Lee Morgan - Sextet (1990 Japanese Blue Note Mono LP Limited Edition)

Vinyl: NM
Sleeve: NM
Obi: NM

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Lee Morgan - Sextet Vinyl LP - 1990 Japanese Blue Note BLP 1500 Revival Limited Edition Mono Reissue

Eighteen-year-old trumpeter Lee Morgan's first recording as leader captures the prodigious talent that would make him one of hard bop's most celebrated voices. Recorded on 2 December 1956 at Rudy Van Gelder's Hackensack studio, this sextet session features an exceptional lineup: tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, alto saxophonist Kenny Rodgers, pianist Horace Silver, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Charlie Persip. The six compositions (all Morgan originals except the closing "D's Fink") showcase his gift for memorable hard bop themes and his already mature trumpet technique. Released in Japan on 26 December 1990 as part of Blue Note's BLP 1500 Revival series, this limited edition mono pressing by Toshiba EMI documents Morgan at the beginning of a brilliant career cut tragically short.

At eighteen, Morgan displays remarkable compositional and improvisational skills, his trumpet work combining bebop fluency with a distinctive sound and phrasing that would influence countless players. The three-horn frontline of Morgan, Mobley, and Rodgers creates rich ensemble textures, while Silver's piano provides both hard-driving accompaniment and characteristically funky solo statements. The rhythm section of Chambers and Persip, both established masters despite their youth, swings effortlessly throughout. Mobley's distinctive tenor sound, slightly behind the beat with a gentle edge, complements Morgan's brighter, more aggressive trumpet perfectly.

Van Gelder's recording captures each instrument with clarity while maintaining the warmth expected from mid-1950s Blue Note sessions. The mono format presents the sextet with directness and presence that serves this energetic hard bop date perfectly.