Down Beat : 04/30/1957
Nat Hentoff : 4 stars

Actually, Blue Note first “introduced” Morgan with an LP by him as a leader. This is really Mobley‘s date, and the story I get is that Lee was a last-minute substitution. Anyway, it’s Lee on the cover and he gets top billing on the title.

This is a better album than Lee’s Blue Note set, mainly because Hank is a more assured and mature soloist than the alto with Lee on Blue Note. Hank, in fact, impresses me more with each record as his tone becomes fuller and his conception more personal.

Lee, who has become widely known outside of Philadelphia by his current work in the Dizzy Gillespie band, is a ball to hear. His style is still developing, but what he has absorbed thus far he has integrated to make a logical, sharply swinging, stimulating voice that is essentially characterized by a climbing joy in playing, in spontaneous, uncool self-expression. He sings out, sometimes roars, and never mutters.

The rhythm section is excellent. Taylor, another musician who has continued to grow, sets and keeps alive a moving but not overriding beat. Watkins is firm tonally and rhythmically in the section and also solos imaginatively. Hank Jones is Hank Jones, a high compliment. The last four tracks feature Watkins, Morgan, Jones and Mobley respectively. Interesting notes by H. Alan Stein.

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Liner Notes by H. Alan Stein

Debuting here on wax for the first time in a major soloist role, the young Philadelphian Lee Morgan makes an impressive entry into the rolls of important jazzmen. A startling young man who is bursting with the enthusiasm, the musical “joi de vivre” that comes forth from his brass horn of plenty. Sharing this musical event is Hank Mobley‘s recording group. Hank, post-bop stalwart and roaring companion of Max Roach and Horace Silver and their groups, chose ever-tasty, ever-swinging Hank Jones, Art Taylor (leading student of the Roach-Clarke–Blakey school of modern drums) and young Doug Watkins, upcoming Detroit bass star of the Kenny Dorham group.

Lee, known to his intimates as “Howdy Doody” due to his large-eared appearance, is a member of Dizzy Gillespie‘s current big band. As such he has become a member of the “tilted trumpet” set. Diz, as most know, developed a new style trumpet, in which the bell of the instrument tilts up at a 45 degree angle, and has outfitted his trumpet section with them. The result is not a distortion or change in the essential trumpet sound, but rather a device that is supposed to elevate the sound from the horn so that it doesn’t blast out at the listener, but rather reflects downward from above so that the sound joins and blends better with the other instruments in the group. Lee’s adaptation of this new-design horn, along with the standard trumpet, is additional tribute by him to his mentor, the fabulous John Birks Gillespie. Diz, in return, allows Lee the high privilege of becoming a featured soloist in the band… indeed a high tribute form a trumpeter-leader to a rising young talent. Critics and fans alike were equally impressed with Lee’s brilliant work on the band’s recent Birdland stint. Although only 19 years old, Lee has considerable maturation on his horn. From Philadelphia, he gigged locally with groups in that area and Camden, New Jersey before joining Dizzy. In appearance, many feel he is almost a double for his friend, the late, great Clifford Brown.

In style, Lee is not is not quite definitive yet. His forte, and the reason why he deserves this album is the terrific enthusiasm and need for inventive room. Tho’ young in years, his tone and style harken back to middle bop areas. In the slow passages, (i.e. P.S. I Love You) he states melody in a straight-forward manner utilizing the ever-present bop grace-noted figures. Then, he proceeds to the lovely development in the second chorus in an almost double-time effect. The tonal approach is big, not the choked west-coast style, and his sense of dynamics is similar in line to Miles Davis. On the up-things, Lee abounds with roaring ideas. Notes and invention spill forth in an cascading spume of notes. On Hank’s Shout a medium-up blues, he enters in a series of punctuating staccato bursts, dropping cozily into a flurry of eight noted runs and figures as he goes from chorus to chorus, returning to the repetitive percussive punctuation for his last chorus, only in range and with flash and color. Lee plays open horn on all numbers except the late Fats Navarro‘s Nostalgia which is muted and nice.

The album contents are simple and effective. Two originals, a late ‘forties Navarro riff line based on Out of Nowhere and a ballad medley of 4 tunes. The lines and overall feel of the set is definitely east-coast post-bop, following the pattern of groups like The Jazz Messengers, Disciples, Max Roach, Miles Davis.

Hank Mobley, leader of the date, although a comparative youngster (only 26) is definitely one of today’s important young tenor horns. Originally from Georgia, Hank’s main home area from early days to the present is Newark, NJ. He’s an alumna of Dizzy, Max, and Horace Silver groups, and has appeared before on Savoy records. Utilizing a big tone, Hank is a rollicking soloist. He roars thru the blues Shout, bounces in long lines on Nostalgia which swings lightly, and plays pretty and fluffy on his ballad solo vehicle, That’s All. Of great value are the many traded 4’s in the set between Hank and Lee, and also between Hank, Lee and Art Taylor.

