JazzCorner remember the great Lee Morgan on his birthday, Lee Morgan was born in Philadelphia on July 10, 1938. He began his trumpet studies with a private instructor, and continued them at Mastbaum High School for the Arts, where he also played the alto horn. A fan of jazz from an early age, he was exposed to a wide variety of live music in the vibrant Philadelphia music scene, which had produced such notables as John Coltrane, Benny Golson, the Heath brothers, and many others. By the time he was 15, Morgan was leading his own group with bassist James Spanky DeBrest as his partner. He was also taking part in Tuesday night workshops at the Music City club which brought him into early contact with his main early influence, Clifford Brown. After Morgan graduated from Mastbaum in 1956, he and DeBrest subbed with the Jazz Messengers when Art Blakey arrived in Philadelphia short two musicians. Spanky stayed on, Morgan explained in the liner notes to his first Blue Note album. I could have stayed too, but I didnt want to sign a contract, so I left after two weeks. Then very soon after that, Dizzy came back from his South American tour. Id met him a couple of years before at the workshop and he knew about me. He needed a replacement for Joe Gordon, and I needed some big band experience, so it worked out fine. After the untimely death of Clifford Brown 1956, Morgan was recorded often, viewed as a like successor to Browns legacy (the Blue Note label recorded Morgan six times as a leader over a span of 15 months, and Morgan appeared extensively as a sideman on others recordings during this period). In 1958, Morgan left Gillespies big band to join Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers, with whom he remained until the summer of 1961 (when he was replaced by Freddie Hubbard). Problems with heroin forced Morgan into a period of low profile in Philadelphia. He returned to New York in 1963, and his first recording, The Sidewinder, became his greatest commercial success (the title tune was such a hit that Chrysler used it behind an automobile ad during the 1965 World Series). When The Sidewinder became a hit, Morgan was back temporarily with Art Blakey (1964-1965); he left in 1965 to lead his own bands and pursue the commercial success resulting from his record sales. In the last four years of Morgans life, he was one of the leaders of the Jazz and Peoples Movement, which demonstrated during the taping of talk and variety shows during 1970-71. Morgans later bands featured Bennie Maupin or Billy Harper on saxophone, and while the modal jazz direction taken by many other bands became more prominent in his compositions, Morgan remained at heart a hard-bop trumpet player. Morgan was killed in the early hours of February 19, 1972, at Slugs Saloon, a jazz club in New York Citys East Village where his band was performing. Following an altercation between sets, Morgans common-law wife Helen More (a.k.a. Morgan), shot him. The injuries were not immediately fatal, but the ambulance service was reluctant to go into the neighborhood where the club was located. They took so long to get there that Morgan bled to death. He was 33 years old. Helen Morgan was arrested and spent some time in prison before being released on parole.After her release, Helen Morgan returned to her native North Carolina and died there from a heart condition in March 1996. Lee Morgans recorded legacy is immense; he recorded many records throughout his career as a sideman, and led 25 albums for Blue Note plus sessions for Vee-Jay, Roulette, Jazzland and Trip. Television coverage of the 1965 baseball World Series included an advertisement by Chrysler that featured a version of Morgans Sidewinder. Morgan was watching the program, did not know that his composition was to be used, and found out the next day that its use had not been authorized. After Morgan threatened to sue, Chrysler agreed not to show the advertisement again and settled the case. The Sidewinder: Lee Morgan - Blue Note Records - Joe Henderson - Blue Note Records Barry Harris Bob Cranshaw Billy Higgins
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 07:33:45 +0000
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