Lee Morgan V.3 [Import]

Lee Morgan, Wynton Kelly | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: EMI
• ASIN: B0000076HI
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,113,853 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Hasaan's Dream

2. Domingo

3. I Remember Clifford

4. Mesabi Chant

5. Tip-Toeing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unknown treasure. Maybe Morgan's greatest session !, September 1, 2002

By 

JEAN-MARIE JUIF (BESANCON France) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lee Morgan V.3 (Audio CD)

THis almost unknown session,which never was released neither in the USA or in Europe,may just be Lee Morgan's greatest record.And it's incredible to think that Lee recorded these tunes when he was only...19 years old! Born 1938,Lee quickly became the new star of trumpet,and he didn't live much longer than the two other stars of hard bop trumpet,Clifford Brown (died 25 years old) and Booker Little (22 y.o).He was murdered by a girlfriend,who shot him while he was playing in a NYC club,1972;he was 34.
Lee recorded extensively for Blue Note Records,under his own name,and with other Blue Note stars,mainly with Art Blakey.This truly magnificent session took place on March 24,1957.Besides Lee are Gigi Gryce on alto sax,Benny Golson on tenor,Wynton Kelly on piano,Paul Chambers on bass and Charlie Persip on drums.What a great band!!!The five tunes were written and arranged by Benny Golson (born 1929).Benny is really a very important tenor sax player,maybe simply a genius on this instrument.Be he also is one of the most talented writers in jazz.Mostly influenced by the Genius,Tadd Dameron,he wrote several immortal pieces like "I remember Clifford","along came Betty","out of the past","blues march","whisper not" or "stablemates",just to name a few.
His playing has strong influences of Hawkins and Webster.This record offers five of his compositions.Of course,there is the well known "I remember Clifford",written after Brownie's tragic death in a car crash,in which Bud Powell's brother,pianist Richie Powell,also died.A masterpiece.But there are also four unknown tunes by Benny: the oriental "Hasaan's dream",the story of "an imaginary arabian boy,who,after seeing the many wonderful things in a sultan's palace,goes back to his dwelling and dreams of these things",as Nat Hentoff's liner notes explain; the beautiful "Domingo", a typical hard bop theme,which reminds me so much of the atmosphere of the Jazz Messengers' music.Benny has a superlative solo here,followed by a great Morgan."Mesabi chant" is another beautiful melody.And "tip toeing" is a blues,a simple one,with some Kansas City influences.In fact,it just sounds like a Count Basie's blues.
I really don't know why this record has been forgotten;the japanese didn't,and reissued it several times,on LP and CD (I bought my CD issue some six or seven years ago).So,if you're in love with Lee Morgan's or Benny Golson's music,don't wait for a cheaper issue;this session is a gem in Lee's and Benny's careers,and also a great opportunity to listen to the rare Gigi Gryce.

5.0 out of 5 stars 1 album - 5 poets - 5 stars. Volume 3, July 11, 2007

By 

Jazzcat "stef" (Genoa, Italy Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lee Morgan V.3 (Audio CD)

Many titles from Lee Morgan have been for years available only in the very expensive japanese edition. Vol.3 from 1957 is one of the few that are still not available in the normal series (connossoir or van gelder)and so, if you want to own it, you have to pay the high japanese ticket. Well I did it. Luckly I'd add. Because this session is truly spectacular and one of the best from Lee. The line up is impressive: Gigi Gryce (alto sax), Benny Golson (tenor), Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (doublebass), Charlie Persip (drums). A who's who of late fifties and sixties hard bop. The opener is a splendid minor blues taken at a consistent tempo. Exceptional solos from all the guys. Wonderful. The second tune is Domingo, a fast hard bop romp with a very nice line, very melodical. And what can you say when you have this kind of musicians involved? Every cat shines! It's hard to choose a solo over another. They complement each other wonderfully. 9 minutes of hard bop how it should be played. This is the history of Jazz you know, it's hard to beat these cats. Lee's the leader name on the cover but this music is made by a fantastic group of musicians that are all stars. It's an all-stars combo de-facto. Very balanced. Every musician is a perfect soloist here. The third tune is the splendid Benny Golson's ballad "I remember Clifford", one of the loveliest ballads ever written by a jazz musician. It is dedicated to the memory of the wonderful trumpeter Clifford Brown. Lee used to play this tune with Art Blakey Jazz Messengers too. It's a very very beautiful version. Lee's phrasing is so complete and perfectly makes sense. His statements are really phrases, ... this album is a school in Jazz. It should be programmed night and day in Jazz schools. These guys are not only perfect players and instrumentalists. They are poets. This is the main difference between these fifties heroes and nowadays jazz stars. These fifties guys are true poets. Today we have good musicians. But very few poets. let's go back to Vol. 3. "Mesabi Chant" is another hard bop fast romp. It's line has an exotic flavour here and there, but when blowing time comes everything turn out to be pure hard bop, very familiar. The closing number "Tip Toeing" is a medium tempo melodic and bluesy infected tune (it's a common blues in the end). It's typical of Lee's album to have such tunes that balance the faster tracks. I prefer the speeders but it's a nice change of mood. In the end a note about the audiophile quality of the album. The sound of this remastered edition is very satisfying. Japaneses always do the things properly. Be sure, 40 dollars well spent.