Earl's Court — They Called Him Morgan | Lee Morgan on Vinyl | Blue Note · Savoy · Vee-Jay · Impulse!

Lee Morgan, start to finish. Twelve cuts across four labels, from his first leader date for Savoy at eighteen, through the sideman years with Coltrane and Art Blakey, to The Sidewinder and a selection of Blue Notes that followed. I just love the raw playfulness and intensity of Lee Morgan’s playing, his solo on Blue Train lives rent free in my soul (sorry, I went there). I can’t help but smile whenever that track plays. I don’t like to name my favourite artists, but I can’t help but feel good listening to his music over, and over again. He was truly a virtuoso. Search for the New Land sits at the centre. Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Grant Green all in an exploratory mood, working with Lee's longest piece. I love each track on this record, so I had to drop the needle on Mr. Kenyatta a few tracks later. Ceora, in my opinion one of the most beautiful pieces of music, sees it out. Along the way: Hank Mobley and Hank Jones on the Savoy debut, Benny Golson and Bobby Timmons on Moanin', Wayne Shorter's own first record with the Kelly–Chambers–Cobb rhythm section, Joe Henderson and Barry Harris on The Sidewinder, and Jackie McLean and Mobley on Cornbread. Recorded 24-bit direct from my new EAR834P clone and Little Bear T11 phono stages. I’ve rolled in some new Mullard, Genalex & Electro Harmonix 12AX7 tubes to my phono stages, but more on that in a future video. The 300B A50 is playing in the room. Decks: Rega Planar 3 (AT VM745xML) and Technics SL-1500C (AT VM95ML). The title's a nod to Kasper Collin's documentary “I Called Him Morgan”. Highly recommend finding it if you haven't seen it. Tracklist 00:00 Lee Morgan — Hank's Shout (A1) · Introducing Lee Morgan, Savoy, 1956 07:17 John Coltrane — Blue Train (A1) · Blue Train, Blue Note, 1957 17:57 Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers — Moanin' (A1) · Moanin', Blue Note, 1958 27:42 Wayne Shorter — Harry's Last Stand (A2) · Introducing Wayne Shorter, Vee-Jay, 1959 32:44 Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers — Alamode (A1) · Jazz Messengers!!!!!, Impulse!, 1961 39:27 Lee Morgan — The Sidewinder (A1) · The Sidewinder, Blue Note, 1963 49:47 Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers — Calling Miss Khadija (B1) · Indestructible, Blue Note, 1964 57:06 Lee Morgan — Search for the New Land (A1) · Search for the New Land, Blue Note, 1964 1:12:56 Lee Morgan — Speedball (A3) · The Gigolo, Blue Note, 1965 1:18:31 Lee Morgan — Mr. Kenyatta (B1) · Search for the New Land, Blue Note, 1964 1:27:06 Lee Morgan — Dear Sir (A3) · The Procrastinator, Blue Note, 1967 1:34:04 Lee Morgan — Ceora (B1) · Cornbread, Blue Note, 1965 Pressings Introducing Lee Morgan — Craft OJC Series, 2026 (CR00967), mono Blue Train — Blue Note mono reissue, 2022 (B0035203-01) Moanin' — Blue Note Classic Vinyl, 2021 Introducing Wayne Shorter — Craft OJC Series, 2025 (CR00858) Jazz Messengers!!!!! — Verve By Request, 2024 The Sidewinder — Blue Note Classic Vinyl, 2020 Indestructible — Blue Note Classic Vinyl, 2019 Search for the New Land — Blue Note Classic Vinyl, 2024 The Gigolo — Blue Note Classic Vinyl, 2024 The Procrastinator — Blue Note Classic Vinyl, 2025 Cornbread — Blue Note Tone Poet, 2019 All mastered from the original analog tapes: Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio for the Blue Note and OJC pressings; Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound for Jazz Messengers!!!!! #LeeMorgan #JazzOnVinyl #HardBop