concert key of A-flat. That was the key the manuscript Charles gave me was in. Gloria Cooper, who also has a low voice, recorded this song in 1999 in B-flat. We're also offering it in C concert, a key more comfortable for most female vocalists, which only goes down to Fsharp below middle C.
Gloria's first album "Day By Day" was recorded in Brooklyn.
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Kenny Dorham
August 30, 1924 – December 15, 1972
August 30, 2025, is Kenny Dorham's 101st birthday: jazzleadsheets.com has added many new K.D. compositions. Jazz At Lincoln Center has dedicated three late-night sets to Kenny's music, played with love by young musicians who want his music to live on. Join in, play K.D. music! Read more...
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