About

The great unsung trumpeter Kenny Dorham was a vital part of the early Blue Note story appearing as a sideman on bebop dates by Thelonious Monk and Art Blakey as well as foundational hard bop sessions with Horace Silver and as a founding member of The Jazz Messengers. In fact, just six months after The Jazz Messengers cut their landmark namesake live recordings at the Cafe Bohemia, Dorham brought his own sextet into the fabled NYC jazz club in May 1956 to record his maiden live recording date under his own name. Presented in full on the 3-LP Tone Poet Vinyl Edition of The Complete ‘Round About Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia the sublime set features the trumpeter with J.R. Monterose on tenor saxophone, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Bobby Timmons on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Arthur Edgehill on drums for an inspired collection of originals by Dorham, Monk, and Dizzy Gillespie, as well as choice Great American Songbook standards. — (via Label)

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During the spring and summer of 1956, trumpeter Kenny Dorham recorded two studio albums with his Jazz Prophets, a small hard bop band involving tenor saxophonist J.R. Monterose and a rhythm section of pianist Dick Katz, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Arthur Edgehill. On May 31 of that year, Dorham's group performed live at the Café Bohemia with Bobby Timmons at the piano and guitarist Kenny Burrell sitting in on all but the first of four sets.

The word "understated" has sometimes been used to describe the music played by Dorham's band on this night in 1956; this is only appropriate if Dorham is compared with intense individuals like Fats Navarro or Dizzy Gillespie. Dorham's jazz was perhaps more intimate and accessible precisely because his horn had an earthier tone, almost like that of a cornet. Sometimes compared with Ted Curson, Richard Williams or Freddie Hubbard, Dorham sounded a lot like the profoundly gifted and vastly underappreciated Johnny Coles, particularly during ballads like "Autumn in New York" and "Round Midnight." There are also intimations of Miles Davis, Nat Adderley and even young Don Cherry. This music is designed for relaxing and grooving out. It will greatly assist anyone who is traveling by night or trying to make it through to the end of another day. — (via All Music)

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About the Blue Note Tone Poet Series:

The Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series was born out of Blue Note President Don Was’ admiration for the exceptional audiophile Blue Note LP reissues presented by Music Matters. Was brought Joe Harley, a.k.a. the “Tone Poet,” on board to curate and supervise a series of reissues from the Blue Note family of labels.

Extreme attention to detail has been paid to getting these right in every conceivable way, from the jacket graphics and printing quality to superior LP mastering by Kevin Gray to superb 180g audiophile LP pressings by Record Technology Inc. Every aspect of these Tone Poet releases is done to the highest possible standard. It means that you will never find a superior version. This is IT.

This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray (Cohearent Audio), pressed on 180g vinyl at Record Technology Inc. (RTI), and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.

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- 3LP pressed on 180g vinyl
- Housed in deluxe tip-on trifold jacket
- Includes a booklet with never-before-seen photos by Francis Wolff and an in-depth essay

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Label: Blue Note
Format: 3 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Mono
Reissued: 2026 / Originally Released: 1995
Genre: Jazz
Style: Hard Bop

File under: Blue Note Tone Poet
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