Lee Morgan • The Last Session

 

Review by Michael G. Nastos  
Lee Morgan's final studio recording before he was murdered was initially released as a two-fer LP, and the original recordings without alternate takes are included here on one CD. This was a fertile creative time for Morgan, as rivals Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw were embracing the electrified sounds of the times and Morgan followed suit. Harold Mabern is on the Fender Rhodes piano, tenor saxophonist Billy Harper proves a formidable front-line mate, and the vibrant Bobbi Humphrey is heard on flute before she commercialized her sound. It would be the last creative project Humphrey would involve herself in. Add the exciting trombonist Grachan Moncur III, drummer Freddie Waits, electric bass guitarist Jymie Merritt, and acoustic bassist Reggie Workman, and you have a dream team of unstoppable modern musicians who fully embrace progressive concepts and traditional values at once. One of the most famous compositions in modern jazz, "Croquet Ballet," is here in its initial form, and also available on Harper's Black Saint CD. It's a classic waltz sporting the brightest exuberant and memorable melody molded around a dancing image enhanced by unison and harmonic substance, Humphrey's over the top flute, the bold excursions of Harper, and scintillating solos. Closely following this in terms of enduring jazz are "Capra Black" and "In What Direction Are You Headed?" The former is a heavy and dark modal post-bop magnum opus well known in Harper's repertoire, while the latter has Mabern's perky Rhodes setting the pace in a bright, happy strutting 7/8 and diffuse 4/4, again with the atmospheric flute of Humphrey. "Angela" is led by the introspective bass of Merritt and reflects a sighing emotive motif, while the 17-minute "Inner Passions Out," written by Waits, holds an Arabic feel with the drummer also playing a shenai-sounding recorder. One of the bandmembers (unidentified) on mbira prompts a two-note modal framework from the bass players in an underground-to-free romp stomp. It is unfortunate that the brilliant and forward-thinking Morgan was cut down at such a young age, for as the music was changing, he would have adapted, as this final statement valiantly suggests.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-last-session-mw0000035126

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Reseña de Michael G. Nastos  
La última grabación de estudio de Lee Morgan antes de ser asesinado se publicó inicialmente como un LP de dos discos, y las grabaciones originales sin tomas alternativas se incluyen aquí en un CD. Esta fue una época creativa fértil para Morgan, ya que sus rivales Freddie Hubbard y Woody Shaw estaban adoptando los sonidos electrificados de la época y Morgan siguió su ejemplo. Harold Mabern está en el piano Fender Rhodes, el saxofonista tenor Billy Harper demuestra ser un formidable compañero de primera línea, y la vibrante Bobbi Humphrey se escucha en la flauta antes de que comercializara su sonido. Sería el último proyecto creativo en el que Humphrey se involucraría. Si añadimos al excitante trombonista Grachan Moncur III, al baterista Freddie Waits, al bajista eléctrico Jymie Merritt y al bajista acústico Reggie Workman, tenemos un equipo de ensueño de imparables músicos modernos que abrazan plenamente los conceptos progresivos y los valores tradicionales a la vez. Una de las composiciones más famosas del jazz moderno, "Croquet Ballet", está aquí en su forma inicial, y también disponible en el CD Black Saint de Harper. Es un vals clásico que luce la más brillante melodía exuberante y memorable moldeada alrededor de una imagen danzante realzada por el unísono y la sustancia armónica, la flauta exagerada de Humphrey, las audaces excursiones de Harper y los centelleantes solos. Le siguen de cerca en términos de jazz perdurable "Capra Black" y "In What Direction Are You Headed?". La primera es una pesada y oscura obra magna modal post-bop bien conocida en el repertorio de Harper, mientras que la segunda tiene al alegre Rhodes de Mabern marcando el ritmo en un brillante y alegre 7/8 y un difuso 4/4, de nuevo con la atmosférica flauta de Humphrey. "Angela" está dirigida por el bajo introspectivo de Merritt y refleja un motivo emotivo de suspiros, mientras que "Inner Passions Out", de 17 minutos de duración y escrita por Waits, tiene un aire árabe con el batería tocando también una flauta dulce que suena a shenai. Uno de los miembros de la banda (no identificado) en la mbira hace que los bajistas toquen un marco modal de dos notas en un zapateado de tipo "underground-to-free". Es una lástima que el brillante y previsor Morgan muriera a una edad tan temprana, pues a medida que la música iba cambiando, él se habría adaptado, como sugiere valientemente esta declaración final.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-last-session-mw0000035126

Tracklist:
1 - Capra Black
2 - In What Direction Are You Headed
3 - Angela
4 - Croquet Ballet
5 - Inner Passions Out


Credits:
    Bass – Jymie Merritt
    Bass, Percussion – Reggie Workman
    Drums, Recorder – Freddie Waits
    Flute – Bobbi Humphrey
    Piano, Electric Piano – Harold Mabern
    Tenor Saxophone, Alto Flute – Billy Harper
    Trombone – Grachan Moncur III
    Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Lee Morgan

Notes
Originally released as 2-LP in 1972.
Recorded on September 17 & 18, 1971 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Label: Blue Note – 7243 4 93401 2 1
Released: 1998
Genre: Jazz
Style: Modal, Hard Bop
https://www.discogs.com/Lee-Morgan-The-Last-Session/release/1421953

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