Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder [Blue Note Essential Vinyl LP]

A punchy two-note bass figure and Lee Morgan's trumpet line give The Sidewinder its unmistakable opening, but the album reaches well beyond its title track. Morgan leads Joe Henderson, Barry Harris, Bob Cranshaw, and Billy Higgins through five original compositions built from hard bop, blues, and soul jazz. Recorded during Morgan's return to regular studio work, the session became his commercial breakthrough and one of Blue Note's defining releases.

"The Sidewinder" works from a repeating bass pattern, clipped horn responses, and a relaxed groove that leaves room for Morgan and Henderson to trade extended solos. "Totem Pole" shifts into a Latin-leaning rhythm with a longer, more winding theme, while "Gary's Notebook" moves through brisk horn lines and a compact arrangement. "Boy, What A Night" gives Barry Harris and Billy Higgins more space inside a blues form, and "Hocus-Pocus" closes the set with quick exchanges between trumpet and tenor saxophone.

Morgan wrote every composition on the album, allowing the quintet's identity to develop through his own themes rather than a mixture of standards and outside material. This Blue Note Essential vinyl record is mastered from a high-resolution digital source and pressed on 140g vinyl. Its two sides preserve the original five-track LP sequence, ending with the fast-moving "Hocus-Pocus."

• Format: Vinyl LP
• Standout tracks: "The Sidewinder," "Totem Pole," "Gary's Notebook," "Hocus-Pocus"
• Pressing details: Blue Note Essential Vinyl Series, 140g vinyl, high-resolution digital master
• Genre/style: Hard Bop, Soul Jazz, Jazz
• UPC: 199957593113

"The Sidewinder" supplies the album's best-known groove, while "Totem Pole" and "Hocus-Pocus" show how much range Morgan built into the same quintet session. Joe Henderson's tenor saxophone gives the trumpet lines a contrasting voice throughout all five pieces.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. The Sidewinder
2. Totem Pole

Side B:

1. Gary’s Notebook
2. Boy, What A Night
3. Hocus-Pocus