The Sidewinder

Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder (1963) {Blue Note Japan, CP32-5236, Early Press rel 1986 - direct from original master}
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© 1963, 1986 Blue Note / EMI Japan | CP32-5236 | direct from original master
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet

A jazz classic if there ever was one – and the best-selling album ever by Lee Morgan, thanks to the use of the title track in a car commercial! Sure, you've probably heard "The Sidewinder" enough that you think you know the album already – but the rest of the tunes really open up past that groover, into a realm of lyrical, soulful playing that's simply tremendous! The group on the record features Joe Henderson on tenor, Barry Harris on piano, Bob Crenshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the album rolls along with a sense of perfect power that is every bit Blue Note at its best!

Carried by its almost impossibly infectious eponymous opening track, The Sidewinder helped foreshadow the sounds of boogaloo and soul-jazz with its healthy R&B influence and Latin tinge. While the rest of the album retreats to a more conventional hard bop sound, Morgan's compositions are forward-thinking and universally solid. Only 25 at the time of its release, Morgan was accomplished (and perhaps cocky) enough to speak of mentoring the great Joe Henderson, who at 26 was just beginning to play dates with Blue Note after getting out of the military. Henderson makes a major contribution to the album, especially on "Totem Pole," where his solos showed off his singular style, threatening to upstage Morgan, who is also fairly impressive here. Barry Harris, Bob Cranshaw, and Billy Higgins are all in good form throughout the album as well, and the group works together seamlessly to create an album that crackles with energy while maintaining a stylish flow.

Carried by its almost impossibly infectious eponymous opening track, The Sidewinder helped foreshadow the sounds of boogaloo and soul-jazz with its healthy R&B influence and Latin tinge. While the rest of the album retreats to a more conventional hard bop sound, Morgan's compositions are forward-thinking and universally solid. Only 25 at the time of its release, Morgan was accomplished (and perhaps cocky) enough to speak of mentoring the great Joe Henderson, who at 26 was just beginning to play dates with Blue Note after getting out of the military. Henderson makes a major contribution to the album, especially on "Totem Pole," where his solos showed off his singular style, threatening to upstage Morgan, who is also fairly impressive here. Barry Harris, Bob Cranshaw, and Billy Higgins are all in good form throughout the album as well, and the group works together seamlessly to create an album that crackles with energy while maintaining a stylish flow.

Lee Morgan - Live At The Lighthouse (1970) {3CD Set Blue Note CDP 724383522828}
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© 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 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 ~

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.