Search - Kenny Dorham :: Una Mas

Excellent bop date, great playing.

JetTone12 | USA | 10/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kenny Dorham is one of the more under-rated trumpet players in jazz. His technique, range and jazz sound are quite impressive, yet he doesn't get mentioned as often as Miles, Dizzy, Clifford, Freddie Hubbard, or even Lee Morgan. Kenny is probably most famous for his tune "Blue Bossa" (which has been run into the ground by high school jazz bands everywhere in both combo and big band format). That is not his best work. This, in my opinion, is. Kenny plays with a great group full of stars: Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass and Tony Williams on drums. Herbie provides an extremely solid anchor to the band as well as creative force, and Tony Williams provides a lot of energy in the rhythm section. Kenny is at his best here, playing interesting and technically challenging lines throughout and still making them fit well with the chord. Henderson is still young on this recording, but he nevertheless plays extremely well and holds up well with Dorham. "Una Mas" is an instant classic, it's hard to believe this one was not one of the overplayed classic jazz tunes like "Chameleon", "Sidewinder", "Red Clay", "Cantaloupe Island", "Watermelon Man", etc. became. They also experiment with the beautiful latin rhythms on "Sao Paulo", a tune about one of Brazil's cities. Kenny plays very well here, playing another long, strong solo. There is also a tasty "If Ever I Would Leave You", which is from the musical Camelot. A sensitive ballad, Kenny plays this one with the appropriate musicality. "Straight Ahead" is interesting to hear because it is a one-note tune, just the same note played over and over in evolving rhythms. This one honestly took a little while to grow on me but it's an excellent bop tune. All in all, this album is a wonderful piece of work, and it's great to hear Herbie and Joe Henderson and Tony Williams still in their formative years."

Absolutely habit-forming (would there were many more)

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 07/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a revered session in some quarters, I know, but I suspect partly for the wrong reasons. The compositions are worthy (in fact, I find "Una Mas" similar to but more infectious than "Sidewinder") but not necessarily "essential." The personnel are first-rate, but Joe Henderson's harmonic adventurousness is no match for Hank Mobley's warmth and melodic inventiveness; nor are Tony Williams' dancing cymbals as irresistible a force of nature as Blakey's hot and explosive skins. In other words, rate this set, as far as the Dorham canon goes, with "The Jazz Messengers at the Cafe Bohemia," "Whistle Stop," and "Afro-Cuban" but not necessarily ahead of them.



The reason to own this one is the man who belongs on even the shortest list of trumpet greats (for example, Diz, Clifford, and Kenny?). His playing is absolutely addictive. No one else prepares and "cures" every single note, launching it with that lovely cushion of sound. No one plays with so little pose and showmanship, relying so exclusively on the substance of the music itself to make sense--intellectually and emotionally--without reliance on extraneous effects. There's tenderness, warmth, and abundant humor in each Dorham solo, but once again it arises from what the man does with the materials at hand and not from a musical persona that takes itself overly seriously. Above all I hear a vulnerability in Dorham's work that not only touches a universal emotional core but more often than not sets off the triumph of each of his poignant creations.



If you've developed a Dorham habit, "Una Mas" is definitely one more to add to your collection. It's also a good place to start, but as the title suggests it won't do all by itself."

Una Mas - a must!

yairsp@zahav.net.il | Israel | 12/24/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Now, this is a classic Blue Note Album. Since I have it I can do nothing but playing that great record again and again. It's Swinging like hell and it's got a hot latin groove. Add all this to the fine players playing the gig (the dizzy-inspired Kenny Dorham, the groovy Hancock and the unknown yet Joe Henderson) and you will understand why this is a classic. It's a pity Blue Note didn't release it since 1988. Una Mas - this cd is a must !"