Home » Jazz Articles » My Blue Note Obsession » Lee Morgan: Lee Morgan, Volume Three - 1957

Lee Morgan: Lee Morgan, Volume Three - 1957

By Marc Davis
October 28, 2015
View read count

Kudos to Lee Morgan for a very fine date. But save a tip of the hat for Benny Golson, both on tenor and as the author of everything on the disc.

In jazz, as in rock, there's a tendency to overlook composers. Performers get all the nods.

Consider

Duke Ellington

piano
1899 - 1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Duke Ellington. One of the greatest bandleaders and composers of all time. But

Billy Strayhorn

piano
1915 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Strayhorn? Not as famous—even though he wrote some of Duke's best pieces: "Take the A Train" and "Lush Life" and "Chelsea Bridge."

Or consider

Dave Brubeck

piano
1920 - 2012

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Brubeck. Justly renowned as a leader, pianist and experimenter of odd tempos. But

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Desmond? A pretty nifty saxman, but how many listeners remember that he actually wrote the megahit "Take Five," not Brubeck?

And so we come to Lee Morgan, Volume 3. It's a wonderful record, arguably the best of Morgan's early 1950s discography. (But what's up with the blah title? Couldn't Blue Note come up with anything better?)

Before he led the 1960s soul-jazz revolution, Morgan was a real hard bop disciple, one of the very best trumpeters of his time. A great tone, great swing, and a member of what is arguably the greatest hard bop band ever,

Art Blakey

drums
1919 - 1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.

Yes, enjoy this record. Love the interplay of the three horns: Morgan's trumpet,

Gigi Gryce

saxophone
1927 - 1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Gigi Gryce's alto sax and

Benny Golson

saxophone, tenor
1929 - 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Benny Golson's tenor sax. Dig the five cuts—three bop burners, one blues workout and one of the most memorable jazz ballads ever, "I Remember Clifford," a tribute to the tragically short-lived

Clifford Brown

trumpet
b.1930

" data-original-title="" title="">Clifford Brown.

But wait... Morgan didn't write that ballad. In fact, Morgan wrote none of the five tunes on Volume 3. Benny Golson wrote them all. And man, they are first-class, amazing compositions. So where's the love?

Volume 3 opens with a pair of nearly perfect, nine-minute hard bop showcases. "Hassan's Dream" starts and ends with a memorable theme on Gigi Gryce's flute (!), then flows into terrific, toe-tapping solos from the horns,

Wynton Kelly

piano
1931 - 1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Wynton Kelly's piano and

Paul Chambers

bass, acoustic
1935 - 1969

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Chambers' bass. Track 2 is "Domingo," another hard bop number, faster than the first, with a catchy unison theme and some positively cooking solos.

The pace slows with "I Remember Clifford," featuring Morgan's solid trumpet tribute. It quickens again with "Mesabi Chant," a bop burner. And finally, the whole affair ends with a smoky blues number, "Tip-Toeing." (The CD has two versions.)

All in all, this is one pretty terrific album, a real treat for hard bop fans. If you love the Jazz Messengers, you'll love Lee Morgan, Volume 3. And yes, mega kudos to the trumpeter-leader for a very fine date. But save a tip of the hat for Benny Golson, the real star of this show, both on tenor and, more importantly, as the author of everything on the disc. Well done!

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)—and 5 out of 5 for Benny Golson

Availability: Easy to find

Cost: Around $5 used

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Skopje Jazz Festival 2015
< Previous

Dancing
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.