Profile of Lee Morgan on Famous Like Me

Lee Morgan (born July 10, 1938 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-died February 19, 1972 in New York City) was a hard bop trumpeter.

Life and career

Morgan was a jazz prodigy, joining the Dizzy Gillespie big band at 18, remaining a member for two years. Beginning 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 principle influence as a player was Clifford Brown, having direct contact with him before Brown's premature passing.

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 an album (reissued as) 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.

Morgan tried to move in to the more advanced areas of the music in the early 1960s, 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 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.

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.

Discography

As Leader

• 1956 Indeed!
• 1957 Candy
• 1957 Lee Morgan, Volume 3
• 1960 Expoobident
• 1960 Here's Lee Morgan
• 1960 Leeway
• 1962 Take Twelve
• 1963 The Sidewinder
• 1964 Search for the New Land
• 1965 Cornbread
• 1965 The Gigolo
• 1965 The Rumproller
• 1966 Charisma
• 1966 Delightfulee
• 1967 Sonic Boom
• 1967 The Procrastinator
• 1967 The Sixth Sense
• 1968 Caramba!
• 1968 Taru
• 1969 Lee Morgan Sextet
• 1970 Live at the Lighthouse

With Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers

• 1957 Theory of Art
• 1958 Drums Around the Corner
• 1958 Moanin'
• 1959 Africaine
• 1959 At the Jazz Corner of the World
• 1959 Paris Jam Session
• 1960 A Night in Tunisia
• 1960 Like Someone in Love
• 1960 Meet You at the Jazz Corner of the World
• 1960 Roots & Herbs
• 1960 The Big Beat
• 1961 A Day with Art Blakey
• 1961 Impulse!!! Art Blakey!!! Jazz Messengers!!!
• 1961 The Freedom Rider
• 1961 The Witch Doctor
• 1961 Tokyo 1961
• 1964 'S Make It
• 1964 Indestructible
• 1965 Soul Finger

With Hank Mobley

• 1956 The Jazz Message of Hank Mobley
• 1958 Peckin' Time
• 1963 No Room for Squares
• 1963 Straight No Filter
• 1966 A Slice of the Top

With Jimmy Smith

• 1957 House Party
• 1958 The Sermon!

With Wayne Shorter

• 1959 Introducing Wayne Shorter
• 1960 The Young Lions
• 1964 Night Dreamer

With Andrew Hill

• 1968 Grass Roots
• 1970 Lift Every Voice

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