2014 vinyl LP reissue of the jazz trumpeter's 1957 album. It was initially released as a 4 song ten inch vinyl pressing in 1955. Musicians include J.J. Johnson, Hank Mobley, Cecil Payne, Horace Silver, Percy Heath, Art Blakey & more.. This release is part of the classic jazz label's 75th anniversary vinyl reissue series spearheaded by Blue Note Records President, Don Was.

Vinyl LP pressing. Kenny Dorham's 1964 album Trompeta Toccata would be the final album that the great underrated trumpeter and composer would record as a leader, and it stands as a fitting testament to his prodigious talent. The album featured a stellar quintet with Dorham and his frequent collaborator Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone along with pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Recorded in 1963, Una Mas was the first album to feature the dynamic frontline of trumpeter Kenny Dorham and tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, a potent team that would go on to collaborate on numerous classic albums under each musician's name including Henderson's debut album Page One which was recorded just 2 months later. Along with a tremendous rhythm section of Herbie Hancock, Butch Warren, and Tony Williams, the quintet delivers joyous performances of three Dorham originals.

With Tommy Flanagan, Paul Chambers, Arthur Taylor. Tracks: Lotus Blossom, My Ideal, Blue Friday, Alone Together, Blue Spring Shuffle, I Had the Craziest Dream, Old Folks, Mack the Knife.

Sometimes in the course of our exploration of potential titles to reissue, we come across a true gem that somehow escaped mainstream popularity. Our new SACD of Matador by trumpeter Kenny Dorham and his quintet is the latest and perhaps most crystalline example of this. It has only been reissued (officially) once in 50 years. When you hear it, you'll scratch your head raw that this under-appreciated gem has been missing for so long. Recorded in a single day in 1962, Matador contains the sprawling epic McLean-penned "Melanie" (a suite in three parts), as well as Dorham's smoldering "El Matador" and a stirring take on "Beautiful Love". Throughout the session, Timmons, Smith, and Moses provide sublime support while Dorham and McLean trade sinewy solos. Emotional musical exploration ties to readily approachable post-bop structure that make for a snappy, yet heady, mix of tunes that put a tap in your foot while engaging your head and heart. This Hybrid SACD contains an HDCD encoded Stereo CD layer which is playable on most conventional CD Players!

Japanese SHM-CD pressing. Universal. 2022.

Sometimes in the course of our exploration of potential titles to reissue, we come across a true gem that somehow escaped mainstream popularity. Our new all-analog HQ-180 of Matador by trumpeter Kenny Dorham and his quintet is the latest and perhaps most crystalline example of this. There has never been a single 180-gram pressing available. It has only been reissued (officially) once in 50 years. When you hear it, you'll scratch your head raw that this under-appreciated gem has been missing for so long. Recorded in a single day in 1962, Matador contains the sprawling epic McLean-penned "Melanie" (a suite in three parts), as well as Dorham's smoldering "El Matador" and a stirring take on "Beautiful Love". Throughout the session, Timmons, Smith, and Moses provide sublime support while Dorham and McLean trade sinewy solos. Emotional musical exploration ties to readily approachable post-bop structure that make for a snappy, yet heady, mix of tunes that put a tap in your foot while engaging your head and heart. Numbered, Limited Edition. Audiophile 33rpm 180g Vinyl LP. Mastered by Chris Bellman from the original analog master tapes. Original single disc jacket with ribbed paper tip-on over heavy-board stock. Pressed at RTI.

Kenny Dorham is one of the all time great jazz trumpeters with a stellar catalog across the best jazz labels of the time. Starting out, he played in the big bands of Lionel Hampton, Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie, Mercer Ellington and the quintet of Charlie Parker, as well as leading his own groups. Originally released on the great Riverside label, This Is The Moment: Sings And Plays was recorded at Reeves Sound Studio in New York between July 7 and August 15, 1958, and features his first public vocal performances. The band are scintillating, with Curtis Fuller on trombone, the debut of Cedar Walton on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and drum duties shared between Charlie Persip and G.T. Hogan. Mastered directly from the original mono analog tapes by Kevin Gray, this limited edition (1, 000 copies) is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in a deluxe reverse-board jacket with a sound sonically beyond any previous pressing.

Blue Bossa In The Bronx: Live From The Blue Morocco is a never-before-released recording of jazz trumpet icon Kenny Dorham, captured live at the Blue Morocco jazz club in The Bronx, NY in 1967. Featuring Sonny Red, Cedar Walton, Paul Chambers and Denis Charles. Transferred from the original tape reels that were recorded by legendary engineer Bernard Drayton. This CD Digipak includes an elaborate 32-page booklet including liner notes, interviews and rare photos.

Part of Universal Japan's 'Everything Jazz - Vol. 3: Concord Edition' reissue campaign. Features the high-fidelity UHQCD format. Green color label coating. Universal. 2025.

