The 1950s brought forth a contradiction as far as jazz composition was concerned: on one hand, more great writers of more great tunes than at any other time— and few composers are more highly regarded by musicians than trumpeter and occasional bandleader Kenny Dorham (1924­1972), who was honored in a six-night celebration last week at the Jazz Standard. But at the same time, the '50s were also when marathon solos began to take over— the composition itself was now relegated to the briefest of 32-bar "head" statements at the beginning and end of each tune. When you celebrate Dorham the composer, are you re-creating full orchestrations the way you would with Ellington, or are you merely... More >>>