Lee Way

Everyone knows "Sidewinder", but don't overlook this gem. Three members of this quintet also played on the Jazz Messengers' classic "Moanin'" They include trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Bobby Timmons and drummer Art Blakey. There are four songs on the album and each is an excellent performance. Lee Morgan and the rest of the combo, including Jackie McLean on tenor saxophone and bassist Paul Chambers, are in top form.

I have at least a dozen Lee Morgan albums but I didn't have this one. I'd read that it was one of his best and I wasn't disappointed. Is there a musician today with Lee's masterful technique, creativity and inspiration? Stunning.

great

The "feel" of this superb Lee Morgan album is that of New York City in the fall (I almost said "Autumn in New York"): gray skies, a brisk, cool breeze off the Atlantic, trench coats and sweaters down Bleeker Street, maybe a quick trip to the Automat for some hot coffee, or a warm pretzel from that guy with the cart in Washington Square. Yes, this music is VERY New York, the antithesis of West Coast Jazz (which I also love). It's also one of Lee's best albums, but then again, ALL of Lee Morgan's albums that I am familiar with are among his best albums. I have around 12 of his albums as leader (the Gigolo, Delightfulee, Charisma, Caramba, The Cooker, etc.) and they're all uniformly excellent. I can't think of too many jazz musicians who released great LP after great LP without a ringer in the bunch, but Lee was definitely one of them. Blue Note albums circa 1960 were still special and soulful, later in the decade, around 1966-67 they had, with some exceptions, became predictably boring. But Leeway is sheer magic for a variety of reasons, paramount of which is the way Jackie McLean solos here. The acidity in his tone is on temporary reprieve, some reverb is added(which Rudy Van Gelder seldom indulged in), and his improvisations are inventive, heartfelt and bursting at the seams with fire and incendiary ideas. And speaking of incendiary: Lee plays with a great deal of fire and intensity on all four tracks. In fact, I would go as far to say that as of April 1960 when this astonishing record was taped, Lee Morgan ,not yet 20 years old, was the greatest modern jazz trumpeter alive. Think about it:Clifford Brown was dead, Freddie Hubbard was just getting started, Donald Byrd was a notch below those two in the chops department and Miles didn't quite have Lee's fire and intensity. Lee Morgan, to put it in today's lingo was "on the chain!" (Ooops, my girlfriend's son has just informed me that it's suppose to be "off the chain."). Also, the rhythm section consists of Bobby Timmons on piano, the sublime Paul Chambers on bass and an in-the-pocket Art Blakey on drums (a bit more subdued that usual, which fits these proceedings to a T). You can't beat a rhythm section like that! Plus, the four tracks are nice and long, allowing these masters to relax and gloriously stretch out. Yes, this music is utterly relaxed, yet has a sense of urgency and exigency at the same time. I don't know how they did it. By all means, get this, especially for Jackie McLean, who's poppin' and burnin' with a beautiful yet incendiary (there's that word again!) tone that cuts like a knife through an atmospheric quintet that's firing on all cylinders. A definite 5 stars!

Lee, Jackie , Bobby, Paul and Art. Are you kidding me? How could you possibly go wrong with this lineup! A1. Starting right off the bat with one of my favorite opening melodies of the Blue Note catalog (and you know that's saying something!). Old P.C. himself takes the first solo in a way that actually held my attention. I must confess I'm not big on bass solos. Than funky Bobby Timmons steps in with such style it kills me everytime. Jackie comes soaring in and never comes down, but only rises ever higher. Lee's bright horn comes in last but not least. 5/5 A2. So heavy on the funk and swing here. Jackie with a tone that just sounds even more incredible with each listen. Lee with the strength of his horn comes in with a whisper and continues to construct an inspired solo. All players are given a solo and are all handled wonderfully. 5/5 B1. Upbeat and joyous appropriately titled Midtown Blues. Lee comes in burnin' and shreds with intent. Art keeps it all nice and tight yet managaes to keep a looseness to it all while Jackie sings his blues. Can't forget Bobby! He stays on point at all times. Paul plays it funky. Them dirty blues. 5/5 B2. The whole gang is up and running on this bad boy. Possibly Lee's best solo on the date. The man never tires. Bobby destroys with great fluidity while Paul just walks all over that bass. Credit to Rudy Van Gelder for the great sound on Blakey's drums while he takes a solo. FYI: Review based off Classic Records 200 gram reissue.

un grande lee morgan.

