Lee Morgan
The Sidewinder (Remastered)
Play The Sidewinder (Remastered)
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MOG Editorial Review
He gained attention early in his career by working with legends like Art Blakey and John Coltrane, but it wasn't until The Sidewinder that Lee Morgan became a household name. Though he was prolific until his death in 1972, one hard bop's greatest trumpeters reached an early peak with this 1963 landmark, a collection that took as much from jazz's past as pop music's future. In a best of both worlds situation, Morgan merged traditional jazz with his own free-form style, but the traces of soul and R&B found throughout are what really sets the album apart. What's more, Morgan's title track was one of the first jazz tunes to get a single edit, which also turned it into one of the genre's first modern pop chart successes.
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AMG Review of Sidewinder
Stacia Proefrock
All Music GuideCarried by its almost impossibly infectious eponymous opening track, The Sidewinder helped foreshadow the sounds of boogaloo and soul-jazz with its healthy R&B influence and Latin tinge. While the rest of the album retreats to a more conventional hard bop sound, Morgan's compositions are forward-thinking and universally solid. Only 25 at the time of its release, Morgan was accomplished (and perhaps cocky) enough to speak of mentoring the great Joe Henderson, who at 26 was just beginning to play dates with Blue Note after getting out of the military. Henderson makes a major contribution to the album, especially on "Totem Pole," where his solos showed off his singular style, threatening to upstage Morgan, who is also fairly impressive here. Barry Harris, Bob Cranshaw, and Billy Higgins are all in good form throughout the album as well, and the group works together seamlessly to create an album that crackles with energy while maintaining a stylish flow.
 "The Sidewinder (Remastered)")
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