Customer Reviews

Sidewinder (W/1 Bonus Track)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although all knowledgeable jazz fans know about Lee Morgan, had he not been murdered over thirty years ago, it is likely that today his name would be as recognizable in popular culture as that of Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. He was a superbly fine player who made consistently strong sides in the 60s for Blue Note and Vee Jay, among other labels. Whether as a leader or a sideman, his musical contributions were extremely formidable and should be deeply investigated by any jazz fan or students of the trumpet.

"The Sidewinder" is perhaps Morgan's best known recording, and it is indeed a good listen. The recording also features Joe Henderson (tenor), Barry Harris (piano), Billy Higgins (drums), and Bob Cranshaw (bass). The main title track that opens the recording is a pretty well-known, funky vamp that is so catchy that it is easy to miss the fine interplay between Henderson and Morgan throughout the track. The remaining tracks on the recording are a little more in the hard bop vein and really showcase Morgan's underrated skills as a composer--it should be noted that all of the tracks on the recording were written by Lee Morgan. As with the case of Hank Mobley, Morgan should be given a lot more credit for crafting intricate jazz compositions. They are excellent, particularly the gorgeous "Totem Pole" which features beautiful improvisational interludes, novel changes, and a tight, melodic head.

Basically, this is not a bad place to start a Lee Morgan collection, if you are interested in hearing his work. However, with an artist of this magnitude, you can't really go wrong getting anything by him.

I'm not a contrary by nature, at least not just for the sake of contrariness, but I have to register what obviously ranks as kind of a dissenting vote on this recording. Maybe it has to do with all the build-up I'd read before I purchased and heard it, but I don't think so.

First of all, I didn't know I'd actually heard the title cut before, but I had. Now, this is going to sound scandalous, but I feel it's the weakest cut on the recording. The end-of-recording quick paste-up seems evident from the word 'go'. In some bizarre way, it puts me in mind of another little ditty - 'Tequila'. The soloing is pretty mundane pentatonic-based noodling such as you might find on a Junior Walker record.

Things pick up considerably later as things get quite a bit more harmonically interesting and, to my ear, the soloing gets 'hotter', and, Lord knows, there's plenty of heat and joy to go around. I'm just not sure temperature and good feelings necessarily give a recording status as being 'seminal' as this one's apparently been accorded.

Now, I LIKE Lee Morgan's work a lot (AND Joe Henderson, in particular) so I'm not out to slag anyone or anything. Perhaps being somewhat recent to the party as far as this era of jazz is concerned, I just don't realize the contextual significance of it, but it definitely wouldn't make my Top 10 (or 50, or 100, for that matter); certainly not 'stranded on an island' status (unless, that is, I could bring every recording I own).

So, just this recap; Yes, this is a pleasant recording; the players are all capable and there's plenty to tap your toes about. If you're just getting around to it, like me, don't expect it to rock your world.....it's something LESS.

Some musicians do a particularly good job of expressing their personality through their instruments. On this album, Lee Morgan's trumpet expresses both sheer confidence and the absolute joy of playing music.

This album is the cure for everyone who thinks they don't get jazz. The music is funky,bluesy, brash and extroverted. Fans of pretty much any popular music genre will be able to react to the groove here. Yet this is no dumbed down, watered-down piece of pandering. Instead, this was a group of highly accomplished jazz musicians playing their butts off on a really good day.

The re-mastering of the original Blue Note recording sessions is also excellent. Blue Note was famous for having being best recorded sessions in jazz and this album is a good example of everything that made the label great. You can really here the interplay between the musicians on this very clean recording, without ever having to sacrifice the soulfulness of the music.

Lee Morgan was one of several jazz trumpeters in the 1950s who died in a relatively young age. Play this disc and find out just what we all missed.

