'Music of'...' series at Jazz Kitchen burgeons with Kent Hickey Quintet

Kent Hickey Quintet sails through Dorbam-Henderson.

One of the classic front lines in small group post-bop was surely Kenny Dorham and Joe Henderson. Trumpet-sax plus rhythm section was a durable combination from the 1940s bop revolution on. 

In the following decade, groups fronted by that trumpeter and tenor saxophonist achieved the smoothest blend of horns possible in unison and harmony alike. Yet each man established by his soloing that he could always put his signature on the music, thanks to the Blue Note label's receptivity and promotion.

On Tuesday night, a series of tribute shows to great jazz musicians of the past century continued with distinction. The Kent Hickey Quintet had that trumpeter in partnership with tenor saxophonist Sean Imboden to re-create the Dorham-Henderson magic. The rhythm section consisted of Shawn McGowan, piano; Jesse Wittman, bass, and Chelsea Hughey, drums. 

The first excitement came after the first chorus of "Una Mas" went down smoothly, building anticipation of great things to come. Hickey opened the first solo with a blistering break, and the heat was further applied when Imboden took his wide-ranging solo. He showed aspects of Henderson's comfort in all registers, without becoming complacent about it.

After telling the audience that he particularly admired Dorham's unique approach to harmony in his horn arrangements, the quintet illustrated that quality handsomely. The Henderson fondness for trills could have been in evidence a little more, but otherwise "Punjab" furthered the genuine tribute credentials of the show. Imboden's solo had Henderson's trait of nicely rounding the phrases, even when they became elaborate. 

Variety of color was displayed in "Black Narcissus," with muted trumpet accompaniment behind the tenor solo, and also in the way, during "Isotope," the rhythm section dropped out for a couple of choruses to let trumpet and sax weave an unaccompanied two-part invention. For extra measure, McGowan's solo dug into the blues nature of the tune in his second time through. 

Another famous piece from the Dorham-Henderson book, "Recorda Me," had its Latin style nimbly picked up in McGowan's solo. But the standout, my favorite part of the set, was the extraordinary rhythmic liveliness of Imboden's solo, which ascended to a Henderson level of distinctive verve. Then the challenge for Hickey was to make something just as interesting, and he came close in the way he selected melodic tidbits from the theme for our further delectation. 

"My Ideal" is a pop evergreen that provided a solo showcase for Hickey. His fine tone encompassed both cushiony and tart aspects. McGowan's solo showed the kind of sensitive ballad playing familiar from the work of Tommy Flanagan, a piano star of the post-war era who made some notable recordings with Henderson. "Serenity" showcased the strength and flexibility of the trumpeter's lower register, drawing complementary solos from McGowan and Wittman.

Dorham's "Lotus Blossom" closed out the set wonderfully, featuring hand-in-glove playing by unison horns in the theme. Hughey got her most notable exhibition in episodes laid out between short riff punctuations from trumpet and saxophone.  

The only departure from the set's announced theme was a bouncy, two-beat run-through of "Happy Birthday" addressed to Alex Shanafelt, wbo was celebrating in the audience, taking in his 9ollective partner's knowledgeable quintet salute. Further features in 'The Music of" series already in place will honor Kenny Garrett, Weather Report, and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. It's a series that will be welcomed in each iteration when it's treated so well as it was in "The Music of Joe Henderson and Kenny Dorham." 

[Photo by Rob Ambrose]