1961 · Album
Jerome Kern Showboat
Recorded 1960 · Time · Produced by Not specified in available sources
Dorham Swings Kern's Showboat Melodies
Dorham turns these familiar standards into hard bop vehicles, direct and unpretentious.
By 1960, Kenny Dorham had already spent years interpreting the American songbook, but this set of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II tunes from Show Boat finds him working in a particularly sharp groove. The album stays focused on what Dorham does well—deliver clean, articulate trumpet lines over swinging hard bop arrangements. There's no fuss here, no attempt to reimagine these standards as something they're not. He respects the melodies enough to state them clearly, then builds from there with solid musicianship and a feel for swing.
What makes this session stand out is how naturally the material fits into the hard bop idiom of the era. These are old songs, sure, but they're not treated as museum pieces. Dorham's approach is straightforward: good song, good players, good pocket. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow called it one of Dorham's better sessions from the era and noted it's easily recommended to his fans and collectors of hard bop, which is fair assessment. The Penguin Guide gave it 3.5 stars, suggesting solid work without breakthrough moments, and that's honest too.
This album sits comfortably in Dorham's catalog—competent, swinging, well-crafted, but not a turning point or a departure. If you're already drawn to his work and want a session that shows him in a relaxed, professional mood tackling familiar material, this delivers. For newcomers to Dorham, there are probably sharper entry points, but for those who already know his style, this is the kind of record that rewards a listen without demanding your complete reassessment of anything.
Who's playing
Jimmy Garrisondouble bass
Kenny Drewpiano
Jimmy Heathtenor saxophone
Kenny Dorhamtrumpet
Art Taylordrums
Where next?
More by Kenny Dorham
All 31 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
