Morgan, Lee: The Sidewinder (Blue Note Classic) LP

Blue Note Records is pleased to present the Blue Note Classic Vinyl Reissue Series, a continuation of their acclaimed Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series which was launched in celebration of the label's 80th anniversary in 2019. The Classic Series will once again feature all-analog 180g vinyl pressings in standard packaging that are mastered by Kevin Gray directly from the original master tapes and manufactured at Optimal in Germany. The first 16 titles of the Classic Series will focus on the enduring classics of the Blue Note catalog, kicking off in December 2020 with the release of two masterpieces – pianist McCoy Tyner's The Real McCoy and trumpeter Lee Morgan's The Sidewinder. The Classic Series will be on-going, running alongside the Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series which is produced by Joe Harley.

Lee Morgan's magnum opus The Sidewinder – recorded in 1963 and release in 1964 – was both a comeback and a coronation. The prodigious trumpeter had debuted on Blue Note in 1956 at the age of 18, but personal problems in the early-60s forced him off the scene temporarily. His rebound recording turned out to be The Sidewinder, an assured and energetic set of five indelible Morgan originals featuring tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Billy Higgins. The album became his biggest commercial success fueled by the irrepressible title track. Morgan is in brilliant form throughout, playing with the brashness, confidence and soulfulness that had made him famous as a child prodigy in jazz.