Lee Morgan (10 July 1938 - 19 February 1972) was an American hard-bop jazz … Read Full Bio ↴Lee Morgan (10 July 1938 - 19 February 1972) was an American hard-bop jazz trumpeter.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Morgan was a jazz prodigy, joining the Dizzy Gillespie big band at 18, remaining a member for two years. In 1956 he began recording as a leader, mainly for the Blue Note label; eventually he recorded twenty-five albums for the company. Morgan's principal influence as a player was Clifford Brown, having had direct contact with him before Brown's premature death.
He was also a featured sideman on several early Hank Mobley records, and John Coltrane's Blue Train. Joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1958 further developed his talent as a soloist and writer. He toured with Blakey for a few years, and was featured on Moanin, which is probably Blakey's best known recording. When Benny Golson left the Jazz Messengers, Morgan persuaded Blakey to hire Wayne Shorter, a young tenor saxophonist, to fill the chair. This classic version of the Jazz Messengers, including Bobby Timmons and Jymie Merritt would record the classic The Freedom Rider album.
Morgan tried to move in to the more advanced areas of the music in the early 1960s. He left the Jazz Messengers in 1961, struggling with heroin addiction, managing to kick his habit in his hometown. He returned to the music scene after a two-year absence, playing on Grachan Moncur III's essentially avant-garde Evolution album (his favourite work), and experimenting on some of his own recordings such as the title track of Search for the New Land (1964), but the popularity of his famous album, The Sidewinder, featuring Joe Henderson precluded his career developing in this way.
The title track of that record cracked the pop charts in 1964 and served as the background theme for Chrysler commercials during the World Series. The Sidewinder's crossover success in a rapidly changing pop music market caused Blue Note to rush the track's "Boogaloo" sound to market. This is evidenced in the mid-60s output of many Blue Note stars, including Morgan, and some of the lesser artists in the stable, releasing albums with modified and rythmically punchy blues tracks, such as "Yes I Can, No You Can't" on Morgan's own The Gigolo. In 1964 Morgan rejoined the Jazz Messengers, after his successor Freddie Hubbard departed, which had now become a sextet with the addition of Curtis Fuller to the group.
Alongside this commercial success, Morgan continued to record prolifically, producing such works as Search For the New Land which reached the top 20 of the R&B charts. His work became increasingly more modal and free towards the end of the sixties. He had begun to lead his own group, featuring Bernie Maupin as a multi-reedist.
Lee Morgan was murdered by his common-law wife, Helen More, with whom he was breaking up, following an argument between sets at Slug's, a popular New York City jazz club.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Morgan was a jazz prodigy, joining the Dizzy Gillespie big band at 18, remaining a member for two years. In 1956 he began recording as a leader, mainly for the Blue Note label; eventually he recorded twenty-five albums for the company. Morgan's principal influence as a player was Clifford Brown, having had direct contact with him before Brown's premature death.
He was also a featured sideman on several early Hank Mobley records, and John Coltrane's Blue Train. Joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1958 further developed his talent as a soloist and writer. He toured with Blakey for a few years, and was featured on Moanin, which is probably Blakey's best known recording. When Benny Golson left the Jazz Messengers, Morgan persuaded Blakey to hire Wayne Shorter, a young tenor saxophonist, to fill the chair. This classic version of the Jazz Messengers, including Bobby Timmons and Jymie Merritt would record the classic The Freedom Rider album.
Morgan tried to move in to the more advanced areas of the music in the early 1960s. He left the Jazz Messengers in 1961, struggling with heroin addiction, managing to kick his habit in his hometown. He returned to the music scene after a two-year absence, playing on Grachan Moncur III's essentially avant-garde Evolution album (his favourite work), and experimenting on some of his own recordings such as the title track of Search for the New Land (1964), but the popularity of his famous album, The Sidewinder, featuring Joe Henderson precluded his career developing in this way.
The title track of that record cracked the pop charts in 1964 and served as the background theme for Chrysler commercials during the World Series. The Sidewinder's crossover success in a rapidly changing pop music market caused Blue Note to rush the track's "Boogaloo" sound to market. This is evidenced in the mid-60s output of many Blue Note stars, including Morgan, and some of the lesser artists in the stable, releasing albums with modified and rythmically punchy blues tracks, such as "Yes I Can, No You Can't" on Morgan's own The Gigolo. In 1964 Morgan rejoined the Jazz Messengers, after his successor Freddie Hubbard departed, which had now become a sextet with the addition of Curtis Fuller to the group.
Alongside this commercial success, Morgan continued to record prolifically, producing such works as Search For the New Land which reached the top 20 of the R&B charts. His work became increasingly more modal and free towards the end of the sixties. He had begun to lead his own group, featuring Bernie Maupin as a multi-reedist.
Lee Morgan was murdered by his common-law wife, Helen More, with whom he was breaking up, following an argument between sets at Slug's, a popular New York City jazz club.
