Lee Morgan

Lee Morgan 是60年代BlueNote唱片公司的最出色的小號手之一，他的小號演奏可以說集合了Dizzy Gillespie的熟練精密以及Miles Davis 的靈氣。1938年出生的他在15歲開始 接觸爵士樂，那時咆哮樂已成為爵士樂界的主流音樂。1956年加入Dizzy Gillespie的咆哮大樂團，1958年成為Art Blakey領導下的爵士信差中的一員。當離開爵士信差獨立發(fā)展時開始形成自己的風格。1963年到紐約發(fā)展并擁有自己的樂隊，為 BlueNote唱片公司錄制了《The Sidewinder》，繼而在1965年推出的《The Rumproller》，均有不錯的銷量。在之前Lee Morgan 作為樂隊的伴奏，曾在很多經(jīng)典的名曲中出現(xiàn)，象Dizzy Gillespie的"Night In Tunisia"、Art Blakey的"Moanin"、John Coltrane的"Blue Trane"等等。 　　
《Caramba》是集中了Lee Morgan生平的小號演奏技術的出色唱片，當時的他才29歲，但已經(jīng)是專門錄制硬咆哮的Blue Note唱片公司代表人物?！禖aramba》里面有這么一段文字，大意是："最近我為一位并非搞音樂的朋友播放一段錄音，他首先評論道：'這小號手確實吹出了不俗的聲音。'然后說：'他的樂句很好，知道如何運用空間'。錄音結(jié)束后，朋友的臉上露出賞識的笑容：'當然！這是Lee Morgan！"作為60年代這個盛行硬咆哮樂的年代，無庸置疑，Lee Morgan是這個時代的代表人物，他獨具個性的音樂語言，每個音符都仿佛烙下難以磨滅的情感。Track 2 "Suicide City"在《Caramba》中顯得尤其突出，典型的咆哮速度和Cedar Walton頗為低沉而清晰的鋼琴伴奏下似乎在暗示著這個霓虹璀璨的城市背后不可名狀的孤寂，這種感覺一直延續(xù)到Track 3"Cunning Lee",仿佛有著一種不可分割的聯(lián)系，那種發(fā)自靈魂深處的侵蝕性徹底表露無遺。Cedar Walton的琴聲在Track 4"Soulita"中顯得甚為干脆，小號仿佛已經(jīng)不再是樂器，細微的質(zhì)感足以反映出Lee Morgan的才華，Track 4"Helen's Ritual"也是如此。 　　
《Caramba》的重磅當然是Track 1標題曲"Caramba"，12分鐘的擴展伴奏把這支五重奏（除了Lee Morgan和鋼琴手Cedar Walton還包括中音薩克斯手Bennie Maupin、低音提琴手Reggie Workman、鼓手Billy Higgins）的默契充分展現(xiàn)了出來。Track 6"A Baby's Smile"是一首贈曲，音樂變得舒緩起來，Lee Morgan除了對硬咆哮樂的精湛，而且對Ballads也有一手，難怪一位不太喜歡硬咆哮樂的朋友曾說過他最喜歡Lee Morgan的這個演繹，浪漫的情感在小號下傾泄而出。 　　
《Caramba》的發(fā)行時間是1968年5月，一個月后，黑人民主運動領袖Martin Luther King（馬丁·路德·金）在一場政治風波中離奇被暗殺，或許這是一個預示，四年后Lee Morgan也被一顆子彈穿過心臟，當時他在紐約城市夜總會演出，由于事前和女友Helen More有過不愉快的爭執(zhí)，Helen More離開俱樂部后返回并帶來了一支手槍，終于結(jié)束了Lee Morgan的生命，結(jié)束了他短暫而燦爛的一生，那是1972年2月19日。正如8年后John Lennon復出時被自己的歌迷槍殺一樣，這是音樂中的最大悲劇，想到此，唏噓感慨不禁在我心底象蟲子一般噬咬起來，我繼續(xù)看著車窗外的霓虹城市，想著"Suicide City"，但此時感覺卻痛快不起來了。
by Steve Huey
A cornerstone of the Blue Note label roster prior to his tragic demise, Lee Morgan was one of hard bops greatest trumpeters, and indeed one of the finest of the 60s. An all-around master of his instrument modeled after Clifford Brown, Morgan boasted an effortless, virtuosic technique and a full, supple, muscular tone that was just as powerful in the high register. His playing was always emotionally charged, regardless of the specific mood: cocky and exuberant on up-tempo groovers, blistering on bop-oriented technical showcases, sweet and sensitive on ballads. In his early days as a teen prodigy, Morgan was a busy soloist with a taste for long, graceful lines, and honed his personal style while serving an apprenticeship in Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers. As his original compositions began to take in elements of blues and R&B, he made greater use of space and developed an infectiously funky rhythmic sense. He also found ways to mimic human vocal inflections by stuttering, slurring his articulations, and employing half-valved sound effects. Toward the end of his career, Morgan was increasingly moving into modal music and free bop, hinting at the avant-garde but remaining grounded in tradition. He had already overcome a severe drug addiction, but sadly, he would not live to continue his musical growth; he was shot to death by his common-law wife in 1972.Edward Lee Morgan was born in Philadelphia on July 10, 1938. He grew up a jazz lover, and his sister apparently gave him his first trumpet at age 14. He took private lessons, developing rapidly, and continued his studies at Mastbaum High School. By the time he was 15, he was already performing professionally on the weekends, co-leading a group with bassist Spanky DeBrest. Morgan also participated in weekly workshops that gave him the chance to meet the likes of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and his idol Clifford Brown. After graduating from high school in 1956, Morgan — along with DeBrest — got the chance to perform with Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers when they swung through Philadelphia. Not long after, Dizzy Gillespie hired Morgan to replace Joe Gordon in his big band, and afforded the talented youngster plenty of opportunities to solo, often spotlighting him on the Gillespie signature piece A Night in Tunisia. Clifford Browns death in a car crash in June 1956 sparked a search for his heir apparent, and the precocious Morgan seemed a likely candidate to many; accordingly, he soon found himself in great demand as a recording artist. His first session as a leader was cut for Blue Note in November 1956, and over the next few months he recorded for Savoy and Specialty as well, often working closely with Hank Mobley or Benny Golson. Later in 1957, he performed as a sideman on John Coltranes classic Blue Train, as well as with Jimmy Smith.Morgans early sessions showed him to be a gifted technician who had his influences down pat, but subsequent dates found him coming into his own as a distinctive, original stylist. That was most apparent on the Blue Note classic Candy, a warm standards album completed in 1958 and released to great acclaim. Still only 19, Morgans playing was still imbued with