Straight Ahead – Kenny Dorham
A profoundly simple composition based around a single note rhythmical figure in the A section. Lead sheets and second parts available. Kenny Dorham transcribed trumpet solo available in B-flat and C editions.
- Recording: Kenny Dorham - Una Mas
- Recorded on: April 1, 1963
- Label: Blue Note (BLP 4127)
- Concert Key: B-flat
- Style: Swing (medium up)
- Trumpet - Kenny Dorham
- Tenor Sax - Joe Henderson
- Piano - Herbie Hancock
- Bass - Butch Warren
- Drums - Tony Williams
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Video
- Joshua Redman, tenor sax; with Jonny King, piano; Christian McBride, bass; Brian Blade, drums; live in Belgium, 1994.
Kenny Dorham (known as K.D.) is a master of profound statements, whether they are complex, as in Sao Paulo which follows Straight Ahead on the "Una Mas" album, or simple, like this one. Straight Ahead's thirteen-note rhythmical figure provides the A section message of this AABA "rhythm changes" swinger. The piano solo background and drum shout chorus are also included in the lead sheets.
Kenny Dorham, who was 38 at the time of this recording, knew he had a young but very special rhythm section on this date. He gave them a broad palette to play with that day, letting everyone stretch out on the first studio recording of his funky jazz classic Una Mas, navigating the intricate masterpiece Sao Paulo, playing a standard, and this exciting swinger. This was Joe Henderson's first recording date. Herbie Hancock had only been recording since 1961. Tony Williams had just started recording; this was his third session, with one in each previous month. Butch Warren's first recording date was in 1960, on an earlier K.D. recording.
Transcribed Trumpet Solo: Kenny Dorham is truly one of the masters: he certainly could ignite a rhythm section. And this young rhythm section knew how to swing: listen to Herbie interact with K.D., for example. Our audio excerpt just gets you started on K.D.'s five-chorus story trumpet. To dig deeper into Kenny's music, get pianist Walter Davis, Jr.'s book of piano arrangements for 30 Dorham titles K.D.: 30 Compositions by Kenny Dorham. Walter was a close friend and playing companion of Kenny's.
Kenny Dorham
August 30, 1924 – December 15, 1972
Trumpeter/composer Kenny Dorham was very much on the jazz scene from the mid-1940s through most of the 1960s. He worked and recorded with all the major figures in the modern jazz movement, which includes the legendary Billy Eckstine big band, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Max Roach as well as Kenny Clarke, Sonny Stitt, Fats Navarro, J.J. Johnson and many other giants of that period. Read more...