Whistle Stop
This 1961 date is one of the genuinely classic Blue Note hard-bop sessions. Trumpeter Dorham is joined by tenor saxophonistHank Mobley, once his frontline partner in the originalJazz Messengers, the underrated pianistKenny Drew, and one of the finest rhythm teams ever to play jazz, bassistPaul Chambersand drummerPhilly Joe Jones. The immediate distinguishing mark is Dorham's writing. Though only his "Blue Bossa" has become a jazz standard, he was a serious writer, not someone who merely dashed off casual heads. His tunes here have substance, like the sparkling blues "Buffalo" and the evocative, modal "Sunset" with its sudden piano punctuations under the theme. The title tune contrasts eerie dissonance with a snapping bop line, and "Sunrise in Mexico" orchestrates bass and piano into the theme. The concluding "Dorham's Epitaph," at little more than a minute, has an unadorned majesty. Dorham and Mobley shared a forceful lyricism and a rare camaraderie, and there are moments in "Sunrise" when Dorham's half-valves even suggest Mobley's round tenor sound. Jones makes a special contribution, adding a propulsive spark and a constant stream of detail.--Stuart Broomer