youthful enthusiasm, but he was also synthesizing his influences into an original sound of his own. Also in 1958, Gillespies big band broke up, and Morgan soon joined the third version of Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers, which debuted on the classic Moanin album later that year. As a leader, Morgan recorded a pair of albums for Vee Jay in 1960, Heres Lee Morgan and Expoobident, and cut another for Blue Note that year, Leeway, with backing by many of the Jazz Messengers. None managed to measure up to Candy, and Morgan, grappling with heroin addiction, wound up leaving the Jazz Messengers in 1961. He returned to his hometown of Philadelphia to kick the habit, and spent most of the next two years away from music, working occasionally with saxophonist Jimmy Heath on a local basis. His replacement in the Jazz Messengers was Freddie Hubbard, who would also become one of the top hard bop trumpeters of the 60s.Morgan returned to New York in late 1963, and recorded with Blue Note avant-gardist Grachan Moncur on the trombonists debut Evolution. He then recorded a comeback LP for Blue Note called The Sidewinder, prominently featuring the up-and-coming Joe Henderson. The Morgan-composed title track was a funky, danceable groover that drew from soul-jazz, Latin boogaloo, blues, and R&B in addition to Morgans trademark hard bop. It was rather unlike anything else hed cut, and it became a left-field hit in 1964; edited down to a 45 rpm single, it inched onto the lower reaches of the pop charts, and was licensed for use in a high-profile automobile ad campaign. Its success helped push The Sidewinder into the Top 25 of the pop LP charts, and the Top Ten on the R&B listing. Sales were brisk enough to revive the financially struggling Blue Note label, and likely kept it from bankruptcy; it also led to numerous Sidewinder-style grooves popping up on other Blue Note artists albums. By the time The Sidewinder became a phenomenon, Morgan had rejoined the Jazz Messengers, where he would remain until 1965; there he solidified a long-standing partnership with saxophonist Wayne Shorter.Morgan followed the most crucial recording of his career with the excellent, more abstract Search for the New Land, which was cut in early 1964, before The Sidewinder hit. An advanced modal bop session called Tom Cat was also recorded shortly thereafter, but both were shelved in hopes of scoring another Sidewinder. Accordingly, Morgan re-entered the studio in early 1965 to cut The Rumproller, whose Andrew Hill-penned title cut worked territory that was highly similar to Morgans breakout hit. Commercial lightning didnt strike twice, but Morgan continued to record prolifically through 1965, cutting excellent sessions like The Gigolo, Cornbread, and the unissued Infinity. The Gigolo introduced one of Morgans best-known originals, the bluesy Speedball, while the classic Cornbread featured his ballad masterpiece Ceora. Search for the New Land was finally issued in 1966, and it achieved highly respectable sales, reaching the Top 20 of the R&B album charts; both Cornbread and The Gigolo would sell well among jazz audiences when they were released in 1967 and 1968, respectively.By the time Morgan completed those albums, he had left the Jazz Messengers to begin leading his own groups outside the studio. He was also appearing frequently as a sideman on other Blue Note releases, working most often with tenorman Hank Mobley. Morgan was extraordinarily prolific over 1966-1968, cutting around eight albums worth of material (though not all of it was released at the time). Highlights included Delightfulee, The Procrastinator, and the decent-selling Caramba!, which nearly made the Top 40 of the R&B album chart. His compositions were increasingly modal and free-form, stretching the boundaries of hard bop; however, his funkier instincts were still evident as well, shifting gradually from boogaloo to early electrified fusion. Morgans recording pace tailed off at the end of the 60s, but he continued to tour with a regular working group that prominently featured saxophonist Bennie Maupin. This bands lengthy modal explorations were documented on the double LP Live at the Lighthouse, recorded in Los Angeles in July 1970; it was later reissued as a three-CD set with a generous amount of extra material. Morgan led what turned out to be the last session of his life in September 1971. On February 19, 1972, Morgan was performing at the New York club Slugs when he was shot and killed by his common-law wife, Helen More. Accounts of exactly what happened vary; whether they argued over drugs or Morgans fidelity, whether she shot him outside the club or up on the bandstand in front of the audience, jazz lost a major talent. Despite his extensive recorded legacy, Morgan was only 33 years old. Many of his unreleased Blue Note sessions began to appear in the early 80s, and his critical standing has hardly diminished a whit.