Search - Kenny Dorham :: Trompeta Toccata

Blue Note gem from Kenny

Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 09/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This quintet recording by Kenny Dorham from 1964 is superb from beginning to end. Everyone is in top form. Joining Kenny are Joe Henderson on tenor, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and the rhythm section of Richard Davis (b) and Albert Heath (d). The title track is a strongly punctuated piece with powerful solos by Kenny and Joe - but it goes into a whole other dimension at Flanagan's solo: it becomes almost dreamy and other-worldly. It's a great performance. In fact, Tommy might be the star of the date - his playing is magnificent and varied on every cut. Dorham takes a very fleet solo on the up-tempo blues THE FOX. Joe's best solo is on NIGHT WATCH, while Flanagan shines brilliantly again on the medium blues MAMACITA (no relation to Jelly Roll Morton's tune of the same title). There's a freshness and excitement on this album that is very attractive and sets the CD off from many others. Great stuff, definitely worth checking out."

Kenny's Closer

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 09/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Leave it to the least showy, most thoughtful of all trumpet players to compose and perform a "Trompeta Toccata" (show piece) and make it work. Any new reissue of a Kenny Dorham date is welcome, guaranteed to be full of Kenny's inventive twists and surprises as a soloist as well as composer. Moreover, as Dorham's very last recording session, this one merits special consideration. The presence of Kenny's favorite frontline companion at this time, Joe Henderson, will further enhance its value to some collectors (though it's hard to argue against Henderson's predecessor, Hank Mobley, as a superior complement to Dorham's melodic logic). Coltrane's influence can be heard in the modal tunes as well as in Henderson's use of harmonics and overtones during his somewhat edgy, rough-hewn solos.



The title piece is one-of-a kind yet vintage Dorham, taking the music of the bull fight, toreador, and matador, stripping it of all the gratuitous trappings, and distilling it to its dramatic and poignant Flamencan essence. The talents of both Henderson and Richard Davis are also heard to full advantage on the number (thankfully, Davis' strong but lengthy solo stops just short of changing the character of this delicately balanced tone poem into a vehicle for bass). In many respects, the piece is a highly concentrated, orchestrally spare version of the Miles Davis/Gil Evans performance of Roderigo's famous Concierto on the "Sketches of Spain" album.



Along with this newly remastered "Trompeta Toccata," the recent RVG edition of 1959's "Quiet Kenny" deserves a close look, if only because it features Kenny as the sole horn player. And once again the pianist is Tommy Flanagan, whose exquisitely crafted melodic statements, nuanced dynamics, and thoughtful phrasing make him the ideal complement to Dorham's playing. Finally, even if you disagree with me that "Whistle Stop" and "Afro-Cuban" are slightly superior Dorham sessions to "Trompeta Toccata," it's hard to ignore the bargain price that both of the former recordings are currently going for on Amazon."

Five stars for five stars.

Robert Bezimienny | Sydney, NSW Australia | 07/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is just a terrific recording. The interplay between all the musicians is outstanding. Richard Davis on bass is phenomenal - he threatens to grab the music and take it beyond its apparent rhythmic and melodic boundaries, and the tension he creates is enormous and exciting. Tommy Flanagan is superb, and uttery individual, almost at odds with the approach taken by Davis - introducing beauty of line, and delicate shading of dynamics, he veers towards the romantic, asking the question whether the roots of the music lie in song - he is very much in conversation with Davis for much of the album. Albert Heath on drums, whom I've rarely heard, sparkles with energy, lightening moments which otherwise threaten to dissolve into atonality. Part of that threat comes from Joe Henderson who, as on so many of his Blue Note recordings of this period, is searching and inventive - his playing is the polar opposite of complacent. In the Latin tinged Mamacita, Henderson undermines the groove, insisting that the track holds more than its surface suggests - this track has a langour, almost a laziness, that is captivating, laced as it is with irony - if this is meant to be the band's version of The Sidewinder, it's one where the groove has melted, and the emotion has fermented - for some strange reason it reminds me of some recordings by Portishead. On The Fox, and the title track Henderson partners Davis into ever wilder and gruff excursions into harmonic tension. Of course, Dorham as leader complements all his partners, his playing embodying both the bold and the romantic. All of this showcased by a superb technical recording and remastering by Rudy van Gelder - the ethereal tone of Dorham's trumpet really shines, with a great sense of space and air surrounding his instrument. Easily as good as Dorham's other Blue Notes, Trompeta Toccata is something truly special."