Kenny Dorham’s ‘Whistle Stop’ To Be Reissued In Blue Note’s Classic Vinyl Series
The album is composed of seven original tracks from the hard bop trumpeter.
Jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham recorded numerous sessions with Blue Note, and the classic label is now reissuing his 1961 record Whistle Stop on vinyl. The album is set to release on May 15th.
As part of Blue Note’s long-running Classic Vinyl series, this new stereo, all-analog edition of Whistle Stop has been mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
Whistle Stop is a set of Dorham originals performed by a top-shelf hard bop quintet, featuring Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Side A is composed of “Philly Twist,” “Buffalo,” and “Sunset,” while Side B features title track “Whistle Stop,” “Sunrise In Mexico,” “Windmill,” and “Dorham’s Epitaph.”
Dorham first recorded for Blue Note in 1955, producing the album Afro-Cuban. The label calls him “one of the most underrated trumpeters in jazz history,” and considers his early 1960s output, including Una Mas, Trompeta Toccata, and, of course, Whistle Stop.
Kenny collaborated with some of jazz’s largest legends across his career. In 1945, he was a member of the orchestras of Dizzy Gillespie and Billy Eckstine, and between 1948 and 1949, Dorham was the trumpeter in the Charlie Parker Quintet. In addition to leading his own groups, he was also a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and the Max Roach Quintet.
The 2026 line-up of the Classic Vinyl series has already reissued a number of jazz gems this year, including Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers’ Free For All (1964), Thelonious Monk’s Genius Of Modern Music, Vol. 2, and J.J. Johnson’s The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Vol. 2. Other hard bop artists featured this year include Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, and more.
