McKinley Howard Dorham (Fairfield, 30 August 1924 - New York, december 5, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter, singer and composer. He was an activeboptrumpeter who played with numerous musicians and many. He was a composer of the jazz standard "Blue Bossa".
Dorham had musical parents and got piano lessons from the age of seven years. On high school, in 1939, he switched to trumpet. While studying chemistry, he played in a college dance band, next to Wild Bill Davis, among others. In 1943 he was group member Russell Jacquetband, in 1944, he played at Frank Humphries. He played in the big bands of Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie (1946), Lionel Hampton (1947) and Mercer Ellington, Charlie Parker 's group (as a replacement of Miles Davis, 1948-1950) and the original Jazz Messengers (with Horace Silver). He accompanied Thelonious Monk (1951-1952) and Sonny Rollinsand Clifford Brown replaced in the hard bop- Max Roach's group. As a sideman played Dorham in the 1940s and 1950s on many plates, of the mentioned musicians but also by Sonny Stitt, Kenny Clarke, Hank Mobley, Abbey Lincoln Cecil Taylor and.
Dorham was not only a sideman, but also had his own groups such as The Jazz Prophets that a live album was recorded on Blue Note that came out. In 1963 came saxophonist Joe Henderson in the group, with whom he became friends and would make three plates. Dorham was regularly in the 1960s in the recording studios of Blue Note and Prestige, as a sideman (for, among others, Jackie McLean and Milt Jackson) and leader of his own bands. He made albums for Blue Note with Herbie Hancock, among others. His Blue Note-plates are among the best he has recorded.
In the second half of the sixties was forced to have a part time job in addition to the music Dorham. He also wrote plaatrecencies for Downbeat. In his final years Dorham had problems with his kidneys, to which he ultimately died.
Discography (selection)[Edit][]
- Afro-Cuban, Blue Note, 1955
- Jazz Contrasts, Riverside, 1957
- Kenny Dorham Quintet, Victor, 1957
- 2 Horns, 2 Rhythms, Riverside, 1957
- Kenny Dorham Sings and Plays: This Is the Moment!, Riverside, 1958
- Whistle Stop, Blue Note, 1961
- Una Mas, Blue Note, 1963