Take Twelve
Lee Morgan Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Lee Morgan:
Candy Some say that love is sweet as a rose, Some say…
Lady Lady Hear me tonight Cause my feeling Is just so right A…
Latin Hangover I got a hangover, whoa! I′ve been drinking too much for…
Little T Why do you hate us? I don't hate you You gettin' up…
Rio Vai coração doente Veja que tem na frente Olhos que querem…
The Lady Lady Hear me tonight Cause my feeling Is just so right A…
You Go To My Head You go to my head And you linger like a haunting…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Ramakumar Jones
Notice how different the groove is on this recording with Barry Harris playing the piano-as opposed to a different recording of Lee Morgan's: "Straight , No Chaser", on which John Hicks plays the piano. Barry's groove is much more relaxed than John Hick's. The more relaxed rhythmic feeling allows me to feel and to enjoy the music more deeply. Rama Kumar
JazzTube
Review 1/1
These are days of abundance for the trumpet in modern jazz, with both Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie at something like a peak of resurgence and with a whole host of younger men — including the star of this album — now safely past the "promising" stage and well along towards acceptance as seasoned artists.
Thus it may be hard to recall that, as comparatively recently as the early 1950s, the instrument was in the midst of an especially lean period. Fats Navarro had died; Dizzy was trying to make it with a "commercial" group; Miles was battling himself. There was a wealth of young saxophonists, but no new trumpet hopefuls were in sight. Then along came such as Art Farmer, Thad Jones and Clifford Brown. Before his untimely death in an automobile accident in 1956, Brownie in particular reached an exceedingly high level of both performance and popularity, and seemed to have a revitalizing effect on younger trumpeters. Or perhaps it was just that the time was right for a new cycle. In any event, in the middle and late '50s one suddenly could take notice of a wave of impressive young horn men, including such as Donald Byrd, Nat Adderley, Blue Mitchell, and Lee Morgan. By the '60s, these players were all established personalities; in addition, Gillespie and Davis had reasserted themselves; and the trumpet was once more in good shape.
Among the first members of this new wave to make a really big splash was Morgan. Perhaps because it was as far back as 1956 when he first joined Dizzy's big band and immediately landed some feature spots and a good deal of attention, some people look on him now as practically a graybeard. It is true that in terms of experience, both in clubs and on records, Lee is something of a veteran. But when "Take Twelve" was recorded, he was only 24. For when he first sat in Dizzy's trumpet section, Morgan was just 18!
Lee's talent belied his age, and he handled his assignment well until that band broke up in January of 1958. The experience gained with Diz was clearly valuable, but it wasn't until he became part of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, in September '58, that Lee really began to come into his own. Like most young men of his time, he had obviously listened closely to Clifford Brown, and the Gillespie period was clearly influence-creating, but it was also plain that this was a man with a way of his own. His characteristic soaring and fiery flights were tempered with tender ballad statements, demonstrating that his capabilities lay in both hot and sweet directions.
This is Morgan's first recording as a leader since leaving Blakey in the Summer of 1961. He exhibits both of his playing attitudes; but there is also evidence of new thinking, of a more pensive bent to even his most powerful blowing. Lee would seem to have arrived at one of those points in a man's artistic life where change, perceptible even if not obvious, takes place.
The four who help Morgan to make this quintet are all well known to lazzland-Riverside listeners. The lyrical piano of Barry Harris and the full-toned tenor of Clifford Jordan have been heard in leading and in supporting roles on both labels. Lou Hayes, of course, is one of the important cogs in the Cannonball Adderley organization. Bassist Bob Cranshaw, who was with Sonny Rollins for quite some time, is currently with Jazzland's Junior Mance. Instrumentation and orientation here gives more than a suggestion of the Messengers and also of Horace Silver's group (both Jordan and Hayes played with Horace), but although it's in the same general area, there are differences.
All but one item of the material explored here are originals coming from within the group (four by Morgan, one by Jordan), with the title tune being the work of pianist and provocative composer Elmo Hope. All six numbers have in common a deceptive simplicity, for each has a definite tendency to grow in interest with each hearing.
Raggedy Ann, the opener, is a blues chant, with Haves and Cranshaw doubling the time. Louis' locomotive cymbals are especially persuasive as the soloists work against this meter and then, for release of tension, swing into straight 4/4. In the tender, reverent A Waltz /or Fran, Morgan's sweet tone and Jordan's heart-searching sound are complemented by Harris' sensitive piano.
Both of Lee's other numbers are in a minor vein. Lee-sure Time is a blues with a punching theme and strongly emotional blowing by both horns; Second's Best, a 32-bar structure, is highlighted by Harris' blithe, subtle solo, with Hayes "tippin' light" behind him.
The drummer again shows his acknowledged debt to Kenny Clarke in his accompaniment for the soloists on Jordan's Little Spain, a tuneful line that dips and twists artfully through some pleasing changes. Cranshaw has a deep-toned solo spot here. Hope's harmonically arresting Take Twelve is full of little surprises. Thus, like most of the writing of this highly individualistic composer, it offers challenges (a great many modern musicians greatly enjoy wrestling with the challenges Elmo provides) that keep the soloists on their toes and draw forth thinking performances from all.
This is, plainly, an album fundamentally to be classed in the "blowing date" category. It is customary to describe such dates, a little condescendingly even if approvingly, as "unpretentious". But insofar as that word suggests a pleasant-but-mild outing, I rebel against using it this time. There is too much going on here for that: too much creative tending to business in the solos and in the 'comping, too much that is attractive and unhackneyed in the writing. Besides, it is definitely an album that can — to return to the theme with which I opened these notes — be used to prove that, because of work like this by Lee Morgan and others, that basic jazz instrument, the trumpet, is once again in good hands.
—Ira Gitler