McKinley Howard "Kenny" Dorham (August 30, 1924 – December 5, 1972) was an American jazz musician who played the trumpet, wrote music, and sometimes sang. Critics and other musicians often praised his skills, but he did not receive the same level of recognition from the jazz community as some of his fellow musicians. Because of this, writer Gary Giddins noted that Dorham's name is often linked with the idea of being underrated.
Dorham also wrote the bossa nova song "Blue Bossa," which was first recorded by his musical partner Joe Henderson.
Biography
Dorham was born in Fairfield, Texas. He started learning piano when he was a child. He went to L.C. Anderson High School in Austin, Texas, where he learned to play the saxophone and trumpet. He studied chemistry and physics at Wiley College before joining the United States Army. After leaving the Army, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music.
In his final years, Dorham had kidney disease. He passed away on December 5, 1972, at the age of 48.
Career
Kenny Dorham was one of the most active bebop trumpeters. Early in his career, he played in the big bands of Lionel Hampton, Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie, and Mercer Ellington, and in Charlie Parker’s quintet. He joined Parker’s band in December 1948. He was one of the first members of the original cooperative called the Jazz Messengers. He also played as a sideman with Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins, and he replaced Clifford Brown in the Max Roach Quintet after Brown’s death in 1956. In addition to playing with other musicians, Dorham led his own groups, including the Jazz Prophets, which was formed shortly after Art Blakey took over the Jazz Messengers name. The Jazz Prophets included a young pianist named Bobby Timmons, bassist Sam Jones, tenor saxophonist J. R. Monterose, and guest guitarist Kenny Burrell. They recorded a live album called 'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia in 1956 for Blue Note.
Dorham performed with Miles Davis in 1956. According to Davis’s biography, after the performance, Jackie McLean told Miles directly, “Tonight Kenny is playing so beautifully, you sound like a copy of yourself.”
In 1963, Dorham added Joe Henderson, a 26-year-old tenor saxophonist, to his group. This group later recorded the album Una Mas. The friendship between Dorham and Henderson led to other albums, such as Henderson’s Page One, Our Thing, and In 'n Out. Dorham recorded many times throughout the 1960s for Blue Note and Prestige Records, both as a leader and as a sideman for musicians like Henderson, Jackie McLean, Cedar Walton, Andrew Hill, Milt Jackson, and others.
Dorham’s later quartet included well-known jazz musicians: Tommy Flanagan (piano), Paul Chambers (double bass), and Art Taylor (drums). Their first recording was Quiet Kenny for Prestige’s New Jazz label. This album mostly included ballads. An earlier quartet, which had Dorham as co-leader with alto saxophonist Ernie Henry, released an album together under the name “Kenny Dorham/Ernie Henry Quartet.” They recorded 2 Horns / 2 Rhythm for Riverside Records in 1957, with bassist Eddie Mathias and drummer G.T. Hogan. In 1990, the album was re-released on CD under the name “Kenny Dorham Quartet featuring Ernie Henry.”
From 1958 to 1959, Dorham taught at the Lenox School of Jazz. He composed music for the films Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Un Témoin dans la Ville. In the mid-1960s and early 1970s, Dorham wrote music criticism for Downbeat.
Legacy
Ron Wynn described Dorham as a famous jazz trumpeter who played with a clear, strong, and beautiful sound, especially during slow songs called ballads. He could play long, flowing musical phrases, and when he played the main melody slowly and softly, it was a powerful and emotional moment.
In 2019, a public mural of Dorham was created in Austin, Texas, where he once studied at L.C. Anderson High School. The mural, painted by artist Jonathan “Chaka” Mahone as part of the City of Austin's TEMPO 2D public art program, is located in East Austin. It shows Dorham standing next to a large sunflower and was meant to honor the history of Austin and the neighborhood’s importance as a place that supports and celebrates culture.
In 2023, all five of Dorham’s daughters attended a concert at the University of Georgia to honor his life and work. In 2024, a special celebration marking the 100th anniversary of Dorham’s birth took place at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Musicians who performed included Bruce Harris, Joe Magnarelli, Jeremy Pelt, Jimmy Owens, Tim Hagans, David Wong, Noriko Ueda, Kenny Washington, Ulysses Owens, Jr., and Joe Farnsworth.
Dorham’s middle daughter, Evette Dorham, has taught classes about her father’s music and contributions as part of the Swing University program at Jazz at Lincoln Center.