The Lee Morgan Quintet ”The Rajah”

The Lee Morgan Quintet

”The Rajah”
( Blue Note Records, 1966 )
Catalog # BST 84426

Personnel:
Lee Morgan (tp)
Hank Mobley (ts)
Cedar Walton (p)
Paul Chambers (b)
Billy Higgins (d)
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio,
Englewood Cliffs, NJ, November 29, 1966

Tracklisting:
Davisamba
Once In My Lifetime
The Rajah
Is That So
A Pilgrim’s Funny Farm
What Now, My Love?

Review:
This long-lost Lee Morgan session was not released for the first time until it was discovered in the Blue Note vaults by Michael Cuscuna in 1984; it has still not been reissued. Originals by Cal Massey, Duke Pearson (”Is That So”) and Walter Davis, in addition to a couple of surprising pop tunes (”What Not My Love” and “Once in My Lifetime”) and Morgan’s title cut, are well-played by the quintet (which includes the trumpeter/leader, Hank Mobley on tenor, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Billy Higgins). Much of the music is reminiscent of The Jazz Messengers and that may have been the reason that it was lost in the shuffle for Morgan was soon investigating modal-oriented tunes. Despite its neglect, this is a fine session that Lee Morgan and hard bop fans will want.
By Scott Yanow (AMG)

By Pier