Customer Reviews

Quiet Kenny (Reis)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
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From the Bebop Boys to the Jazz Prophets to Joey Henderson, Kenny came through on the cutting edge. This is Kenny's only single-horn quartet session. He probably could have made a dozen of them, but he was a giver and favored the two horn conversations of a quintet most frequently. This record, much like all of Kenny's stuff, is all about a balanced approach to material, and assurance. He hits the right notes quite often, and his compositions don't suffer one bit side by side to the other classics here. Did I mention soul? When you see a record like this you're immediately reminded of many many others with these players (Tommy Flanagan, A.T. & P.C.) in this vein, and are tempted to pass because you think it might be too similiar to them to justify yet another purchase. Don't do that. There really is only a finite number of things like this in existence, people, and they aren't making any more.

"Quiet" is almost redundant, less descriptive of the session than of Kenny himself, who plays no differently here than he does in the explosive groups of Blakey or Silver. Thoughtful, playful, lyrical but never effusive, K.D. is, as always, the thinking person's trumpet player (or, as Dan Morgenstern calls him in the notes for this latest RVG edition, the most "poetic" of trumpet players).

The playing on the present disk is on a level with Kenny's best work elsewhere ("Whistle Stop," "Una Mass"), but there are two undeniable bonuses: Kenny's is the only horn, giving him more valuable time to tell his compelling stories; and the pianist is Tommy Flanagan, whose dynamically nuanced, carefully sculpted lines are the perfect match for the trumpet's exquisitely crafted statements.

Given more familiar trumpet styles, it can take a while for a new listener to "get" Kenny Dorham. Once you do, you simply can't get enough of him.

This is a very beautiful recording by one of the most underated trumpet players in the history of jazz. On this wonderful album, Kenny leads a sax-free quartet (the only time he would be sans a partner on sax) and proves that he is more than capable of shouldering the load. This is arguably one of his finest recordings. I absolutely loved it!

Kenny D. is definitely worth mentioning in the same sentence with Brownie, Miles, Diz, Freddie H, etc... I don't think he ever received the amount of credit he so justly deserves. The same could be said for Donald Byrd as well.

By the way, Paul Chambers gives yet another stunning performance on bass!

I was reluctant at first to purchase this album, not because of any reservations about the talent of the musicians represented here, but simply because I'm enamored of the sound of the saxophone and wasn't sure I would find an album showcasing the trumpet alone to be as interesting. Well, I was completely and totally wrong about that. It doesn't hurt that the trumpet player in question is the ever emotive Kenny Dorham. KD is joined on this 1959 session by Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers (naturally!) on bass, and Art Taylor on drums.

KD contributes three of his own compositions: "Lotus Blossom" (aka "Asiatic Raes", a favorite of mine from Freddie Hubbard's Goin' Up), "Blue Friday", and "Blue Spring Shuffle". The quartet setting really allows Kenny's lyrical, beautifully voiced trumpet to shine. He allows Tommy Flanagan plenty of room to dazzle here as well and dazzle he does, playing some very pretty piano lines on this date. Paul Chambers is solid as ever and Art Taylor turns in a great understated performance as well.

I really fell in love with this bluesy quartet session, especially the Dorham originals, the haunting "Alone Together", and his version of "Mack the Knife", but there's not a bad piece to be found here. Thanks to JoeyD and Samuel Chell, whose splendid reviews convinced me to quit waffling around and finally purchase this album.

"Quiet Kenny" was released in 1959 on Prestige Records and remains to this day one of Dorham's finest albums in my opinion. What helps is Dorham is joined by some excellent musicians: Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. A truly timeless session, every tune is great.

One of the things that makes "Quiet Kenny" different is it's really a pure trumpet record. In other words, his sound isn't augmented by another horn. He's the only horn and this gives the album a very different feel. If any of you heard "Musings Of Miles," then you can understand my point. Don't let the lack of a saxophone or any other lead instrument scare you away. You will be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

I highly recommend this recording for fans of trumpet playing and all around good jazz.

