Lee MORGAN & Thad JONES - Minor Strain 1960

Lee MORGAN & Thad JONES - Minor Strain 1960
1990 Issue

Jazz

Lee Morgan shares this CD reissue with fellow trumpeter Thad Jones. Morgan's three selections feature a quintet with tenor-saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Jimmy Roser and drummer Art Taylor. While that hard bop group democratically performs one original apiece from Morgan, Timmons and Shorter, Thad Jones's date has four of his songs plus a previously unissued alternate take of "Subtle Rebuttal"; best-known is "Tip Toe" which was later recorded by The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. Jones's septet is filled with Count Basie sidemen (trombonist Al Grey and tenors Billy Mitchell and Frank Wess) along with a fine rhythm section (pianist Hank Jones, bassist Richard Davis and drummer Osie Johnson) and is more swing-oriented than The Morgan group, but the two sets are equally rewarding.
By Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.
**
Jimmy Rowser- Bass
Frank Wess- Flute, Sax (Tenor)
Osie Johnson- Drums
Richard Davis- Bass
Al Grey- Trombone
Hank Jones- Piano
Thad Jones- Trumpet
Billy Mitchell- Sax (Tenor)
Lee MorganTrumpet
Wayne Shorter- Sax (Tenor)
Art Taylor- Drums
Bobby Timmons- Piano
**
01. Suspended Sentence 5:22
02. Minor Strain 6:23
03. A Bid For Sid 4:28
04. Subtle Rebuttal (alt take) 3:56
05. Subtle Rebuttal 4:02
06. Tip Toe 3:35
07. H and T Blues 9:56
08. Friday The 13th 6:55
**

NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Lee MORGAN - Music For Lovers 1957-1967

Lee MORGAN - Music For Lovers 1957-1967

Jazz

This edition of Blue Note's Music for Lovers set combines nine remastered tracks by hard bop trumpeter Lee Morgan recorded between 1957 and 1967. Obviously, the purpose of this Album is to spotlight Morgan's romantic side by featuring such standards as "You Go to My Head," "What Now My Love," and "Lover Man." The trumpeter is in excellent company on these tracks, sharing the spotlight with several legendary horn players including Wayne Shorter, Hank Mobley, Curtis Fuller, Jackie McLean, Benny Golson, Gigi Gryce, and Pepper Adams. Despite the drab packaging and generic title, the music of Lee Morgan remains timeless in any context.
By Al Campbell. AMG.
**
Lee Morgan- (Trumpet);
Wayne Shorter, Benny Golson- (Sax, Tenor Sax);
Gigi Gryce, Jackie McLean- (Alto Sax);
Hank Mobley- (Tenor Sax);
Pepper Adams- (Baritone Sax);
Lee Moran- (Trumpet);
Curtis Fuller- (Trombone);
Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Sonny Clark, Bobby Timmons- (Piano);
Paul Chambers- (Bass);
Gene Taylor , Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey, Art Taylor, Billy Higgins, Charlie Persip- (Drums); Wynton Kelly, Cedar Walton- (Piano).
**
01. You Go to My Head 7:21
02. Ill Wind 7:56
03. All the Way 7:19
04. Since I Fell for You 5:33
05. I'll Never Be the Same 7:14
06. Twilight Mist 6:54
07. What Now My Love 5:21
08. Lover Man 6:49
09. I Remember Clifford 7:08
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Lee MORGAN - The Sidewinder 1963

