AMG Review of Very Best

Steve Leggett
All Music Guide

Hard bop trumpeter Lee Morgan and Blue Note Records had somewhat of a symbiotic relationship in the '50s and '60s, with the label giving Morgan both a home and a center in what was a frequently turbulent life, and with 1963's "The Sidewinder," a left-field pop hit, Morgan gave Blue Note a life-sustaining influx of cool cash. This Blue Note sampler includes "The Sidewinder" as well as other key Blue Note sides (including a couple from Morgan's critically acclaimed 1958 album Candy) and makes a nice introduction to this exciting and too often overlooked player.