Track Listing

1. Philly Twist
2. Buffalo
3. Sunset
4. Whistle Stop
5. Sunrise in Mexico
6. Windmill
7. Dorham's Epitaph

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42377 in Music
• Released on: 2000-10-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.com
This 1961 date is one of the genuinely classic Blue Note hard-bop sessions. Trumpeter Dorham is joined by tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, once his frontline partner in the original Jazz Messengers, the underrated pianist Kenny Drew, and one of the finest rhythm teams ever to play jazz, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones. The immediate distinguishing mark is Dorham's writing. Though only his "Blue Bossa" has become a jazz standard, he was a serious writer, not someone who merely dashed off casual heads. His tunes here have substance, like the sparkling blues "Buffalo" and the evocative, modal "Sunset" with its sudden piano punctuations under the theme. The title tune contrasts eerie dissonance with a snapping bop line, and "Sunrise in Mexico" orchestrates bass and piano into the theme. The concluding "Dorham's Epitaph," at little more than a minute, has an unadorned majesty. Dorham and Mobley shared a forceful lyricism and a rare camaraderie, and there are moments in "Sunrise" when Dorham's half-valves even suggest Mobley's round tenor sound. Jones makes a special contribution, adding a propulsive spark and a constant stream of detail. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews

a classic blue note session
mr. dorham had the unfortunate honor of being a hard-working, adept trumpeter at the same time miles davis was hitting his peak, meaning everyone else sat in the shadows. mr. dorham was often overshadowed by his fellow blue noters lee morgan and freddie hubbard, as well, all of which is unfortunate considering the grace and swing of his work, as this album attests. mr. dorham could swing with the best of them, as the cooking opener, "philly twist," shows. the tone is blues-bop, and things stay on high all the way through the title track. one note: check out the mute on "sunset." it's as good as miles. then we get a glimpse of another side of mr. dorham. like dizzy gillespie, mr. dorham explored the fusion of cuban and jazz musics and "sunrise in mexico" stands as a clear example. it's bop with salsa! the album closes with a hardbop romp ("windmill") and to give the set a club feel, mr. dorham adds a snippet of his theme to end the record. the support is solid from philly joe jones (drums), paul chambers (bass), kenny drew (piano), and hank mobley (tenor). listen to this, and you will want to hear more from this under-appreciated trumpet talent.

Underrated album, underrated talents.
Trumpeter Kenny Dorham, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, and pianist Kenny Drew all have one thing in common, they spent their careers in the shadows of bigger name musicians such as Gillespie, Rollins, and Kelly that obscured their individual talent. The material recorded here, all originals penned by Dorham, allows these men the opprotunity to stand in their own light and swing out. Rounding out this classic 1961 session are two men who cast long shadows themselves, the rock solid duo of the thunderous drummer Philly Joe Jones and bassist Paul Chambers. Highlights of the album include "Sunset" which features laidback, simmering solos by Mobley, Drew, and a muted Dorham, as well as the hard swinging "Philly Twist" and the title track "Whistle Stop". The sound is wonderfully remastered as usual by Mr Rudy Van Gelder, which just adds to this underrated gem. This cd is perfect for fans of classic Blue Note hard bop as well as fans of Dorham, Mobley, Drew, Chambers, and Jones, and is highly recommeded by this listener.

Stop For Whistle Stop
Kenny Dorham's magnificent "Whistle Stop" was first released on CD in 1994 as one of the initial twelve titles in the limited edition Connoisseur series, and it quickly sold out. Now this classic hard-bop session makes a well-deserved permanent return to the Blue Note catalog as part of the RVG series. Joining KD on this January 1961 recording are Hank Mobley on tenor sax, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. These cats are in top form, most likely because they had played together so frequently, that they had developed an outstanding musical rapport. For example, Dorham and Mobley were the original horn team for the Jazz Messengers, while the rhythm trio of Drew, Chambers and Jones had already been the rhythm backbone for John Coltrane's "Blue Train," and in a few months they would team up again on Dexter Gordon's "Dexter Calling" (see my review). This album is full of bluesy, hard swingers like "Philly Twist," "Buffalo" and the title track, but it is the more reflective pieces like "Sunset," "Sunrise In Mexico" and the brief, sublime "Dorham's Epitaph" that I find particularly enjoyable. You should definitely let out a whistle and bring this disc to a stop, right in your collection.