Dorham was one of the most active bebop trumpeters. He played in the big bands of Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton and Mercer Ellington and the quintet of Charlie Parker. He was a charter member of the original cooperative Jazz Messengers. He also recorded as a sideman with Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins, and he replaced Clifford Brown in the Max Roach Quintet after Brown's death in 1956. In addition to sideman work, he led his own groups, including the Jazz Prophets (formed shortly after Art Blakey took over the Jazz Messengers name). The Jazz Prophets can be heard on the 1956 Blue Note live album Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia.
Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention from the jazz establishment that many of his peers did. For this reason, his name has become (in the words of writer Gary Giddins) "virtually synonymous with 'underrated.'"
During his final years Dorham suffered from kidney disease, of which he died.
It Might As Well Be Spring
Kenny Dorham Lyrics
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I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string
I'd say that I had spring fever
But I know it isn't spring
I am starry-eyed and vaguely discontented
Like a nightingale without a song to sing
Oh, why should I have Spring fever
I keep wishing I were somewhere else
Walking down a strange new street
Hearing words that I have never heard
From a girl I've yet to meet
I'm as busy as a spider spinning daydreams
I'm as giddy as a baby on a swing
I haven't seen a crocus or a rosebud or a robin on the wing
But I feel so gay in a melancholy way
That it might as well be spring
It might as well be spring
Kenny Dorham's song "It Might As Well Be Spring" talks about the restlessness and anticipation for change that one feels despite not being able to pinpoint the source of their restlessness. Throughout the song, the singer compares their feelings to the restlessness of nature and the joyfulness of children. They express their longing for something new yet unknown, such as walking down a new street and hearing new words from a girl they've yet to meet. Despite it not being spring, the singer feels both melancholic and gay.
The lyrics of the song touch upon themes of restlessness, hopefulness, and the unknown. The image of a willow tree in a windstorm and a puppet on a string emphasizes how the singer has no control over their emotions and is being tossed back and forth by them. The lines, "I'm as giddy as a baby on a swing" and "I haven't seen a crocus or a rosebud or a robin on the wing / But I feel so gay in a melancholy way" capture the essence of the singer's feelings, as they are both hopeful and yet aware of their own futility in controlling their emotions.
Furthermore, the song reflects upon the idea that hope and anticipation are important for people to keep moving forward in life, even if they are not sure what they are hoping for or why they are restless. There is a sense of freedom in not knowing what kind of change one wants or where they want to be, and this ambiguity gives them the chance to imagine limitless possibilities.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm
I am unable to find peace just like the willow tree that moves with the wind
I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string
I am nervous and agitated, like a marionette controlled by a string
I'd say that I had spring fever
I would admit to feeling excited and hopeful, like the onset of spring fever
But I know it isn't spring
But I am aware that the season has not changed yet, and it's not really spring
I am starry-eyed and vaguely discontented
I am feeling a mix of wonder and dissatisfaction, like a star-gazer who cannot find the right constellation
Like a nightingale without a song to sing
Just as a nightingale feels incomplete without a melody, I am feeling incomplete without something to aspire towards
Oh, why should I have Spring fever
Why do I feel so restless and exuberant like it was the start of spring
When it isn't even spring?
When it is still not the time of the year associated with those feelings
I keep wishing I were somewhere else
I am yearning for change and for a different place, somewhere different from where I am right now
Walking down a strange new street
I am looking forward to novel experiences, unfamiliar sights, and uncertain opportunities
Hearing words that I have never heard
I am hoping to listen to fresh truths, novel perspectives, and innovative ideas
From a girl I've yet to meet
I am looking for a new relationship or interaction that can provide me with unexpected insights
I'm as busy as a spider spinning daydreams
Although I am busy, just like the spider that is invigorated in its work of weaving its trap, I am lost in my own daydreams
I'm as giddy as a baby on a swing
I am excited and amused like a playful child on a swinging seat
I haven't seen a crocus or a rosebud or a robin on the wing
I have not yet witnessed the first signs of spring, typically associated with renewal and rebirth
But I feel so gay in a melancholy way
But I feel so happy and frivolous in a peculiarly melancholic way
That it might as well be spring
That it feels like spring season to me, despite it actually not being that time of the year yet
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Tratore
Written by: Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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