The Sidewinder

"The Sidewinder" is a 1964 album by jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood, New Jersey.
The Penguin Guide to Jazz selected this album as part of its suggested "Core Collection" (with a crown) calling the title track "a glorious 24-bar theme as sinuous and stinging as the beast of the title. It was both the best and worst thing that was ever to happen to Morgan before the awful events of 19 February 1972."

Lee Morgan - Live At The Lighthouse (1970) {3CD Set Blue Note CDP 724383522828}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.08 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 432 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 38 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1970, 1996 Blue Note / Capitol Records / EMI | CDP 7243 8 35228 2 8
Jazz / Modal Music / Post Bop / Trumpet

This three-CD set from Blue Note expands trumpeter Lee Morgan's original two-LP set from four selections to 12. Morgan's music had become much more modal by this time, heavily influenced by John Coltrane, although some of the previously unissued numbers (including a remake of his popular "The Sidewinder") are a bit more straight-ahead. Bennie Maupin (on tenor, bass clarinet, and flute) is in peak form and the rhythm section (pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Jymie Merritt, and drummer Mickey Roker) is alert and creative. All of the songs are group originals, including two by Morgan (on his "Speedball," Jack DeJohnette sits in on drums), five by Maupin, three by Mabern, and two from Merritt. Stimulating and frequently exciting music from late in Lee Morgan's short life.

The Gene Harris Quartet was quite consistent in its many Concord recordings of the 1990s. The group on this disc (pianist Harris, guitarist Ron Eschete, bassist Luther Hughes, and drummer Paul Humphrey) performs soulful and bluesy versions of such songs as "I Remember You", "The Brotherhood of Man", Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder", and even "September Song". All of Harris' records from this era are easily recommended to fans of soul-jazz, soulful hard bop, and blues-oriented jazz.

Granted, a single-disc overview of Blue Note's finest recordings can't help but offer listeners more than a myopic view of the label's true scope, but for jazz neophytes, this nine-track collection will undoubtedly serve as a tantalizing taste of the company's riches. The song selection, though lacking few surprises, is consistently wonderful – how could a disc featuring John Coltrane's "Blue Train," Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage," Horace Silver's "Song for My Father" and Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder" be anything but? – and purists' complaints aside, for new fans it's a solid introduction to the Blue Note magic.

Turn up the volume! While the first “Fahrt ins Blaue” (journey into the blue/unknown) album from ACT in 2016 offered classy songs for chilling, a great place just to hang out and relax, the new album “FiB II - groovin' in the spirit of jazz” leads us straight out onto the dance floor. From the moment it opens up, with funky jazz, gritty blues and bucketloads of soul, this compilation sets the tone for a night of partying.

The Best Blue Note Album in the World Ever may boast a silly title, but it's hard to argue with what's on this double-disc sampler. Not all of the label's greatest artists are here, but everything is representative, showing how hard bop like John Coltrane's "Blue Train" and Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder" coexisted with soul-jazz from Grant Green ("Born to Be Blue"), Jimmy Smith ("Back at the Chickenshack"), and Horace Silver ("Song for My Father"). It is true that US3's "Cantaloop" sounds distinctly out of place here and that the latter-day stuff, no matter how good it is, isn't quite as magical as the classic era, but there's no denying that The Best Blue Note Album in the World Ever provides a lot of bang for the buck. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine ~