Lee Morgan’s magnum opus The Sidewinder – recorded in 1963 and release in 1964 – was both a comeback and a coronation. The prodigious trumpeter had debuted on Blue Note in 1956 at the age of 18, but personal problems in the early-60s forced him off the scene temporarily.
His rebound recording turned out to be The Sidewinder, an assured and energetic set of 5 indelible Morgan originals featuring Joe Henderson, Barry Harris, Bob Cranshaw, and Billy Higgins. The album became his biggest commercial success fueled by the irrepressible title track.
PERSONNEL:
Lee Morgan – trumpet
Joe Henderson – tenor sax
Barry Harris – piano
Bob Cranshaw – bass
Billy Higgins – drums
Englewood Cliffs, NJ, December 21, 1963
SIDE A
A1. The Sidewinder
A2. Totem Pole
SIDE B
B1. Gary’s Notebook
B2. Boy, What A Night
B3. Hocus-Pocus