Customer Reviews

The Procrastinator

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

the rhythm section on this miraculous set of music is simply the best on any morgan album i've heard....Carter, Hancock, and Shorter aided in this recording in the midst of their own Nefertiti sessions with (miles)Davis, if that gives any indication of the kind of mix going on here...Carter's unique voice on the bass is perhaps more audible on this album than others(his interactions with soloists, especially with Shorter, on 'Stopstart'is quite simply disturbing)

But the quality of the actual recording of Procrastinator allows the same to be said for all...Hutcherson and Hancock are like two sides of a coin while Higgins is as usual infectious...

Morgan seems lofted by this stellar cast to some of his best work...

Worthy of note is the fact that Procrastinator is the last recorded display of a certain chemistry shared between Morgan and Shorter which began with their sharing the front line in Blakey's Jazz Messengers(the first recording of this union is Art Blakey's 'Africaine')....Shorter contributes two originals(Dear Sir and Rio)which not only seem to sincerely enhance the total character of 'Procrastinator' - as if they were written specifically for the project and its parameters - but stand quite tall amongst Shorter's own compositional cannon(any fan of Shorter's extraterrestrial writing abilities should perk up at such a statement)...

yet despite the obvious caliber of individual musicians present, there seems to be something uncanny, a.k.a. VERY special, about the sustained mood and sound of Procrastinator as a total project that is not often encountered...LISTEN to this album(particularly 'Stopstart' at high volume)and lose some sonic virginity!

I agree with the other reviewers here. This 1967 set does not get the credit it deserves in the standard jazz guides. I'm a big Lee Morgan fan, and I think this is one of his best. It ranks with "Search for the New Land" and "Sidewinder." Morgan's playing is right on; his tone is as full and rich as on any of his recordings. The compositions (four by Morgan and two by Wayne Shorter) are excellent. And consider the band: Wayne Shorter, ts; Bobby Hutcherson, vb; Herbie Hancock, p; Ron Carter, b; Billy Higgins, d. This music first appeared as half of a two-record set issued in the late 1970s (the album was also titled "The Procrastinator" and included a session from 1969). The current CD release is part of Blue Note's Connoisseur series, and once its sold out it may not appear again for some time. If you're any kind of Morgan fan, or a fan of 1960s hard bop, get it while you can!!!

It is a shame that an album like this would be overlooked and placed as a limited edition Blue Note album. Every song on this album is unique in their own little way and they are all truly brilliant. The line-up is enough to just go get this album, including Bobby Hutcherson, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Billy Higgins, Ron Carter,and of course Lee Morgan. This album mixes a little ballad with a lot of post bop, bluesy material. If you are familiar with Lee Morgan and his earlier work such as Leeway and Sidewinder, you should really check this album out. If not, I recommend strongly checking out stuff he did with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers such as Moanin', or an earlier Lee album like Leeway. But anyways The Procrastinator should have not procrastinated this long. This is a masterpiece.

Well, as good as this session was, Blue Note did not hear a hit, so they decided to let it sit in the valuts 15 years. Then they re-release it in the 90's as a limited edition. The good news is that is still available. The sound is much influenced by Miles great quintet, and Lee sounds a bit restrained. Its similar to "Search for the new Land" but not as good. Still, a very nice album.

Procrastinator is a must have for any jazz collection. It's simply one of the best jazz recordings of the 1960s.

From the late 1950s to his death in 1972, Lee Morgan was one of the leading trumpet players in jazz. He played with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers before embarking on a solo career in 1962. I've got nearly all his recordings and Procrastinator is, by far, my favourite Lee Morgan album.

Procrastinator was a session date for Blue Note Records recorded at Rudy van Gelder's studio on 14 July 1967. Sidemen included Wayne Shorter (Weather Report) on tenor sax, Ron Carter (Miles Davis group) on bass, Herbie Hancock on piano and Billy Higgins on drums.

Surprisingly, Procrastinator was not released until nearly 20 years after it was recorded; it sat overlooked and forgotten in Blue Note's vault until the late 80s.

Don't make Blue Note's mistake of overlooking this recording. If you're a jazz fan, this is an essential recording for your CD collection.

It is a shame that an album like this would be overlooked and placed as a limited edition Blue Note album. Every song on this album is unique in their own little way and they are all truly brilliant. The line-up is enough to just go get this album, including Bobby Hutcherson, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Billy Higgins, Ron Carter,and of course Lee Morgan. This album mixes a little ballad with a lot of post bop, bluesy style. If you are familiar with Lee Morgan and his earlier work such as Leeway and Sidewinder, you should really check this album out. If not, I recommend strongly checking out stuff he did with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers such as Moanin', or an earlier Lee album like Leeway. But anyways The Procrastinator should have not procrastinated this long. This is a masterpiece.

I picked this CD up on a whim last year and was stunned. This album is absolutely fantastic. All compositions are by Shorter or Morgan, including "Dear Sir" which is worth the price of the album alone. If you like jazz at all, pick this one up. You won't be disappointed.

In deferrence to my fellow reviewers, I too give this music five stars. Lee Morgan, had he not taken the infamous bullet slug at Slugs in 1972, would surely be regarded as one of the greatest of all jazz trumpet players. His tone, creativity, and the linear quality of his improvisations made him the true successor to the astounding Clifford Brown. However, just as with Clifford, the question remains as to what we lost. In the case of this recording, we lost half of what Blue Note released in the original release of 1978. The original vinyl release included a wonderful session recorded in 1969 featuring among others Julien Priester on trombone and George Coleman on sax. Shame on Blue Note for excluding the second half of The Procrastinator. Having played the original numerous times in my fledgling attempts to capture Lee' s phrasing in my own playing, I was hoping to get a CD to replace my vinyl. Guess not. Wake up, Blue Note, and release the second half of this great record! Five stars to Lee Morgan. Two-and-a-half stars to Blue Note.

If you have a few of Lee's CD's already, this won't dissappoint either. The title track is played first. It starts out like a melodic call then the whole band joins in, a young looking Herbie Hancock is on hand on the piano. This is wonderful music for contemplation because each peice is at least six minutes long, giving one to meld into the improv and tap to the beckoning beat. It is never overdone, it's just right. It's also worth while to read the liner notes written by Bob Blumenthal in 1976. It's very informative and helps with your understanding on what it took to make this music. I appreciate it more so because, I am kinda new to classic jazz and loving it. Make this part of your growing Lee Morgan collection.

Procrastinator is a must have for any jazz collection. It's simply one of the best jazz recordings of the 1960s.

From the late 1950s to his death in 1972, Lee Morgan was one of the leading trumpet players in jazz. He played with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers before embarking on a solo career in 1962. I've got many his recordings and Procrastinator is, by far, my favourite Lee Morgan album of the 1962 - 1972 period.

Procrastinator was a session date for Blue Note Records recorded at Rudy van Gelder's studio on 14 July 1967. Sidemen included Wayne Shorter (later in Weather Report) on tenor sax, Ron Carter (Miles Davis group and later a successful solo career) on bass, Herbie Hancock (who went on to a successful solo career)on piano and Billy Higgins (a leading seesion player)on drums.

Surprisingly, Procrastinator was not released until nearly 20 years after it was recorded; it sat overlooked and forgotten in Blue Note's vault until the late 80s.

Don't make Blue Note's mistake of overlooking this recording. If you're a jazz fan, this is an essential recording for your collection.