Lee MORGAN - The Sidewinder 1963
BLP 84157

Jazz

Simple and direct and somewhat of a runt album in the history of jazz. The solo on Art Blakey's recording of Bobby Timmons' 'Moanin' is by Morgan, as is that on 'A Night In Tunisia'. By the time he came to record this album he had simplified his style, which appealed to the soul/jazz lovers of the 60s. To use the ultimate cliche, this is groovin' music; it rolls, it bops, it makes you feel good and its success is that it is refreshingly uncomplicated.
**
The Philadelphia-born trumpeter and superb bop stylist Lee Morgan apprenticed with Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey before emerging as a leader in his own right in the early '60s for Blue Note Records. Although Morgan owed a stylistic debt to both Gillespie and Clifford Brown, he quickly developed a voice of his own that combined half-valve effects, Latin inflections, and full, fluid melodies. While many of Morgan's later sessions for Blue Note would find him paired with saxophonist Hank Mobley, The Sidewinder features then up-and-coming tenor player Joe Henderson, plus Detroit pianist Barry Harris, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Billy Higgins. Along with the title track, an unconventional 24-bar blues, the album's compositional standout is "Totem Pole," a minor Latin groove featuring an outstanding solo by Henderson. This is the kind of relaxed blowing date, invigorated by thoughtful performances, that forms the backbone of the Blue Note catalog.
By Fred Goodman.
**
Bob Cranshaw- Bass
Billy Higgins- Drums
Barry Harris- Piano
Joe Henderson- Tenor Sax
Lee Morgan- Trumpet
**
A1. The Sidewinder 
A2. Totem Pole 
B1. Gary's Notebook 
B2. Boy, What A Night 
B3. Hocus-Pocus 
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Lee MORGAN - The Rajah 1966

Lee MORGAN - The Rajah 1966
1984 Issue

Jazz

First off, do not hesitate to own this CD, if you can find it (and please don't pay those jerk-crooks the $42 they're asking). Though much of this material was never meant for issue, we're most lucky to have it.

At the time of this session, Lee was recovering from, well, drugs. His chops were in fact not "hot"; he is off, a little weak, and he plays cautiously, with none of the daring and balls we associate with him. BUT this is LEE--still with soul and that gorgeous tone, and notes that still spit and crackle somewhat.

The stars here are Hank and Cedar--each of their solos are the real "gems" of this date; they're right on the money and they keep you intrigued.

And NO, we don't need this issued in the over-hyped RVG series--the audio mastering is just fine here--beautiful, in fact. (A word about the RVG series: The Blue Note CD/DVD combo PERFECT TAKES features samples from the RVG series, as well as an interview with RVG himself. All do respect to the great Rudy, while the audio of his RVG remasters is very good, to my ears they just don't sound as smooth as the audio of the Japanese remasters--nothing on earth rivals the Japanese Blue Note CDs. My motto has become JUST BUY JAPANESE, which now can be found for $14.29 on Amazon. Let's hope the meticulous Japanese--not domestic RVG--reissue THE RAJAH. I must emphasize, however, if you buy any domestic RVGs at all, get the two volumes of Thelonious Monk. These are very early, pre-RVG Blue Notes recorded by Doug Hawkins at WOR studios on acetate discs, not tape. Rudy applied a process by which the acetate surface noise is now all but gone, and he brought out much detail and nuance--these Monk RVGs are really so incredible that previous issues are now simply obsolete.)

If you listen closely to "A Pilgrim's Funny Farm" (does Michael Cuscuna really think we're supposed to believe Lee and associates would title a tune in that way?!) you'll hear this was meant as a sound check for Rudy. You hear the levels, particularly of Billy Higgin's drums, going up and down throughout this 13 minute take. And by the end of the take, it is apparent that Rudy never even got to Paul Chambers' bass, which is mixed rather way low and sounds boxy and without definition throughout the CD (I'd guess Rudy was at the experimental stages of working with those confounded bass pickups--yikes, P.C. through a pickup...). The poor bass sound I guess makes this session prime for an RVG overhaul after all. Well, OK, then--mess with what needs messin' with, but don't fix classics what ain't broken. But regardless of "Pilgrim's..." being a sound check (the real reason it was never previously issued) the players were masterful improvisors, the magic happened. And years later Cuscuna had the ears to hear that and the passion to issue the session.

Make no mistake--this CD will grow on you. After almost 20 years, I still listen to it. It's a great sequencing of originals--straight ahead, funky-latinish...--and standards of the day. I'll bet you like Duke Pearson's "Is That So" best.
By  Mike DiMartino.
**
This long-lost Lee Morgan session was not released for the first time until it was discovered in the Blue Note vaults by Michael Cuscuna in 1984; it has still not been reissued on CD. Originals by Cal Massey, Duke Pearson ("Is That So") and Walter Davis, in addition to a couple of surprising pop tunes ("What Not My Love" and "Once in My Lifetime") and Morgan's title cut, are well-played by the quintet (which includes the trumpeter/leader, Hank Mobley on tenor, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Billy Higgins). Much of the music is reminiscent of The Jazz Messengers and that may have been the reason that it was lost in the shuffle for Morgan was soon investigating modal-oriented tunes. Despite its neglect, this is a fine session that Lee Morgan and hard bop fans will want.
Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.
**
Paul Chambers- Bass
Lee Morgan- Trumpet
Hank Mobley- Tenor Sax
Cedar Walton- Piano
Billy Higgins- Drums
**
01. Pilgrim's Funny Farm (13:36)
02. Rajah (9:11)
03. Is That So? (5:18)
04. Davisamba (6:46)
05. What Now, My Love? (5:22)
06. Once in My Lifetime (5:47)
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Lee MORGAN - Caramba 1968

