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.
My Heart Stood Still
Kenny Dorham Lyrics
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That's all I meant to do
And then my heart stood still
My feet could step and walk
My lips could move and talk
And yet my heart stood still
I could tell you knew
That unfelt clasp of hands
Told me so well you knew
I never lived at all
Until the thrill of that moment
When my heart stood still
I took one look at you
That's all I meant to do
And then my heart stopped right there
My feet could step and walk
My lips could move and talk
And yet my heart stood still
Though not a single word was spoken
I could tell you knew
That unfelt claps of hands
Told me so well you knew
I never lived at all
Until the thrill of that moment
When my heart stood still
The lyrics to Kenny Dorham's "My Heart Stood Still" tell the story of love at first sight. The singer of the song takes one look at someone and immediately their heart stops. Despite being able to walk and talk, the only thing that matters is the way their heart feels. The song beautifully captures the idea of pure, unadulterated love, where even though no words are spoken, the feelings are palpable. The singer understands that the person they are looking at understands how they feel, as an "unfelt clasp of hands told me so well you knew." The moment where their heart stands still is one of the most thrilling moments in their life. The song is a beautiful tribute to the idea of love being able to bring everything to a standstill, even if only for a moment.
Line by Line Meaning
I took one look at you
I saw you for the first time
That's all I meant to do
My intention was to just look once
And then my heart stood still
But you captured my heart in that one moment
My feet could step and walk
I still had control over my physical movements
My lips could move and talk
I could still speak and communicate
And yet my heart stood still
But emotionally, I was frozen and overwhelmed by my feelings
Though not a single word was spoken
We didn't need to say anything to understand each other
I could tell you knew
I sensed that you felt the same way
That unfelt clasp of hands
Even without physically touching, we had a connection
Told me so well you knew
It was clear to me how you felt
I never lived at all
Until that moment, my life felt incomplete
Until the thrill of that moment
It was a breathtaking and exhilarating experience
When my heart stood still
One look at you was all it took for me to be completely captivated
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LORENZ HART, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind