Lee Morgan Tom Cat CD

Personnel: Lee Morgan (trumpet); Jackie McLean (alto saxophone); Curtis Fuller (trombone); McCoy Tyner (piano); Bob Cranshaw (bass); Art Blakey (drums).
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on August 11, 1964. Includes liner notes by Michael Cuscuna.
Personnel: Lee Morgan (trumpet); Bob Cranshaw (upright bass); Jackie McLean (alto saxophone); Curtis Fuller (trombone); McCoy Tyner (piano); Art Blakey (drums).
Audio Remasterer: Rudy Van Gelder.
Liner Note Authors: Michael Cuscuna; Bob Blumenthal.
Photographer: Francis Wolff.
It seems strange that the music on this CD was not released initially until 1980. Trumpeter Lee Morgan had had an unexpected hit with "The Sidewinder," so his more challenging recordings were temporarily put aside. As it turns out, this was one of Morgan's better sets from the 1960s and he had gathered together quite an all-star cast: altoist Jackie McLean, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Art Blakey. They perform "Rigormortis," McCoy Tyner's "Twilight Mist," and three of the trumpeter's originals, including the title cut. The advanced hard bop music still sounds fresh decades later despite its initial neglect. ~ Scott Yanow
TOM CAT is one of the amazing trumpeter Lee Morgan's many excellent '60s sides for Blue Note. Still just 26 when the album was recorded, Morgan is in firm control of these exuberant proceedings and his trumpet playing is always inspired and frequently dazzling.
Listening to Morgan and alto sax great Jackie McLean go head to head on these five extended numbers should be enough to satisfy any fan of hard-core hard bop. And the rest of the cast isn't too shabby either: Curtis Fuller on trombone, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Art Blakey, Morgan's former boss in the Jazz Messengers, on drums.
It seems strange that the music on this CD was not released initially until 1980. Trumpeter Lee Morgan had had an unexpected hit with "The Sidewinder," so his more challenging recordings were temporarily put aside. As it turns out, this was one of Morgan's better sets from the 1960s and he had gathered together quite an all-star cast: altoist Jackie McLean, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Art Blakey. They perform "Rigormortis," McCoy Tyner's "Twilight Mist," and three of the trumpeter's originals, including the title cut. The advanced hard bop music still sounds fresh decades later despite its initial neglect. [The Rudy Van Gelder editon of Tom Cat includes remastered sound and new liner notes.] ~ Scott Yanow