Lee Morgan: The Procrastinator LP (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series)

Blue Note, 1978

Lee Morgan’s prodigious creative output in the years following the smash success of his comeback album The Sidewinder was staggering by any measure, whether quality or quantity. In fact, the trumpeter recorded 15 Blue Note sessions between 1964-68, many of which would sit on the shelf unreleased until producer Michael Cuscuna did his invaluable work of exploring and unearthing hidden gems in the Blue Note tape archive a decade later. Once such session, recorded in 1967 but not first released until 1978, was The Procrastinator, which in hindsight stands as one of Morgan’s monumental achievements of the late-60s. Featuring a phenomenal sextet with Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums, the date produced sublime performances of four compositions by Morgan including the captivating title track and the kinetic “Stop Start,” as well as two by Shorter: the mesmerizing ballad “Dear Sir” and seductive “Rio.”