Morgan, (Edward) Lee

Morgan, (Edward) Lee, trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer; b. Philadelphia, July 10,1938; d. N.Y., Feb. 19, 1972. Known to his intimates as “Howdy Doody” due to his oversized ears, he was the youngest of four children. He studied trumpet privately and at Mastbaum Vocational Technical H.S. Around 1954 he began by playing weekends with his own group around town. Playing in a series of jazz workshop conclaves at Music City, he met and/or sat in with many of the big names, such as Miles Davis and Clifford Brown. He was a childhood friend of McCoy Tyner; they used to have jam sessions in Morgan’s neighborhood in North Philly, and in West Philly, where Tyner lived. They played Atlantic City several summers together and fraternity dances. In the summer of 1956, Morgan spent two weeks with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. In November of that year he made his first album for the Blue Note record label. He joined Dizzy Gillespie’s big band at age 18 (October 1956) and played one of Gillespie’s bent trumpets for a while. He was a key member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers from 1958–61. In 1962, troubled by drug-related problems, he decided to take a break, and went back home. In November of 1962, Morgan appeared in N.Y. for an engagement at Birdland (co-leading a group with Jimmy Heath). He achieved pop success with “The Sidewinder,” recorded in 1963. From 1964–65, he played with Art Blakey again, then led his own groups with Billy Higgins and others. Morgan was shot and killed between sets by his ex-girlfriend after a quarrel at Slug’s, on the lower east side of Manhattan. His widow, Kiko Yamamoto, from whom he had been separated, manages his legacy.

Discography

Candy (1958); Expoobident (1960); The Sidewinder (1963); Cornbread (1965); Sonic Boom (1967); Caramba (1968); The Last Session (1971); The Best of Lee Morgan (1988); Here’s Lee Morgan (2000).

—Lewis Porter/Jeff McMillan