Lee MORGAN - Caramba 1968
BST 84289

Jazz

this was one of the most obscure of all Lee Morgan Blue Note albums. A transitional effort that finds the trumpeter gradually moving beyond hard bop into more modal music, the date starts out with the surprisingly derivative title cut which is very similar to Eddie Harris' "Listen Here." Of the other selections, "Soulita" has the catchiest melody while Cal Massey's slow ballad "A Baby's Smile" was previously unreleased. While Morgan and his fine rhythm section (pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Billy Higgins) are in typically swinging form, Caramba is most notable for featuring the young Bennie Maupin. Sticking exclusively to tenor, Maupin (who would be much more distinctive within a year) mixes together Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter in winning fashion.
By Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.
**
Caramba! is an album recorded by jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan and released on the Blue Note label. The album features performances by Morgan, Bennie Maupin, Cedar Walton, Reggie Workman and Billy Higgins with arrangements by Cal Massey.
**
Lee Morgan- (Trumpet);
Bennie Maupin- (Tenor Sax);
Cedar Walton- (Piano);
Reggie Workman- (Bass);
Billy Higgins- (Drums).
**
A1. Caramba 12:20
A2. Suicide City 7:32
B1. Cunning Lee 6:07
B2. Soulita 5:33
B3. Helen's Ritual 6:23
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Lee MORGAN – The Last Session 1971

Lee MORGAN – The Last Session 1971

Jazz

Lee Morgan's final studio recording before he was murdered was initially released as a two-fer LP, and the original recordings without alternate takes are included here on one CD. This was a fertile creative time for Morgan, as rivals Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw were embracing the electrified sounds of the times and Morgan followed suit. Harold Mabern is on the Fender Rhodes piano, tenor saxophonist Billy Harper proves a formidable front-line mate, and the vibrant Bobbi Humphrey is heard on flute before she commercialized her sound. It would be the last creative project Humphrey would involve herself in. Add the exciting trombonist Grachan Moncur III, drummer Freddie Waits, electric bass guitarist Jymie Merritt, and acoustic bassist Reggie Workman, and you have a dream team of unstoppable modern musicians who fully embrace progressive concepts and traditional values at once. One of the most famous compositions in modern jazz, "Croquet Ballet," is here in its initial form, and also available on Harper's Black Saint CD. It's a classic waltz sporting the brightest exuberant and memorable melody molded around a dancing image enhanced by unison and harmonic substance, Humphrey's over the top flute, the bold excursions of Harper, and scintillating solos. Closely following this in terms of enduring jazz are "Capra Black" and "In What Direction Are You Headed?" The former is a heavy and dark modal post-bop magnum opus well known in Harper's repertoire, while the latter has Mabern's perky Rhodes setting the pace in a bright, happy strutting 7/8 and diffuse 4/4, again with the atmospheric flute of Humphrey. "Angela" is led by the introspective bass of Merritt and reflects a sighing emotive motif, while the 17-minute "Inner Passions Out," written by Waits, holds an Arabic feel with the drummer also playing a shenai-sounding recorder. One of the bandmembers (unidentified) on mbira prompts a two-note modal framework from the bass players in an underground-to-free romp stomp. It is unfortunate that the brilliant and forward-thinking Morgan was cut down at such a young age, for as the music was changing, he would have adapted, as this final statement valiantly suggests.
By Michael G. Nastos. AMG.
**
As the title indicates, this is the last session Lee Morgan recorded before his tragic death in 1972 -- he was shot by his common-law wife outside, ironically, the jazz club Slug's in New York. Lee Morgan was only 33 years old, yet he had already amassed acclaim in his short life that was more consistent with someone who had lived twice as many years. What kind of music would Lee have made, and what further popularity would he have enjoyed, had he lived to see the resurgence of jazz in the 80s with the popularity of the young lions? I mean, Lee Morgan was the original young lion!
Well, we can only speculate as to that success, but with "The Last Session" we can see the direction that Lee was taking his music in the new decade of the 70s. The band featured on this recording -- Grachan Moncur III, Billy Harper, Bobbi Humphrey, Harold Mabern, Jymie Merritt, Reggie Workman and Freddie Waits -- was not just assembled to cut this session, they were a working, touring band. Only someone as popular as Lee (or Miles, Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul/Wayne Shorter or Herbie Hancock) could afford to keep a group of this size and talent together in 1971. And their musical understanding shows on these five extended, modern improvisations. While the material is all original, none of it was written by Morgan -- "Capra Black" and "Croquet Ballad" are by Harper, "Angela" is by Merritt, "Inner Passions Out" is by Waits, and "In What Direction Are You Headed?" is by Mabern.

