Lee Morgan

In only his second date as a leader, 18-year-old trumpeter Lee Morgan was already emerging from the long shadow cast by Clifford Brown, and this session is another step in the trumpet prodigy’s molting. Still, the set may be as notable for the four hard bop compositions of Benny Golson – including the first appearance of the soon-to-be-standard “Whisper Not” – and a stellar band of (mostly) young turks that included Hank Mobley on tenor, Horace Silver on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Charlie Persip on drums, and the little known Kenny Rodgers on alto. But with Silver laying down his soulful fills and the rhythm section driving the soloists on, Golson’s “Latin Hangover” and “Slightly Hep” sizzle with the funky finger-snapping energy of this era’s best hard bop. Frequent collaborators Morgan and Mobley are a good pairing, the elder player’s rich tone and considered attack contrasting nicely – and perhaps restraining to just the right degree -- the young trumpeter’s rapid-fire flights. While Rodgers doesn’t stand out, his quick-footed solo on Owen Marshall’s “D’s Fink” (Marshall’s other contribution is the equally up-tempo “His Sister”) is perfectly passable – and in this company, that’s saying something. There’s still room for Morgan to grow, which you can hear particularly when he plays muted, and Golson’s “Where Am I” is merely “Whisper Not” taken at a slower pace, but this is an otherwise fine set of mid-50s jazz.
- John Schacht, Amoeba.com7427252014488