Kenny Dorham was a jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader, born in Texas in 1924, who was always highly regarded and widely respected, without breaking into the upper echelons of the genre alongside high profile giants like Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. Jazz writer Garry Giddins said that "Dorham's name has become 'virtually synonymous with 'underrated'". Beginning his recording career in 1945 as the bebop revolution took hold, he recorded as a sideman with a host of major names, most notably Charlie Parker, until recording his first session leading his own band in 1953, for the Debut label. This 2-CD collection comprises the complete original contents of four of his early albums as leader - "The Kenny Dorham Quintet" on Debut, "Afro-Cuban" and "'Round About Midnight - 'Live' At The Cafe Bohemia" on Blue Note and "Kenny Dorham & The Jazz Prophets" on ABC-Paramount. He records with various quintet and sextet line-ups (expanded with percussion on "Afro-Cuba"), which feature significant jazz names of the day, including Jimmy Heath, Walter Bishop, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke, J.J. Johnson, Hank Mobley, Horace Silver, Oscar Pettiford, Bobby Timmons, Arthur Edgehill and more. Featuring a mixture of original compositions and standards, it showcases his qualities as both trumpeter and leader.

CLASSIC ALBUMS 1960-1962

Marcos Valle -"Samba '68 (Verve Vault Series)" [180g Heavy Vinyl LP] Samba '68, released on Verve, introduced Brazilian singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Marcos Valle to a wider international audience. Already established in Brazil through songs such as "Samba de Verao" ("Summer Samba"), Valle worked here with producer Creed Taylor on a recording that pairs Brazilian rhythmic forms with contemporary American studio orchestration. The sessions include vocals by Anamaria Valle and arrangements by Eumir Deodato. The repertoire features English-language versions of compositions co-written by Valle, including "So Nice (Summer Samba)," "Chup Chup, I Got Away," and "Safely In Your Arms," alongside additional material that reflects his economical writing and feather-light rhythmic approach. The album documents a meeting point between Brazilian popular music and international pop-jazz studio practice at the end of the 1960s. The Verve Vault series is always mastered from analog tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal. Towa Bird returns with her sophomore album Gentleman - 11 songs that navigate the tension between masculine and feminine archetypes, delivered with undeniable confidence and swagger from one of music's most promising voices. Featuring the singles "Dirty Habit" and "Dog," with contributions from Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna, Gentleman sharpens Towa's guitar-driven rush into a world of queer romance and self-assured style - equal parts charm, humor, vulnerability, and bite. Produced by Patrick Wimberly (MGMT, Blood Orange, Solange.) Pressed on red vinyl. Kenny Dorham -"Whistle Stop (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition)"

Recording in January 30, 1955 and March 29, 1955 at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, this album features one of the great trumpet stylists in the world of modern jazz, Kenny Dorham and some of the major names in hard bop plus some latin musicians to bring out the Afro-Cuban elements. The presence of Carlos "Potato" Valdes on congas and the trombonist Jay Jay Johnson with Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Cecil Payne on baritone saxophone, pianist Horace Silver, bassist Oscar Pettiford, and drummer Art Blakey makes it must-have for all jazz lovers. It was among the earlier jazz albums merging Latin rhythms with hard bop: for it's time (mid-1950s), that kind of fusion was still relatively fresh in the jazz world. All musicians playing strongly, which gives the album high musical heft.

Triple vinyl LP pressing. Kenny Dorham's sublime 1956 live album, The Complete 'Round About Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia, features the trumpeter with J.R. Monterose, Kenny Burrell, Bobby Timmons, Sam Jones & Arthur Edgehill. This Blue Note Tone Poet Edition 3-LP set was produced by Joe Harley, remastered by Kevin Gray from the original tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket. Includes a booklet with never-before-seen photos by Francis Wolff and an essay by Syd Schwartz.

Kenny Dorham's sublime 1956 live album, The Complete 'Round About Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia, features the trumpeter with J.R. Monterose, Kenny Burrell, Bobby Timmons, Sam Jones & Arthur Edgehill. This Blue Note Tone Poet Edition 2-CD set was produced by Joe Harley and remastered by Kevin Gray from the original tapes. Includes a booklet with never-before-seen photos by Francis Wolff and an essay by Syd Schwartz.

Classical Music

Kenny Dorham/Jackie McLean - "Inta Somethin' (Blue Note Tone Poet Series)" / This spirited 1961 live date for Pacific Jazz captured Kenny Dorham leading a quintet with Jackie McLean, Walter Bishop Jr., Leroy Vinnegar, and Art Taylor at The Jazz Workshop in San Francisco. The band is firing on all cylinders throughout this set featuring four standards bookended by two Dorham originals. This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe tip-on jacket.

Scandia Story

Trumpeter Kenny Dorham (1924 - 1972) played in Dizzy Gillespie’s bop big band and then joined Charlie Parker’s quintet. He was a founding member of the Jazz Messengers. Also played in Max Roach’s quintet and co-led a group with Joe Henderson. “...this is a true find...documenting Dorham in fine shape...One of best performance of Tete Montoliu...” (Swing Journal) “...The trumpeter probably could not have found a better rhythm section for his 1963 European tour...there are enough privileged moments here to make this disc a must for serious students of the jazz trumpet...” (Cadence)

The sequel to Dorham’s highly acclaimed “Short Story” SCCD 36010 “not only contains superb examples of the mature Dorham style, but affords a rare opportunity for comparison with what might have been, by placing him alongside the famous Swedish trumpeter, Rolf Ericson, who hews to the more traditional, vertical style of Bebop trumpet.” (Chris Sheridan)