One need look no further than this last aptly-titled track by Mabern to determine what course Morgan's "new" music was taking. The song is a classic Blue Note groove, reminiscent of the trademark 60s sound but more modern, thanks to the multi-textured horn parts, and the inclusion of two basses, and, for this tune, Mabern on electric piano. A cynic might say that his "new" sound is not that original, and largely drawn from "Filles De Kilimanjaro" and "Miles In The Sky" era Miles Davis. The same cynic would point to the fact that by 1971, Miles had moved on to the electric jazz-funk of "Black Beauty" and "Live Evil," and by comparison Lee was not nearly as hip. I would like to offer a different assessment. I think that by 1971, Lee had grown weary of trends, as he rode the apex of one with "The Sidewinder," and at this point in his career he instead decided to stay with his own vision of where jazz needed to go. In hindsight, he successfully melded the late 60s Blue Note sound, the post-Coltrane expressions and experiments of Archie Shepp and McCoy Tyner, and the electric groove of Miles and Herbie, without falling victim to the Fusion trappings, despite the use of flute and electric bass in his ensemble.

In all, this is a very enjoyable and successful recording, not just some trivia session from the vaults. "The Last Session" is a great last look at a master jazzman taken away from us far too soon.
By Michael B. Richman.
**
Billy Harper- Flute (Alto), Sax (Tenor)
Bobbi Humphrey- Flute
Harold Mabern- Piano, Piano (Electric)  
Jymie Merritt- Bass (Electric)
Grachan Moncur III- Trombone
Lee Morgan- Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Frederick Waits- Drums, Recorder, Drums (Snare)
Reggie Workman- Bass, Percussion
**
01. Capra Black 15:46
02. In What Direction Are You Headed? 16:30
03. Angela 6:24
04. Croquet Ballet 10:50
05. Inner Passions-Out 17:40
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Lee MORGAN - Lee way 1960

Lee MORGAN - Lee way 1960

Jazz

Lee Morgan was one of the most frequently recorded artists on the Blue Note label. Even if this session didn't become a hit like, let's say "The Sidewinder", I immediatly liked the music very much. With such experienced sidemen like Jackie McLean, Bobby Timmons, Paul Chambers and Art Blakey, it's clear that something exiting will happen, they really stretch out on each of the four tracks. Lee Morgan is particularly fascinating on "Midtown Blues": In the middle of his solo, he introduces something otherwise often used by Sonny Rollins, when he bursts out spontanously, frequently returning to the tonic, as someone exploring all his possibilities and nevertheless going "back to the roots". Jackie McLean is superb as always. Here it seems that he gets a somewhat "smoother" sound than usually, he starts his solos on the deep register of his instrument, almost sounding like a tenor sax. Timmons, Chambers and Blakey are also great as ever, and dig the two composition by Cal Massey (" These are soulful days" and "Nakatini Suite"), they are really beautiful tunes from a nearly forgotten composer, who was a favorite by many jazz musicians of that period.
By G. Schramke.
**
This date was one of trumpeter Lee Morgan's more obscure Blue Note sessions, but fortunately, it has been reissued on CD. Matched with altoist Jackie McLean, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Blakey, Morgan interprets two of Cal Massey's compositions, McLean's "Midtown Blues" and his own blues "The Lion and the Wolf." The music is essentially hard bop with a strong dose of soul; the very distinctive styles of the principals are the main reasons to acquire this enjoyable music.
By Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.
**
Lee Morgan- Trumpet
Jackie McLean- Alto Sax
Bobby Timmons- Piano
Paul Chambers- Bass
Art Blakey- Drums
**
01. These Are Soulful Days 9:25
02. The Lion And The Wolff 9:41
03. Midtown Blues 12:09
04. Nakatini Suite 8:10
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Lee MORGAN - Dizzy Atmosphere 1957

