March 7, 2019
Although recorded in 1965, this excellent Lee Morgan Quintet session (which features the trumpeter with altoist Jackie McLean, pianist Larry Willis, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Billy Higgins) was not released until 1980 and quickly went out of print until this 1998 CD reissue. It deserved a much better fate. The music (four Morgan and one McLean originals), even while being tied to the hard bop tradition, is challenging and (with the exception of the closing uptempo blues “Zip Code”) quite tricky; really inspiring the talented players. An underrated gem. ~ Scott Yanow
