Kenny Dorham – Blue Bossa in the Bronx – Record Store Day

by Audiophile Audition | Mar 21, 2025 | Jazz CD Reviews, SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews | 0 comments

Album Cover for Kennhy Dorham - Blue Bossa in the Bronx

Honoring a trumpet giant, Kenny Dorham…

Kenny Dorham – Blue Bossa in the Bronx: Live From The Blue Morocco – Resonance Records #HLP-9072 – two 180 gm audiophile vinyls – 1967-RSD 04/12/25

(Kenny Dorham – trumpet; Sonny Red (Sylvester Kyner) – alto sax; Cedar Walton – piano; Paul Chambers – bass; Denis Chambers – drums)

For the upcoming Record Store Day (04/12/25), the jazz boutique label, Resonance Records, is featuring more undiscovered live gems from jazz icons. This time around, “jazz detective” Zev Feldman, is featuring legendary trumpeters, Freddie Hubbard, and Kenny Dorham, from 1967 live dates at the intimate Bronx, NY jazz club, The Blue Morocco. (I’ll cover the Hubbard date in a future review.)

Working with the club’s engineer, Bernard Drayton, who taped Monday night sessions at the club for radio broadcast on WLIB, the original master tapes have been remastered to 180 gm vinyl by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, and pressed at Le Vinylist. There will only be a limited edition pressing of 3000 sets, so fans should make sure to visit their local record shop on April 12th so they are not left out. A CD version will follow later in April.

I found the acoustics to be just fine for a small club setting, with the front line horns featured, yet Cedar Walton’s comping and solos, as well as those of bass legend, Paul Chambers, getting equal footing.

Kenny Dorham was a major voice on trumpet in the 1950s and 60’s. He was highly underrated, not through any lack of talent, but more due to the fact that his entrance into the NYC jazz hotbed occurred just after Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Navarro, and the emergence of Miles Davis. Noted for his mastery of “turn-arounds”(seamless modulations between keys), Dorham also was acclaimed for his melodic gifts. He made many superb albums for Blue Note Records and the OJC labels.

For this 1967 session (recorded five years before his death in 1972, from kidney disease), Kenny has a quartet of Sonny Red, on alto; the emerging piano star, Cedar Walton; the iconic (and short lived) bass legend, Paul Chambers; and drummer, Denis Chambers, who is more noted for avant jazz dates.

What immediately stands out on these seven tracks (mostly standards with a few Dorham originals) is Sonny Red’s blistering attack on the alto sax. Noted more as a hard bop player, here his tone more resembles Jackie McLean, with a sharp pitch, and searing tone. It certainly is steeped in be-bop of the early 1950s. Cedar Walton’s piano has a counter balance with more accessible “sweetness” that fits in nicely with Dorham’s melodic gifts. Listening to the steady “heartbeat” bass of Paul Chamber is such a pleasure.

With just a few exceptions for the blues tracks of “Memories of You,” and “My One and Only Love,” each under five minutes, the rest of the tracks well exceed ten minutes. That gives plenty of time for solos by Dorham, Red, and Walton.

Opening with Kenny’s most well known composition, “Blue Bossa,” written in 1963, and made more well known by Joe Henderson, a few years later, it features a blend of hard bop and bossa nova. It’s followed by Charlie Parker’s “Confirmation.” Sonny Red really burns here, and this bop standard shines with Chamber’s arco bass, and a sparkling piano run by Cedar. It closes with a great ensemble flourish.

“Bag’s Groove,” from Milt Jackson, has more Sonny Red “heat” and Dorham a bit more restrained, until he solos with rapid fire trumpet choruses. I loved Walton’s funky blues lines. Paul’s bass fully supports the group’s groove.

On Dorham’s “Blue Friday,” Cedar Walton is featured with an intense solo, probing with passion.

We close with Miles Davis’ “The Theme,” which is used so often for groups to close, before either the set’s closing, or at intermission.

Kenny Dorham has often been more noted for “following”- playing with Charlie Parker after Miles Davis, and after Clifford Brown with Max Roach.

Happily, with the release of this special two LP limited edition set, we have Kenny Dorham leading the way as a leader, and getting his honors as a trumpet giant.

Adding to the value of this release, is a 16 page insert with rare photos and essays from jazz historians, Bob Blumenthal, and Dan Morgenstern, as well as remembrances of Kenny from living jazz trumpeter greats, Charles Tolliver, Eddie Henderson, and Steven Bernstein.

It’s time to give Kenny Dorham his due…

—Jeff Krow