Lee Morgan Sidewinder CD

The Rudy Van Gelder Edition of THE SIDEWINDER includes an essay by Bob Blumenthal.
Personnel: Lee Morgan (trumpet); Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone); Barry Harris (piano); Bob Cranshaw (bass); Billy Higgins (drums).
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on December 21, 1963. Includes liner notes by Leonard Feather.
This is part of the Blue Note Rudy Van Gelder Editions series.
Carried by its almost impossibly infectious eponymous opening track, The Sidewinder helped foreshadow the sounds of boogaloo and soul-jazz with its healthy R&B influence and Latin tinge. While the rest of the album retreats to a more conventional hard bop sound, Morgan's compositions are forward-thinking and universally solid. Only 25 at the time of its release, Morgan was accomplished (and perhaps cocky) enough to speak of mentoring the great Joe Henderson, who at 26 was just beginning to play dates with Blue Note after getting out of the military. Henderson makes a major contribution to the album, especially on "Totem Pole," where his solos showed off his singular style, threatening to upstage Morgan, who is also fairly impressive here. Barry Harris, Bob Cranshaw, and Billy Higgins are all in good form throughout the album as well, and the group works together seamlessly to create an album that crackles with energy while maintaining a stylish flow. ~ Stacia Proefrock
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.Q (4/99, p.129) - Included in Q's list of "The Best Jazz Albums of All Time."