Lee MORGAN - Dizzy Atmosphere 1957
Label: Ojc
Audio CD (July 1, 1991)
Recorded at Master Recorders, Hollywood, California on February 18, 1957

Jazz

In writing first-time reviews of Original Jazz Classics CDs that are sadly going out-of-print, I was suprised to discover that "Dizzy Atmosphere" had yet to be reviewed on Amazon. First, let's get the record straight about this disc -- this is not a Lee Morgan album. This February 18, 1957 session was cut in Hollywood by seven members of Dizzy Gillespie's orchestra during a tour stop. Among the players was a promising 19-year old trumpeter named, you guessed it, Lee Morgan, but at the time trombonist Al Grey and tenor saxman Billy Mitchell had the biggest names, so they actually have top billing on the album cover. Also participating are baritone saxophonist Billy Root, pianist Wynton Kelly (the other player now recognized on the CD spine as "co-leader"), bassist Paul West, drummer Charlie Persip, and in arranging roles, Benny Golson and Roger Spotts. The septet tackles eight tunes -- five by Spotts, two standards and Golson's now famous "Whisper Not" -- and the CD features three alternate takes that were not on the original Specialty LP. "Atmosphere" is a solid date that fans of Lee Morgan and/or Dizzy won't want to miss.
By  Michael B. Richman.
**
This somewhat obscure Lee Morgan set (originally cut for Specialty and made available on CD in the OJC series) features the trumpeter with other then-current members of the Dizzy Gillespie big band: trombonist Al Grey, tenor saxophonist Billy Mitchell, baritonist Billy Root, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul West, and drummer Charlie Persip. With arrangements provided by Benny Golson and Roger Spotts, the music is modern bop for the period. Highlights include the ten-and-a-half-minute "Dishwater," "Over the Rainbow," and what was probably the first-ever version of Golson's "Whisper Not." Morgan plays extremely well throughout the spirited set, and he was just 18 at the time
By Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.
**
Lee Morgan- (Trumpet);
Wynton Kelly- (Piano);
Billy Mitchell- (Tenor Sax);
Billy Root- (Baritone Sax);
Al Grey- (Trombone);
Paul West- (Bass);
Charles Persip- (Drums).
**
01. Dishwater (take 4) 12:05
02. Someone I Know (take 6) 3:59
03. D. D. T. (take 5) 4:04
04. Whisper Not (take 5) 5:55
05. About Time (take 5) 3:14
06. Day By Day (take 2) 3:26
07. Rite Of Swing (take 3) 3:14
08. Over The Rainbow (take 4) 4:18
09. Someone I Know (previously unreleased, take 3, alternate) 4:07
10. Whisper Not (previously unreleased, take 3-, alternate) 6:01
11. Over The Rainbow (previously unreleased, take 3, alternate) 4:34
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Lee MORGAN - The Cooker 1957

Lee MORGAN - The Cooker  1957
Label: Blue Note
Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder on September 29, 1957
Digitally remastered by Rudy van Gelder 2006.