This album is really just 42 minutes of really great music. For anyone who is familiar with Kenny's playing this album just reaffirms his reputation as having been one of the most talented and lyrical trumpet players in jazz. For anyone who is just finding about about Kenny Dorham "Quiet Kenny" gives a good idea of what to expect from this master: beautiful melodies, classic renditions of great standards, interesting original compositions, a soft, warm tone, and great accompaniment from Art Taylor, Paul Chambers, and Tommy Flanigan. The album includes the classic Dorham composition 'Lotus Blossom,' pretty versions of 'Old Folks,' 'Mack The Knife,' a haunting "Alone Together," and great playing throughout.

I treasure this album for a long time.Because I always loved McKinley Dorham's amazing trumpet playing (he often sounds like he's playing a bugle,like another master,Clark Terry).There's a very special roundness,a curious sound full of dullness and comfort,and sweetness in his playing that has always seduced me in his approach of the very difficult art of blowing a trumpet.I feel like Kenny was nearer the great masters of the swing era than the other bop trumpet players.This session,recorded November 13,1959,and first issued as "quiet Kenny" with only 7 tracks ("Mack the knife" was missing"),is among the very great jazz records you have to own.It became complete for the first time on LP as "Kenny Dorham 1959"on Prestige 7754,in 1970.The quartet is a real all stars : Tommy Flanagan on piano,Paul Chambers on bass,and Art Taylor on drums."Lotus blossom" is a Dorham original,also recorded by Sonny Rollins as "Asiatic raes" on his "Newk's time" album on Blue Note.From the very beginning of this tune,what a perfect mastery and immense swing by Kenny Dorham! The great Tommy Flanagan (1930-2001) has a masterful solo.Art Taylor's drumming,as always,is superlative."My ideal" is certainly dedicated to Coleman Hawkins,who waxed an outstanding gem on this tune on December 4,1943.3Blue Friday",the longest track of this album (nine minutes long),is a very great blues,a minor keyed one,in the manner of Horace Silver,or Elmo Hope.Kenny builds his solo,during many choruses,with total mastery,with some reminiscences of Red Allen and Buck Clayton,and comes close to Tommy Fruscella's playing."Alone together" is one of the most dramatic and wonderful standards ever composed,and Kenny's short version ranks among the best renditions of this tune.His playing on this tune reminds me so much of Billie's vocals on this masterpiece.And it reminds me so much of Tadd Dameron's works.Please,listen to Tadd Dameron ! Chamber's walking bass introduces "Blue spring" (aka "Blue spring shuffle");another hard-bop blues,a kind of marching blues in the Jazz Messengers' manner.The rare "I had the craziest dream" is another gem by Kenny Dorham,and yes,he reminds me more and more of the great Clark Terry (born 1921)."Old folks" is the splendour you know,and nobody could miss such a tune.Kenny makes it his own,and swings lightly through the theme.Finally,the famous theme by Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht,Satchmo's anthem,"Mack the knife" (also recorded as "Moritat" in a definitive session by Sonny Rollins),closes this extraordinary album.Don't miss it,this is a very important record in the jazz history,maybe Kenny Dorham's greatest record.An immense source of joy,between bebop and classic swing,a great work of art.

Kenny Dorham, what a beautiful player, and there's not much more I can add to the previous reviews.

My only suggestion is to go for the JVC, K2/20bit master release if you have an audiophile rig, as it is head and shoulders above ALL other releases. L'wood

As the other reviewers have said this is a very enjoyable album. The best tracks in my opinion being Dorham's own compositions that take up about half of the running time. The recording is a Van Gelder stereo studio recording that sounds very fresh with the 20 bit re-mastering. This is not a bop recording, the band never breaks into a sweat and the pace is mainly a funky swing with the addition of a couple of slow ballards. The album retains an air of unruffled sophistication throughout with excellent playing from all 4 musicians.

You need this in your collection if you're interested in jazz and you don't know the work of trumpet player Kenny Dorham -- he's the unknown member of the Bop elite that includes Dizzy, Miles, Fats and Brownie.

You need this in your collection if you're interested in jazz and think that the trio behind 'Trane on Giant Steps was at least 50% of that recording -- here Kenny is backed by the same trio.

You need this in your collection if you think that Rudy van Gelder was the best recording engineer ever, period -- Rudy not only engineered this session in '59, he personally remastered it for digital in in '05.

You need this in your collection if you know nothing about jazz beyond the name Louis Armstrong -- this is one of the finest examples of small combo jazz during its finest moment.

Get it and enjoy!!!