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5.0 out of 5 stars
Lee Morgan - Complete Blue Note Lee Morgan Fifties Sessions (1956-58), April 21, 2008
This review is from: The Complete Blue Note Lee Morgan Fifties Sessions (Audio CD)
Lee Morgan - Complete Blue Note Lee Morgan Fifties Sessions (1956-58)
Lee Morgan recorded for Blue Note in the late '50s, playing seven dates between 1956 and 1958. Morgan was still in his teens at the time and half of the joy of The Complete Blue Note Lee Morgan Fifties Sessions is hearing the trumpeter develop at a rapid rate. The four-disc box set The Complete Blue Note encompasses sessions with Horace Silver, Paul Chambers, Benny Golson, Wynton Kelly, Sonny Clarke, Doug Watkins, and Art Taylor. Morgan may have been young at the time these were recorded, but he was impressive even at the beginning, playing blistering hard bop and lyrical ballads with equal ease. He may have gone on to record greater, more influential albums but this music remains exciting, vital, and simply joyous.
Tracks:
CD1:
1. Gaza Strip 3:57
2. Reggie of Chester 4:55
3. Little T 8:24
4. Little T [alternate Take] 8:10
5. Stand By 5:51
6. Roccus 8:18
7. The Lady 6:47
8. Latin Hangover 6:45
9. Whisper Not 7:21
10. His Sister 6:30
CD2:
11. D's Fink 7:44
12. Slightly Hep 6:28
13. Where Am I? 5:50
14. Hasaan's Dream 8:44
15. I Remember Clifford 7:09
16. Mesabi Chant 6:11
17. Tip-Toeing [alternate Take] 6:42
18. Tip-Toeing [alternate Take] 6:43
19. Domingo 9:19
CD3:
20. Just by Myself 9:26
21. City Lights 5:46
22. You're Mine You 6:03
23. Temp de Waltz 6:24
24. Kin Folks 9:45
25. Just One of Those Things [alternate Take] 7:52
26. Just One of Those Things 7:17
27. Heavy Dipper 7:06
CD4:
28. A Night in Tunisia 9:24
29. Lover Man 6:52
30. New-Ma 8:16
31. Since I Fell for You 5:36
32. Personality 6:15
33. All at Once, You Love Her 5:29
34. Who Do You Love, I Hope 4:59
35. Candy 7:04
36. C. T. A. 5:06
37. All the Way 7:22
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Early Lee Morgan, February 11, 2012
This review is from: The Complete Blue Note Lee Morgan Fifties Sessions (Audio CD)
~ A description of Lee Morgan's tragically short career reads like a classic Greek tragedy. Given his first trumpet at age 12, by age 14 he was sitting in with famous professional jazz musicians. By age 18 he was a featured soloist in Dizzy Gillespie's band and had landed a recording contract with Blue Note records. By age 34 he was dead; murdered by his wife while performing in a club. Between ages 18 and 34 he had periods of early fame, drug related obscurity, and a triumphant return to even greater fame. The recordings presented in this box set cover his initial period of fame as a band leader with six sessions recorded between 4 November 1956 and 2 February 1958. During this time, Lee's phenomenal rise to prominence warranted that he be leader of these sessions, despite being younger and less experienced than the other artists on these sessions.
~ The four CDs contain 37 tracks that were initially released on six albums. Album titles and personnel on each recording are as follows:
~ "
Indeed!" = Morgan (trumpet), Clarence Sharp (as), Horace Silver (p), Wilbur Ware (b), Philly Joe Jones (d); recorded 4 November 1956.
~ "
Volume 2: Sextet" = Morgan (trumpet), Kenny Rogers (as), Hank Mobley (ts), Horace Silver (p), Paul Chambers (b), Charlie Persip (d); recorded 2 December 1956.
~ "
Volume 3" = Morgan (trumpet), Gigi Gryce (as, fl), Benny Golson (ts), Wynton Kelly (p), Paul Chambers (b), Charlie Persip (d); recorded 242 March 1957.
~ "
City Lights" = Morgan (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (tbn), George Coleman (ts, as), Ray Bryant (p), Paul Chambers (b), Art Taylor (d); recorded 25 August 1957.
~ "
Cooker" = Morgan (trumpet), Pepper Adams (bari), Bobby Timmons (p), Paul Chambers (b), Philly Joe Jones (d); recorded 29 September 1957.
~ "
Candy" = Morgan (trumpet), Sonny Clark (p), Doug Watkins (b), Art Taylor (d); recorded 18 November 1957 & 2 February 1958.
~ The music throughout the collection is hard bop along the lines of the Jazz Messengers of the late 1950's. While all of the participants make valuable contributions to each of the recordings, it is clear that Lee Morgan is the star. These recordings show how Lee had assimilated the styles of Fats Navarro, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie to create his own unique voice.
~ Like all Mosaic box sets, this one is a model for box set packaging. The four CDs are packaged in a 12x12 box with a Francis Wolff photograph on the front. The box contains extensively researched and well-written notes by Bob Blumenthal in a beautiful 16 page booklet supplemented with the excellent photography of Francis Wolff. In addition to putting these recordings in proper historic perspective, the author includes session-by-session details and track-by-track analysis of the music along with complete details regarding recording date and personnel. This Mosaic set was limited to 5000 copies, which sold out quickly. Like many Mosaic sets, this one now sells for many times it's original price because jazz collectors place such a high value of Mosaic box sets for their packaging and excellent sound quality.
~ Highly recommended for the music and the collectors edition value.
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