Drummer Art Taylor is an exponent of the ever-busy, every comping school of drums led by Art Blakey. Combining many of Max Roach’s rhythmic and solo concepts and Kenny Clarke’s time-lag effects, with Blakey’s loose-sounding barrage, Art Taylor has evolved a modern style that is much in demand. Since 1950 he has played with Coleman Hawkins, Buddy DeFranco, Bud Powell, George Wallington, Art Farmer and others. His efforts on this album are splendid. In addition to the busy accompanying line described above which features a heavy “ump-ching” offbeat sock-cymbal rhythm, Art solos in spurts throughout. He opens Shout and Bet, has 4’s on them, too. They are explosive and rhythmically interesting in balance.

Need more praises be heaped on the fabulous Hank Jones? As the almost “house” pianist for Savoy over the last year, Hank has received acclaim and adulation as a “new” star. The senior veteran of this combo, (born 1918) his fantastic taste, “lifting” ability and expressiveness make him a diamond asset to any session. Listen to his light touch single-noted effects throughout. Easy Living is his ballad vehicle and displays that touch of velvet Garnerism that occasionally comes into his work.

Bass chores are excitingly handled by a young star who is no newcomer to Savoy album fans. Doug Watkins, in his one year on the New York jazz scene, has daily increased his enviable reputation for swinging ability, agile technique, and facility of idea expression. He walks a solo on Shout, roams solo on Nostalgia and Bet and plays Softly As In A Morning Sunrise – as a complete 2 chorus solo vehicle. Fantastic.

By the way… who shouts going from the bass solo into the last chorus of Nostalgia?

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Some Thoughts on a Timely Subject…

Record firms who issue jazz LPs usually divide their work into 3 chronological categories: A. Early period jazz, covering New Orleans, Chicago and other Dixieland styles as performed by original casts and by recent “revivalist” groups; B. Swing and modern jazz by established “name” personalities and groups; and C. Experimental jazz by Newcomers. Recently in the various jazz trade magazines there has been an upswinging of comments by reviewers and columnists criticizing the many jazz record firms for issuing 12″ LPs by comparatively new and untried and unmatured young artists. The basis for the criticism seems to cover the following points: (1) that jazz record firms should better spend their money and effort promoting “names” who are currently being neglected on wax, so that their record history may continue, and (2) that many of the young artists now getting their own LPs are not fully matured enough to warrant such a prolonged statement by the limitation of their expressive abilities. The end result, claim the critics, is an increase in mediocre jazz foisted on the public.

Now, this writer feels quite differently on the subject and would like to state his reasons here, with the understanding that these comments refer not to the album enclosed here, nor to Savoy Records, but rather to all young artists in jazz and all record labels in the field of jazz.

The manufacture and sale of records is a business which seeks a profit. Of all forms of record promotion, the field of jazz is the most tenuous for the following reasons: (1) There is far greater gamble in a firm’s regaining even the initial expense of recording and pressing due to the limited market of jazz record buyers and the intense competition in the field which equals that in the popular record field. The few outstanding success stories (like the BG Carnegie Concert album) are few and far between. (2) The surveys show that the average jazz record buyer is around college age and is very fad-minded in his tastes for jazz, many times overlooking an “evergreen” for some new avant-garde trend in his choice of records to buy.

To this writing, it is to the great credit of the firms producing Jazz LP albums that such a large number of relative “unknowns” and newcomers are represented on wax. It is to the credit of the A&R department of EVERY jazz record firm that they do so diligently pursue the new, upcoming star of tomorrow (AS WELL AS the established star who guarantees them sales), and gives these new performers these opportunities to record. On today’s jazz scene, the income a creative jazz musician derives from record performances many times equals or exceeds that which he can earn in the few limited public spots that feature jazz. These clubs, too, must preserve a balance of income between the established “name” who draws crowds and pays bills, and the newcomer who needs exposure to the jazz public. With this thought in mind, the jazz record firm in a sense is underwriting the jazz of tomorrow with their efforts.

And, here are some more reasons… (1) The newcomer on his own LP usually has the support of experience men to aid him. Conversely, when he appears with a “star” he many times must take a solo back seat and not have space to roam. (2) A young performer needs the seasoning of extended space for blowing to get across what the experienced “star” can state more succinctly. Also, the self-analysis available to him afterwards is rewarding in future performances. (3) For the encouragement of the young artist, to better our future jazz and retain performers worth of jazz’ future, what better recognition than to star in his own album. (4) From a critical standpoint, the young star should be offered for appraisal so that his efforts may be hailed or cautioned by the pundits of the jazz press, resulting in encouragement for the top potentials, constructive criticism for others, an objective viewpoint for even others. (5) Possible results from the album should bring a newcomer into more lucrative jobs as a “star of records” and give him the prestige needed to make the many financial privations during lean periods at least bearable. (6) Lastly, should he reach the apex in future days, the value of early recorded history is immense.