Lee is one of my favourite artists from the Blue Note stable, his trumpet playing is the perfect change from the Miles Davis muted style.Lee is full on loud and exiting. The album is great as are all the Lee Morgan albums I have. He has an incredible number of tunes for someone who passed so young,The great thing is that he changes the sidemn on most albums so you get to hear him play with Joe Henderson,Billy Higgins,Wayne Shorted and all the greats of Hard Bop

Disciple de Clifford Brown, et trompettiste au style très caractéristique du son Blue Note des années 60, il devient ultra célèbre grâce à son album The Sidewinder en 1963. En 1972, à 34 ans, il est abattu sur scène par son ex-femme. Entre deux, il aura sorti quand même 28 disques en leader. Les autres sont soient des collaborations soit des « live », soit des compilations pas forcément utiles (À noter la possibilité d’acquérir, à prix réduit, quatre CDs de base ou huit CDs, mais avec The Young Lions, collaboration avec Wayne Shorter, sur le label Mils vendu par Amazon). Enregistré le 28 Avril 1960, Leeway est le huitième album en leader de Lee Morgan, avec Jackie McLean, Bobby Timmons, Paul Chambers et Art Blakey. Lee Morgan y trouve la bonne carburation et nous offre un hard bop enlevé et de grande qualité.

明るく華やかに響き渡るトランペット。トランペットの楽器としての良さが発揮されている。アルバム構成もリズミカルで明るく、さわやかに聴き終わる傑作。

モーガンのペット、この時期特徴的なパンパン弾ける音では無いんですよね。 JMの「Meet You At 〜」でもそうなんですが、ちょっと高音が苦しそう。 その点では、少し不調だったのかも知れません。 トランペット、私も趣味で吹きますが、ちょっとした唇のコンディションだとか デリケートな部分で音が全然違って来ますからね。 けど、それが悪いかと言うとそうでは無くて、吹き方を自分の中で 少し変えてみたり、実験したりしてる風が有るんです。 フレージングも初期に比べて良い意味でトリッキーだったり。 だから、例えばブレイキーも煽りこそすれども、『オイオイ、大丈夫かよ』 という風では無いですよね。 （当該時期のJMのライブ盤あたりを是非聴いてみてください） 何でだろうなぁ、と考えると、特にショーターとの出会いが大きかったのでは、と想像します。 JMにショーターを誘ったのも彼だし、ショーターの音楽性に 深く感銘を受けた事は容易に想像が付くのですが、 トランペットでの表現技法についても、色々試行錯誤していた時期だと思うんです。 そこで、このアルバムですが、コルトレーンとも親交の合った カルビン・マッセイの曲二曲が耳を惹きますね。 で、モーガンがマッセイの曲を絶妙に解釈して、素晴らしいフレージングを聴かせてくれる。 デビュー初期には「クリフォードの思い出」の素晴らしい演奏があったり、 常に先鋭的な演奏を聴かせていたモーガンですが、このアルバムについて言えば、 デビュー当初ではここまでの演奏は出来なかっただろうなぁ、と思う次第です。 2、3曲目のブルーズも流石はモーガン、そしてティモンズ、ブレイキー。 ブレイキーがドラムを叩いて、グダグダなブルーズに成る事は有り得ないので、 本盤でも本当に『これぞJAZZ、これぞブルーズ』と言った趣のサウンドを聴かせてくれます。 勿論、あくまで個人的には、の注釈が付きますが、モーガンの最高傑作だと思います。 モーガンの作品にハズレ無し、が私の持論ですが、本盤は諸作の中でも抜きん出た作品と確信します。