Lee Morgan

[Milestones]

How about some thoughts on Lee Morgan?

I know a lot of us are big fans of Blue Note in the glory years, and Lee Morgan was certainly a big contributor--with some good stuff already in the 50's when he was a teenager all the way up to the end of his brief life in 1972. I used to be a big Freddie Hubbard fan (and I still am), and Hubs was all over Blue Note (and other labels), though more as sideman than leader. With Morgan, I do like many of his records, though he probably never shifted much toward the avant garde, unlike Hubbard and so many others. There are exceptions, such as the title track of Search for the New Land.

I really like Tom Cat, which sat in the can for many years despite the fine tunes and the presence of Jackie McLean, Curtis Fuller, and Art Blakey. It's probably a draw between trumpeters when considering their work with the Messengers.

I am still in something of a discovery mode. Morgan sure did put out a lot of work on Blue Note.

Edited February 2, 2013 by Milestones

[danasgoodstuff]

If you want more adventuresome Lee Morgan, there's Grachan Monchur's Evolution, Larry Young's Mother Ship, and his own two last albums.

[Milestones]

I do have the title track of "Evolution," and I like it a lot.

[Milestones]

And "Monk in Wonderland" as well.

[Clunky]

Morgan was a fine player. I too like many of his recordings and he wrote some excellent tunes. Ultimately his BN is a bit uneven. SFNL. Is perhaps his best but " Procrastinator" is also damn fine. Regarding avantgarde dates do check out Grachan Moncur's "Evolution".

[StarThrower]

I like Search For The New Land, and Gigolo. And the Moncur album is great! I've always liked his tune Ceora, but never picked up Cornbread.

[Milestones]

I'd say his two most beautiful ballads are "Ceora" and "Twilight Mist."

[jlhoots]

Sonic Boom

[BFrank]

He did a lot of great work with the Jazz Messengers as well as side work with Wayne Shorter, Hank Mobley and Jackie McLean. Don't forget the classic "Blue Trane".

[John L]

I like Search For The New Land, and Gigolo. And the Moncur album is great! I've always liked his tune Ceora, but never picked up Cornbread.

Cornbread is actually one of my favorites. No, it has no leanings to the Avant Garde. But so what?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I don't know about Lee Morgan. Fine player and I have quite a bit of stuff by him or with him, but I can't truly get along with him. I think he's too intense. Back in the days when my wife actually used to listen to my records, she once said that black musicians and singers didn't try hard enough to project energy; this while I was playing Sonny Criss (!) But I think I know what she meant and I think Lee Morgan was one who DID try too hard. Whenever I listen to Hank Mobley's 'Hi voltage', I'm so relieved that it's Blue not Lee on trumpet.

That said, there are some exceptions. 'Sonic boom' has already been mentioned. So has 'Search for the new land'. Another I like, where Lee seems more relaxed, is 'The sixth sense' and there's the great Frank Mitchell on that, too. Also 'The rajah'.

I really like the track 'Sidewinder', though I flogged the LP decades ago and never bothered to replace it, as it seemed like a one track album to me. I don't miss it, as I seem to keep hearing it as background to cooking, gardening & DIY TV programmes my wife watches and generaly rush into the lounge to catch a bit of it

MG

[.:.impossible]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Session_(album)

Milestones, keep an eye out for this album.

[Milestones]

I've heard about (more than heard) Lee's work near the end. I'm guessing he was moving toward a sound something like Bitches Brew. I don't know the case with Lee Morgan's late music, but I don't usually go for really long tracks (15-20 minutes) unless they are structured very creatively. "Search for the New Land" is a long piece that certainly works.

[tranemonk]

I love Lee. I have all his records. Even the (Correct BN) version of Live at the Lighthouse shows a serious difference than the Jazz Messengers Lee. I thought he was an outstanding trumpeter and a very good composer. His big band record is pretty good too.

[Guy Berger]

I like his post-1963 playing than his pre-1963 playing. But honestly, I am mostly interested in his albums for the compositions + saxophonists. Some wonderful Wayne Shorter on those!

[JETman]

Lee Morgan with the Benny Golson version of the Messengers on the Club St. Germain recordings is my favorite hands down.

[sidewinder]

Have been a very big fan since buying deletion copy Liberty cassettes of 'Sixth Sense' and 'Caramba' many moons ago (very cheap too - 50p each by mail order courtesy of 'Melody Maker'). Great poise and attack in his trumpet playing and always superb inner logic in his solos. The admiration for his playing remains undimished.

So many great sideman sessions come to mind but Lonnie Smith's 'Think', Larry Young's 'Mother Ship' and that session with Charles Earland ('Intensity') are particular favourites. Plus that great Grachan Moncur album of course.

Edited February 3, 2013 by sidewinder

[Simon8]

In my discothèque, The Big Beat, Moanin', A Night in Tunisia and Blue Train would certainly be lesser albums without him (or with Hubbard, i dare say).

I long thought that Sidewinder was a one-track wonder, but renewed listening showed the all-round greatness of the album (Morgan and Henderson: one formidable frontline).

One of my favorite, early solo of his is on the first track of Lee Morgan, vol. 3 (1957), "Hasaan's Dream", where he channels Clifford Brown, but with a sense of drama all his own.

[Milestones]

I think one of the best early albums was The Cooker, a quintet with Pepper Adams.

[jlhoots]

I like the album with C. Sharpe.

Also Lee plays All The Way on an album that's a great ballad rendition.

[Bluesnik]

But honestly, I am mostly interested in his albums for the compositions + saxophonists. Some wonderful Wayne Shorter on those!

And don't forget the Vee Jay sides of the young lions and others where he shines with Shorter. They were collegated into a Mosaic.

[colinmce]

Kind of surprised to see some of the cool reactions to Lee. Next to Miles, he is by far my favorite straight-ahead trumpet player of the late 50s/60s (with Art Farmer coming in a close third). Freddie Hubbard made some arresting music, but I find my ears kind of glazing over when I listen to Blue Mitchell, Donald Byrd, et al, but not so with Lee. There's always something interesting happening on his records. There are still a few I haven't heard, but each new one I pick up has something unique to offer me.

[JSngry]

Lee was a bad cat.

[.:.impossible]

I've heard about (more than heard) Lee's work near the end. I'm guessing he was moving toward a sound something like Bitches Brew. I don't know the case with Lee Morgan's late music, but I don't usually go for really long tracks (15-20 minutes) unless they are structured very creatively. "Search for the New Land" is a long piece that certainly works.

It does work, and on a much more basic level than his last record. Search is very repetitive in structure. I don't hear Bitches at all in Lee's last record.

[Gheorghe]

If I might keep only two of Morgan´s albums, it would be "The Cooker", and "Search of a New Land".