Lee Morgan - Jazz Profile: Lee Morgan (1997)

Trumpeter Lee Morgan was one of Blue Note's most important artists in the 1960s. This CD sampler has six rewarding numbers that are easily available elsewhere, not representing all the best of Lee Morgan, just random spots in his busy recording career. His big hit, "The Sidewinder," is naturally here, but the other choices ("C.T.A.," "Trapped," "Twilight Mist," "Our Man Higgins," and "The Procrastinator") were not inevitable. Surprisingly, "Candy" and "Ceora" are absent, as are Morgan's later, more modal explorations. This CD works as an introduction for beginners, but anyone who already has a few Lee Morgan sets can feel free to pass it by.