IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB
Charisma!: The Music of Lee Morgan
Featuring
Billy Harper- Tenor Sax
Bennie Maupin- Tenor and Soprano Sax and Bass Clarinet
Charles Tolliver- Trumpet
David Weiss- Trumpet
Geri Allen- Piano
Dwayne Burno- Bass (December 10 and 13)
Christian McBride- Bass (December 11 and 12)
Victor Lewis- Drums
A cornerstone of the Blue Note label roster prior to his tragic demise, Lee Morgan was one of hard bop's greatest trumpeters, and indeed one of the finest of the '60s. An all-around master of his instrument modeled after Clifford Brown, Morgan boasted an effortless, virtuosic technique and a full, supple, muscular tone that was just as powerful in the high register. His playing was always emotionally charged, regardless of the specific mood: cocky and exuberant on up-tempo groovers, blistering on bop-oriented technical showcases, sweet and sensitive on ballads and also found ways to mimic human vocal inflections by stuttering, slurring his articulations, and employing half-valved sound effects.
As his original compositions began to take in elements of blues and R&B, he made greater use of space and developed an infectiously funky rhythmic sense. Morgan got his start with the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band but rose to prominence with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. In 1964, he recorded The Sidewinder for Blue Note Records. The Morgan-composed title track was a funky, danceable groover that drew from soul-jazz, Latin boogaloo, blues, and R&B in addition to Morgan's trademark hard bop. It was unlike anything else he'd recorded before and became an unlikely hit for the label. It inched onto the lower reaches of the pop charts, and was licensed for use in a high-profile automobile ad campaign.
Its success helped push The Sidewinder into the Top 25 of the pop LP charts, and the Top Ten on the R&B listing. Sales were brisk enough to revive the financially struggling Blue Note label, and likely kept it from bankruptcy; it also led to numerous 'Sidewinder'-style grooves popping up on other Blue Note artists' albums. Morgan was asked to write more tunes in the style of The Sidewinder in hopes of a follow-up hit and Morgan obliged but Morgan also formed a working band that was increasingly moving into more modal and free-form music, stretching the boundaries of hard bop.
His funkier instincts were still evident as well, shifting gradually from boogaloo to early electrified. This sound is reflected on his last two albums, Live At The Lighthouse and what has become known as the Last Session which featured a tight, energetic, boundary stretching working band with bold new compositions from most of it's members. Unfortunately the development of this group was cut short by Morgan's tragic death in 1972. He was just 33 years old. For this celebration of Morgan's music, Trumpeter/Arranger David Weiss has put together a group that will feature the two saxophonists who were members of Lee's last groundbreaking working band, Bennie Maupin and Billy Harper and features the music from the repertoire of this great band.
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