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 Sunday, 21 March 2010 |
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All-Star Ensemble Presents Tribute "Charisma: The Music of Lee Morgan" in Oakland & Santa Cruz 2/4-8 |
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Written by Ronaldo Oregano
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Tuesday, 02 February 2010 |
 Lee Morgan
A cornerstone of the Blue Note label roster prior to his tragic demise, Lee Morgan was one of hard bop's greatest trumpeters, and indeed one of the finest of the '60s. For this celebration of Morgan's music, Trumpeter/Arranger David Weiss has put together a group that features the two saxophonists who were members of Lee's last groundbreaking working band, Bennie Maupin and Billy Harper and features the music from the repertoire of this great band. They debuted this tribute at the Iridium jazz club in New York and they will perform at Yoshi's in Oakland on Thursday, February 4th through Sunday, February 8th. On Monday, February 8th they will perform at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz. The all-star ensemble includes Billy Harper on tenor sax; Bennie Maupin on tenor, soprano sax and Bass clarinet; Eddie Henderson on trumpet; David Weiss on trumpet; Geri Allen on piano; Dwayne Burno on bass; and Billy Hart on drums.
 Charisma: The Music of Lee Morgan
An all-around master of his instrument modeled after Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan boasted an effortless, virtuosic technique and a full, supple, muscular tone that was just as powerful in the high register. His playing was always emotionally charged, regardless of the specific mood: cocky and exuberant on up-tempo groovers, blistering on bop-oriented technical showcases, sweet and sensitive on ballads and also found ways to mimic human vocal inflections by stuttering, slurring his articulations, and employing half-valved sound effects. As his original compositions began to take in elements of blues and R&B, he made greater use of space and developed an infectiously funky rhythmic sense.
Morgan got his start with the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band but rose to prominence with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. In 1964, he recorded The Sidewinder for Blue Note Records. The Morgan-composed title track was a funky, danceable groover that drew from soul-jazz, Latin boogaloo, blues, and R&B in addition to Morgan's trademark hard bop. It was unlike anything else he'd recorded before and became an unlikely hit for the label. It inched onto the lower reaches of the pop charts, and was licensed for use in a high-profile automobile ad campaign. Its success helped push The Sidewinder into the Top 25 of the pop LP charts, and the Top Ten on the R&B listing. Sales were brisk enough to revive the financially struggling Blue Note label, and likely kept it from bankruptcy; it also led to numerous 'Sidewinder'-style grooves popping up on other Blue Note artists' albums. Morgan was asked to write more tunes in the style of The Sidewinder in hopes of a follow-up hit and Morgan obliged but Morgan also formed a working band that was increasingly moving into more modal and free-form music, stretching the boundaries of hard bop. His funkier instincts were still evident as well, shifting gradually from boogaloo to early electrified. This sound is reflected on his last two albums, Live At The Lighthouse and what has become known as the Last Session which featured a tight, energetic, boundary stretching working band with bold new compositions from most of it's members. Unfortunately the development of this group was cut short by Morgan's tragic death in 1972. He was just 33 years old.
Yoshi’s is located at Jack London Square in Oakland. Visit www.yoshis.com for ticket information. The Kuumbwa Jazz Center is located at 320-2 Cedar Street in Santa Cruz. Call (831) 427-2227 or visit www.kuumbwajazz.org for ticket information.
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