1959 · Album
Short Story
Recorded 1958 · Riverside Records · Produced by Orrin Keepnews
The Trumpet Player Nobody Quite Noticed
Dorham plays like he has nothing to prove, which somehow makes it more convincing.
Kenny Dorham spent most of his career being the guy serious listeners knew about and casual fans overlooked. Short Story, recorded for Riverside, is a good example of why that reputation stuck — it's a small-group date that rewards attention but doesn't announce itself. Dorham's tone is warm and slightly dark, never flashy, and he phrases in ways that feel almost conversational. He doesn't play over the changes so much as he moves through them at his own pace, which can sound understated until you realize how precisely every note is landing.
The rhythm section here does exactly what it should — supportive without getting in the way — and Dorham sounds relaxed in a way he sometimes didn't on more high-profile sessions. A few of the originals on the record show his composing side, which doesn't get talked about enough. He had a real gift for writing melodies that sit right in the middle of the horn's range and feel natural to play, not like they're showing off. That approachability is part of what made his work easy to underestimate.
This isn't the album to start with if you're new to Dorham — Whistle Stop (1961) is probably a better entry point, and more immediately fun. Short Story is the kind of record you come back to after you've spent time with his other work and you want to hear him in a quieter mode. Critics like Gary Giddins have pointed out that Dorham became almost synonymous with being underrated, and this album is a decent illustration of why — it's genuinely good, quietly confident, and it got almost no attention when it came out.
Who's playing
Niels‐Henning Ørsted Pedersendouble bass
Tete Montoliupiano
Kenny Dorhamtrumpet
Alex Rieldrums
Allan Botschinskyflugelhorn
