Rumproller

Lee Morgan's brassy, declarative trumpet playing often gave rise to comparisons with Clifford Brown, but Morgan had a voice of his own, highlighted by a playful, insinuating way with the beat. Those sly, rhythmic inflections may have contributed much to his hit "Sidewinder," a combination of taut, hard bop and infectious, funky R&B backbeat that has found renewed life in recent years among turntable artists. The Rumproller, written by pianist Andrew Hill, combines the same elements for comparable effect and is held together by the groove developed by Morgan and Billy Higgins, whose sparkling drum work contributed to the success of many Blue Note recordings of the period. The rest of the session is exemplary hard bop, with strong tunes by Morgan and Wayne Shorter and vigorous solos by tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson and pianist Ronnie Matthews, as well as Morgan. The touching ballad "The Lady" features Morgan blowing a muted trumpet and revealing an introspective side that seldom surfaced in his music. --Stuart Broomer