"He had a fat, crisp tone, a good range, and he played with immense expressiveness and urgency—a style rooted in the inflexions of the blues, with slurred and bent notes, funky phrases, and great rhythmic momentum." -

One of jazz' most prodigious and tragic figures, Lee Morgan is the subject of a weekend tribute at the Artists Quarter, courtesy of the Jon Pemberton Quintet. Morgan was considered by many to be the pre-eminent bop trumpeter of the 1960s. As a teen sideman for John Coltrane and leader in his own right, Morgan was the acclaimed successor to Clifford Brown, beginning professional gigs around his native Philadelphia at age 15, shortly after Brown's death. By 18 he was playing with Dizzy Gillespie, was on the front line for Coltrane's Blue Train in 1957, recorded two hit Blue Note sides as a leader shortly thereafter, and soon joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In 1963, he released his biggest hit, The Sidewinder. All together, Lee Morgan recorded over 30 albums in his short 33 years, a life that ended violently on a New York club stage at the hand of his common-law wife.

The legacy of Lee Morgan will be celebrated February 4-5 at the Artists Quarter under the capable leadership of Twin Cities' trumpeter Jon Pemberton.

Chris Lomheim is arguably the local poet laureate of piano, a magnificent lyricist whose sublime touch enriches every gig. A graduate of the Illicit Sextet, Lomheim frequently comps for area vocalists, swings often with his own trio, and has two stellar recordings to his credit via Artegra Records (And You've Been Waiting? and The Bridge). Jeremy Walker of Brilliant Corners called Lomheim "the most sensitive and romantic player you will hear around the Twin Cities' scene. He has prodigious piano technique and an individual ear for harmony."

Gary Berg has long entertained Twin Cities audiences with his tenor sax (and sometimes harmonica), notably with his annual tribute to Stan Getz. His contributions to local recordings are legion, including recent turns with Carole Martin (Pieces of Dreams) and George Avaloz (The Highest Mountain); he is a regular cohort of organ giant Billy Holloman on Tuesday Organ Nights at the AQ. Noted Jonathan Francis in the MAC Weekly, "Gary Berg's solos are masterpieces of wit and charm, bop-driven and infused with soul."

First-call bassist Tom Lewis plays with many local ensembles, most notably with the Phil Aaron Trio in a long-standing gig at the Hotel Sofitel, and often with the Phil Hey Quartet. He was also a member of Eddie Berger's renowned Jazz All-Stars. Notes Don Berryman, "Tom is a straight ahead, hard bop and bebop bassist and he swings like anything."

Drummer Kenny Horst has "great hard-bop, soul jazz, and fusion chops and [is] the sweetest guy you could meet" (Don Berryman), and also happens to own the Artists Quarter. In addition to sitting in with nearly every touring headliner, Horst has regular gigs with the eclectic quartet, How Birds Work, the Tuesday Night Band (B-3 Organ Night), and The Five.

The music of Lee Morgan still swings at full throttle, and this weekend, the greatest sounds of bebop will rise again, channeled by the Jon Pemberton Quintet.

The Artists Quarter is located in the lower level of the Hamm Building in downtown St. Paul, St. Peter Street and 7^th Place. Sets on Friday and Saturday night start at 9 pm. Visit www.mnjazz.com