 Lee Morgan After removing the sticky top UPC label on this 1966 release from Lee Morgan – Cornbread – I knew I was in for something special. Alfred Lion and Rudy Van Gelder deliver yet another Blue Note gem … Cornbread comes stacked with a respectable cadre of Blue Note regulars … Lee Morgan, who answers the question "What if Doc Severinsen had soul … and better clothes?" Jackie McLean adds a zesty alto sax that would melt pizza cheese (?), and Hank Mobley bumps Wayne Shorter out of the tenor sax seat. Mobley makes a good choice, thanks to his big sound and clever teamwork. Hank is, to me at least, preferable to Shorter tone, who I can't help but think of as the guy who had to replace Coltrane in Miles's band. Hank and Lee have some great interplay, in many respects loads better than the Shorter/Morgan stuff from the Jazz Messengers era. Herbie Hancock adds the signature Blue Note piano sound, and Larry Ridley delivers the bass groove, including the signature beat from the title track, which is an early 90s sampler's dream. The real hidden power of Lee Morgan's best work comes from drummer Billy Higgins … a true superhero though only acknowledged as such by connoissers, and such an incredible standout that you'd think everyone would have to wear the backstage headphones from "Family Feud" or "The Newlywed Game" to miss his agile, fluid, and dependable tempos, as well as his choice tom-tom fills. The title track kicks off with such flavor that you barely notice its 9:00 running time. In fact, I'm always sorry to hear it end. "Our Man Higgins" gives the aforementioned "Unknown Soldier" of drums a chance to step out and shine, while still affording plenty of room to this immaculately stacked combo. "Ceora" shows why jazz trumpeters choose to cover Morgan's slow material, as Lee manages to soar to new melodic heights without the blistering fingerings. Harold Arlen's "Ill Wind" gets a boost, as Hancock swerves through Morgan's musical slopes with consummate skill. The last track's title says it best. "Most Like Lee." Easy to see why.
Review by Casey Blick |