Sat 17th August, 17:00 – House of Hard Bop.
A continuation of the album Lee-Way from 1960 (see House of Hard Bop 1/3). Then music from the six years later recorded Delightfulee. Like Lee-Way a quintet formation, but also a larger ensemble: Oliver Nelson’s Big Band.
Lee Morgan also provided his own composition for Lee-Way (Blue Note Records): The Lion and the Wolff. A tribute to the two top men of Blue Note, Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff. An immediately catchy, percussive intro of bass and piano, unison in the low register. Drummer Blakey joins in.
Blakey is the fifth, and last soloist. But… is he starting yet? We only hear the beat. In this way he builds up the tension, and spreads it out over the twelve bars of the blues chorus. And then he begins. He starts softly, with a combination of stick and brush that is hard to imagine. As if three hands are at work. A hard cymbal blow, and then off we go with two sticks. That’s how we recognize him again.
Nakatini Suite (1948) comes from the musical brain of Cal Massey. Composer/trumpeter Cal Massey (1928-1972) is a lesser-known name. His compositions are highly valued among musicians, and have been recorded countless times by, among others, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard, Cedar Walton, Archie Shepp and Philly Joe Jones.
Nakatini was a journalist who had written positively about Massey. He returned the compliment in the form of a composition that he dedicated to him. And just like in his These Are Soulful Days (previous broadcast), there is a rhythmic hop-step-jump in it. Blakey is also the last soloist now, with an excitingly constructed course through his motif garden.
The quintet on Delightfulee – another pun – consists of Joe Henderson tenor, McCoy Tyner piano, Bob Cranshaw bass and Billy Higgins drums. A completely different line-up, and we will hear that.
Zambia, like the other selected pieces, is by Morgan. About the title he says: “I wanted to name a tune after the one of the newly independent African states.” What energy, in this catchy, 24-moderate theme. Energy and tension that remains at a high level in all the solos. In the final phase, Morgan heralds the eight-to-eight with Higgins with his well-known ‘fire-breathing’.
In Nite Flite everything remains at the same level. When mentioning Henderson’s particularly exuberant solo, and the penetrating work of drummer Higgins who is more than on top of everything, we do the others an injustice.
Let’s switch to the big band led by arranger Oliver Nelson. In addition to Morgan, Cranshaw and Tyner are back. In the strong line-up we hear tenorist Wayne Shorter and drummer Philly Joe Jones.
In Need I Nelson’s arrangement work is on the modest side. Shorter, Morgan and Tyner solo. There is also room for drummer Jones.
Filet of Soul slows down the tempo. That is noticeable – all the other pieces are in the same, faster tempo zone. Soul character! And finally there is the tuba of Don Butterfield in the arrangement. That deep, round, blown bass color is used too sparingly by the arrangers. Drummer Jones is soon on a sustained back beat, well suited to this soul tempo.
At 5’50”, after the piano solo, an arrangement gem by Nelson sounds: a unison of flute and sax, with the characteristics of a written improvisation.
The previously mentioned tuba sounds immediately at the start of Zambia, now arranged by Oliver Nelson for large ensemble. In the final passage, immediately before the return of the theme, drummer Jones lets loose for a while.
Good arrangements – but wouldn’t more have been possible in that respect?
The name Lee Morgan doesn’t appear much in the text above, even though the albums bear his name. In summary: as a leader, composer and trumpeter he functions here at his absolute top. The regular soloists of the big band, tenorist Wayne Shorter and pianist McCoy Tyner are equally good.
This whole hour is Een-Groot-Feest!
Click for the first broadcast (1/3) of ‘Hard bop trumpeter Lee Morgan’.
Click for the first News item (1/3)
House of Hard Bop – Eric Ineke