This a desert island jazz disc. Any true jazz fan either has or had this disc in their collection and with good reason. The title track is the seminal jazz formula rooted in hard bop that was progressing into the formation of a free wheeling post bop generation of new players to carry on the torch. The brilliant then young, now long gone trumpeter Lee Morgan assembled a tight group of musicians to record his original compositons. This disc demonstrates the talent Lee Morgan had as a composer and soloist, unfortunately his time amongst us was short. The cast of musicians was outstanding with extra props going out to bassist Bob Cranshaw and veteran tenor sax man Joe Henderson. The rhythmic and harmonic structure of these songs played on this session are exceptional examples of a cohesive jazz unit playing as one whole. The duet by Henderson and Morgan is a rare beautiful interchange by a lead and sideman on "Totem Pole" as each plays in harmony, in unison as one instrument then suddenly gives way for the other to add a solo within the framework and continuing the pattern hitting all registrars and shattering perception of what notes can do. Certain discs that have been resurrected from the archives sound better with a sonic cleansing and this is one of those. The music is hot jazz played with a cool demeanor, it is simply one of the best in it's genre. It is about as tight a recording session as you'll ever hear. Originally recorded in the sixties this disc is the perfect backdrop as you make your way through a day in the concrete urban jungle. This is music to put your top down and cruise with the wind blowing through your hair as you leave the golden triangle and head up the coast to your hideaway. If you don't have this in your collection check it out and file it under perenially hip and classic right next to Miles Davis. Highly recommended for straight-ahead jazz aficionados.

Lee Morgan was a true giant of bop and his trumpet playing on this record is representative of this man's amazing talent. Morgan's trumpet style was clean and hot . Every track on this CD is a winner.I love Morgan's work with Art Blakey too but this is the best work Morgan did as a bandleader. Joe Henderson compliments Morgan's searing trumpet style perfectly. It is impossible in my opinion to rank the great bop era trumpet players - Morgan, MIles, Clifford Brown, Fats Navarro and of course Dizzy are all stars in the firmament. Lee Morgan deserved his place in that company and the work he did on this collection assurred it.

Because he F@@kin' RULES on the trumpet.

Don't get me wrong - Miles is genius. But Morgan really BLOWS, and I mean that in a good way. It's like watching a prizefighter stick-and-move, and pick apart an opponent, cutting them off, shutting them down. And you can see him grinning, knows he's got that other fella beat.

Also see : "DelightfuLEE", and "The Gigolo". F@@kin' RULES, I tell ya.

I'm a fan of Philly Joe Jones and usually snarl at albums that don't have Philly. If I like an album that doesn't have him, you know it's really good. Sidwinder is the best, but I wish Higgins would stick to the first snare drum pattern that he introduces during the melody. Totem Pole is my favorite, and so is Hocas Pocas. I wish Billy got more spots to solo, other than on the last track on the origanal album. I think it's Boy What A Night, which is the only 4/4 piece on the whole album.

This album is fantastic...its a simply a must have for any Jazz music fan.

All the tracks are fantasitc in their own ways but the first track "The Sidewinder" is 10Mins 25Secs of pure quality.

The album overall includes some great solos from the rest of the musicians and the overall result is a terrific album.

If you don't buy this album then you should probably have your head examined...

Just eight years after his debut in the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, Lee Morgan made one of his most famous well-known recordings of his career, The Sidewinder. The opening title track is a swingin' melody that includes solos from every artist on the album except for Higgins. The line up includes, then the up-and-coming, Joe Henderson on tenor, Billy Higgins on drums, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Barry Harris at the piano, and of course Lee Morgan on trumpet. The fascinating rhythm section figure established during the opening ensembles is sustained throughout the solos, giving this album a deep blues feeling as well as a Latin touch. Lee's solo on the Sidewinder is so fluent, and swingin' it's hard to keep from just jammin' with him. There is no down fall to this album, every cut being unique yet supporting each other making this one of my favorite Lee Morgan albums ever made.

The standouts on this classic are the first two tracks, the well-known, funky, blues 'The Sidewinder', with its instantly memorable background riff that carries on for most of the track, and 'Totem pole', a piece in a more traditional jazz style, with beautiful soloing from sax and trumpet.
This CD was one of Blue Note's biggest commercial successes, and started a trend with the label of releasing similar albums, opening with a catch blues, and often followed by half-a-dozen or so forgettable tracks. This, however, is the original, and the best- it really does work, showing the skills of Morgan as a composer and performer, playing with a carefully judged ensemble, but also had value as a surprise popular smash.
One of the essentials.