Hello, my little blue notes. Hope you are doing fine.
For today's album, I'm going to invite you on a train trip through America and a little further.
Kenny Dorham's Whistle Stop.
This album was published by Blue Note on January 15, 1961, and recorded in The Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs (I took another way to present our good old buddy Rudy, hope you appreciate😂🤣)
The songs are all Dorham original.
To start the journey, we begin with Philly Twist, a beautiful picture of a filly (young female horse) jumping and running around in the field along the railway track. It's, of course, dedication to Philly Joe (d), but definitively also the play on words with a filly.
After a while, we can see a majestic Buffalo. Quiet (sometimes it can be, haha). The way how the horns play the melody reminds me a little of "Indian" sounds. With all respect.
With Sunset, we can feel that the evening is coming. Mysterious and intriguing but irresistible. We know that it's going to be great.
Suddenly, we are pulled out of our sweet dream by Whistle Stop and we can hear the train-noises that we forgot in our escape. Back to reality but a good one.
This whistle was useful, we didn't want to miss this vibrant Sunrise in Mexico (I don't know which railway this was but, woooww). The bass is the sun, it stays inevitably there, rising. The melody "goes down" like the evening. Beautiful mix.
After this little detour, in Mexico, we hurry back to our known countries, full of Windmill. Each of them depicts their own version of this familiar Windmill. There is in this tune a circular-like motion. I can explain but it makes me think of it.
Finally, to finish our journey, our train conductor takes a brush and paints himself in a 1-minute-long tune. A perfect way to say goodbye.
One last thing before you throw your ticket away, the personnel on this train was : Kenny Dorham (tr), Hank Mobley (ts), Kenny Drew (p), Paul Chambers (b), and Philly Joe Jones (d).
Have fun listening! Go listen to.
Greetings and long live the Jazz.