Edward Lee Morgan (July 10, 1938 – February 19, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. One of the key hard bop musicians of the 1960s and a cornerstone of the Blue Note label,
Biography
Edward Lee Morgan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on July 10, 1938, the youngest of Otto Ricardo and Nettie Beatrice Morgan's four children.
Originally interested in the vibraphone, he soon showed a growing enthusiasm for the trumpet. On his thirteenth birthday, his sister Ernestine gave him his first trumpet. His primary stylistic influence was Clifford Brown, with whom he took a few lessons as a teenager.
Morgan recorded prolifically from 1956 until a day before his death in February 1972. He joined Dizzy Gillespie's big band at 18 and remained as a member for a year and a half until economic circumstances forced Gillespie to disband the unit in 1958. Morgan began recording for Blue Note in 1956, eventually recording 25 albums as a leader for the label. He also recorded on the Vee-Jay label and one album for Riverside Records on its short-lived Jazzland subsidiary. He was a featured sideman on several early Hank Mobley records, and intermittently thereafter. On John Coltrane's Blue Train (1958), Morgan played a trumpet with an angled bell given to him by Gillespie.
thumb|From left: Morgan, [[Jymie Merritt, and Wayne Shorter, 1959]]
Joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1958, Morgan further developed his talent as a soloist and composer. and served as the background theme for Chrysler television commercials during the World Series. The tune was used without Morgan's consent; after he threatened to sue, Chrysler agreed not to show the advertisement again and settled the case. Following an altercation between sets, Morgan's live-in girlfriend, Helen Moore, shot him. The injuries were not immediately fatal, but the ambulance was slow in arriving on the scene as the city had experienced heavy snowfall that resulted in extremely difficult driving conditions. They took so long to get there that Morgan bled to death. He was 33 years old. After her release, she returned to her native North Carolina and died there from a heart condition in March 1996.
Morgan and Moore are the subjects of a 2016 documentary I Called Him Morgan by Swedish filmmaker Kasper Collin. The film premiered on September 1, 2016, at the 73rd Venice Film Festival and was theatrically released in the U.S. on March 24, 2017. In his New York Times review, A. O. Scott called the film "a delicate human drama about love, ambition and the glories of music".
Discography
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! align="left" style="border-bottom:1px solid grey; border-top:1px solid grey;" | Title
! width="10" style="border-bottom:1px solid grey; border-top:1px solid grey;" |
! align="left" style="border-bottom:1px solid grey; border-top:1px solid grey;" | Year recorded
! width="10" style="border-bottom:1px solid grey; border-top:1px solid grey;" |
! align="left" style="border-bottom:1px solid grey; border-top:1px solid grey;" | Label
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Lee Morgan Indeed!
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1956
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Introducing Lee Morgan
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1956
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Savoy
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Lee Morgan Sextet
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1956
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Dizzy Atmosphere
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1957
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Specialty
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Lee Morgan Vol. 3
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1957
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | City Lights
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1957
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | The Cooker
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1957 (Released 1958)
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Candy
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1958
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Peckin' Time
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1958
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Here's Lee Morgan
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1960
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Vee-Jay
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| The Young Lions
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| 1960
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"|
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray;"| Vee-Jay
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Lee-Way
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1960
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Expoobident
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1960
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Vee-Jay
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Take Twelve
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1962
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Jazzland
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | The Sidewinder
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1963
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Search for the New Land
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1964 (Released 1966)
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Tom Cat
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1964 (Released 1980)
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | The Rumproller
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1965
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | The Gigolo
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1965 (Released 1968)
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Cornbread
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1965 (Released 1967)
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Infinity
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1965 (Released 1981)
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Delightfulee
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1966
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Charisma
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1966 (Released 1969)
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | The Rajah
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1966 (Released 1985)
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Standards
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1967 (Released 1998)
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Sonic Boom
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1967 (Released 1979)
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | The Procrastinator
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1967/1969 (Released 1978)
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | The Sixth Sense
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1967 (Released 1970)
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Taru
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1968 (Released 1980)
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Caramba!
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1968
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Live at the Lighthouse
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1970
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|-
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | The Last Session
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | 1971
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" |
| style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" | Blue Note
|}
Further reading
- McMillan, Jeff (2008). DelightfuLee: The Life and Music of Lee Morgan. University of Michigan Press.
- Perchard, Tom (2006). Lee Morgan: His Life, Music and Culture. Equinox.
References
External links
- Masaya Matsumura's Lee Morgan discography site – via Internet Archive
- Lee Morgan discography at jazzdisco.org
- Lee Morgan playing his ballad "Ceora" – via Internet Archive