Jazz

Lee Morgan was a tender 19-year-old when he recorded 1957's THE COOKER for Blue Note. While Morgan wouldn't truly hit his stride until a few years after this release, his duties as leader here are mighty impressive, nonetheless. A stellar personnel ...    Full Descriptionline-up that includes drummer Philly Joe Jones, bassist Paul Chambers, pianist Bobby Timmons, and baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams keeps the musicianship at a remarkably high caliber, and the ensemble's performance on standards like "A Night in Tunisia" and "Just One of Those Things" sizzle, as do their takes on Morgan's two originals. THE COOKER isn't a landmark release, but it is a very solid hard-bop outing that showcases dynamic group chemistry and the formative first steps of Morgan's dazzling trumpet chops.
**
For years the only Lee Morgan 1950s Blue Note session available as a single CD domestically has been "Candy" (see my review), but now that has changed with the reissue of "The Cooker" in the RVG series. (Of course all of Lee Morgan's 1950s sessions as a leader were released in the 90s on a now out-of-print Mosaic set.) Recorded less than two months earlier than the aforementioned "Candy" on September 29, 1957, "The Cooker" features Morgan on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Bobby Timmons on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The album features three standards (plus an alternate take of "Just One of Those Things") and two Morgan originals, "Heavy Dipper" and "New-Ma." The album is a solid blowing session and the familiarity of Chambers and Jones, honed during their time with Miles, provides substantial rhythmic support. But it would be a few more years until Lee's writing and playing talents fully blossomed under the tutelage of Art Blakey. For an example in the playing department, one need look no further than the earlier version of "A Night in Tunisia" featured here, revisited and made famous by the Jazz Messengers in 1960 (with compatriot Timmons). For now "The Cooker" simmers and isn't until he makes Art that things begin to boil.
By  Michael B. Richman.
**
 Although Lee Morgan had already made a handful of albums at the age of 19, The Cooker (1957) represents his throwing down the gauntlet as successor to Clifford Brown's vacated throne. It's close to being a pure bebop session, suggestive of a date like For Musicians Only (Verve, 1956), on which Gillespie, Stitt and Getz set some sort of record for NPS (notes per second). At the same time, the precocious trumpeter, already brimming with confidence, is not about to get reckless: he pulls a punch or two, most notably on the opening "Night in Tunisia."

Bebop was a musical language about comparisons, and Morgan was keenly aware of his predecessors. Charlie Parker's incredible four-bar break at the end of the sixteen-bar tag of Gillespie's signature piece on the 1947 Carnegie Hall concert (Diz 'N Bird at Carnegie Hall, Blue Note, 1997) had come to represent the gold standard of jazz improvisation, which Morgan had only begun to approach on his solo performances of the tune with the Gillespie big band (Dizzy Gillespie at Newport, Verve, 1957). And though Clifford Brown's version is equal parts inspired invention and stunning virtuosity (Art Blakey, A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1, Blue Note, 1954), the naked four-bar break is given to Lou Donaldson's alto saxophone, with arguably embarrassing results.

Morgan slyly eludes trouble yet takes the listener by surprise when he omits all but the tag's challenging four bars, which he then "wastes" by simply having bass and drums mark time. The listener's letdown is quickly offset, however, by a blistering trumpet solo starting on the first beat of the main chorus, demonstrating why the rising star chose such a deliberative tempo: almost the entirety of his two-chorus solo is played in double time. As dazzling as his execution is, Morgan has one more deception up his sleeve. On both the earlier Gillespie recording and a later Art Blakey date (A Night in Tunisia, Blue Note, 1960), the trumpeter makes sure he gets his piece said on the A7 altered chord of the tune's cadenza: on this occasion, he takes a complete pass!

The characteristically showy side of Morgan is in evidence on his "Heavy Dipper," an infectious, medium-tempo swinger. Anticipating trademark mannerisms—clipped notes, upward slurs, half-valving, triple-tonguing—his solo is still as flowing as it is playful.

The tempo of "Just One of Those Things" breaks the sound barrier while exposing one of the still-maturing musician's weaknesses: if a turn of phrase sounds good once, certainly playing it a few more times can't be a bad idea. Unfortunately, the effect of these ramped-up, "treadmill" moments can get uncomfortably close to "Carnival of Venice" showpiece territory. The alternate take of the tune proves more musically substantive, though the ballad number—the bebopper's requisite "Lover Man"—does little to advance the newcomer's cause.

Pepper Adams is an unrelenting juggernaut on the date, pushing the leader to rise to each challenge. Bobby Timmons, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones supply all of the heat required for this cooking session, otherwise judiciously staying clear of the head chef, who serves up cuisine likely to impress even the fastidious gourmet.
By Samuel Chell.
**
Lee Morgan- Trumpet;
Pepper Adams- Baritone Sax;
Bobby Timmons- Piano;
Paul Chambers- Pass;
Philly Joe Jones- Drums.
**
01. A Night In Tunisia (Dizzy Gillespie) 9:20
02. Heavy Dipper (Lee Morgan) 7:02
03. Just One Of Those Things (Cole Porter) 7:15
04. Lover Man (Ramirez-Davis-Sherman) 6:47
05. New-Ma (Lee Morgan) 8:11
06. Just One Of Those Things (Alternate take) 7:50
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*