just another bluenote, not

[danasgoodstuff]

So, recently I was feeling sorry for myself thinking I might not get around to re-listening to all the music I've spent so much time & $ collecting and I pulled out Lee Morgan's Charisma (Liberty LP) and The Sixth Sense (expanded CD) - generally thought of as lesser efforts, but I quite enjoyed them.  Lowered expectations or is the received opinion here just wrong?

[jlhoots]

I enjoy them too.

[Uncle Skid]

Interesting question... Charisma is one of my favorite Lee Morgan records, along with Search for the New Land and The Procrastinator.

I was always puzzled by the apparent lack of enthusiasm for that record, both here and (if I remember correctly), in the Penguin Guide.

[Justin V]

I haven't heard Charisma, but I'm a fan of The Sixth Sense.  In particular, 'Afreaka' is a killer Cedar Walton tune (is there any other kind?) and Frank Mitchell is an interesting player.  I've also long admired the hook-up between Lee Morgan and Billy Higgins.

[Morganized]

 

Can't go wrong with Lee. I always liked The Sixth Sense a lot even though it did not receive the critical approval of some of his other efforts. Would probably even choose it over Charisma but its close for sure. As you might suspect, I don't think you can go wrong with Lee. Even when he began to go outside he was always able to make it swing. I think had he lived, it would have been interesting to see how he would have influenced the direction of the music. JMHO

[felser]

Agreed can't go wrong with Lee, and I like those just fine, but IMO they don't match albums like 'The Gigolo' and 'Jacknife'.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Can't say I really like Lee Morgan all that much, but I've always liked 'Sixth sense', mainly for Frank whatsit on tenor, who is a killer who should have made Soul Jazz albums. He'd have wiped out even Willis Jackson. 'Sixth sense' is my most played Morgan album.

MG

[BillF]

Back in pre-CD days, Charisma featured a long time on my wanted list. I'd heard it on a public library copy and thought it great, particularly with the combination of Lee, Hank and Jackie. How can you go wrong? Eventually got it on CD in '97 and Sixth Sense 3 years later. Both remain valued albums in my collection, with Charisma retaining its edge for me over the 2-session Sixth Sense.

[danasgoodstuff]

Thanks for all the replies, wide variety of opinions as usual.  I guess I was being too cryptic, as usual, what I was trying to get at more than the relative merits of those particular albums, is the joys of 'lesser works' in general and the role of perceptions and reputations in same...for a different example, I think I've enjoyed Eddie Floyd's Knock On Wood (Album) and Johnny Taylor's Wanted One Soul Singer and Wm Bell's Soul of a Bell as much as anything on Stax - and not, I like to think, because I'm a genre or label fanatic but because the're just good music and sometimes that's good enough, the genre conventions and the songwriting (or lack thereof) just falls away and I hear a bunch of people working together to make it as good as they can in that moment.

[felser]

That William Bell is great.  Some great Carla Thomas on Stax also.

[JSngry]

Jackie. On both.

[Eric]

My first experience with Lee Morgan was The Cooker, well over 30 years ago.  For a long time *that* was Lee for me, that firestorm on the trumpet.  To me, the later 60s stuff sounded "watered done".  The tables have long since turned.  I still enjoy The Cooker, but really cherish Charisma, Caramba, Sixth Sense and most of the "LT" material.  Man, that is the kind of stuff I would love to kick back to and groove in a club.

Edited November 14, 2015 by Eric

[sidewinder]

'Sixth Sense' (along with 'Caramba') was the very first Lee Morgan album I ever bought - both picked up as Liberty cassette cutouts bought by mail order - a whole mountain of them must have been shipped from NY and dumped over in Liverpool docks. Since then, both have been major favourites of mine, having picked up the CD versions and good original LP copies. Both sessions have a fire to them that I find very appealing. 'Charisma' I find to be a bit patcher - still worth having though.

I still have the cassettes too !

17 hours ago, The Magnificent Goldberg said:

Frank whatsit on tenor

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

11 hours ago, danasgoodstuff said:

Thanks for all the replies, wide variety of opinions as usual.  I guess I was being too cryptic, as usual, what I was trying to get at more than the relative merits of those particular albums, is the joys of 'lesser works' in general and the role of perceptions and reputations in same...for a different example, I think I've enjoyed Eddie Floyd's Knock On Wood (Album) and Johnny Taylor's Wanted One Soul Singer and Wm Bell's Soul of a Bell as much as anything on Stax - and not, I like to think, because I'm a genre or label fanatic but because the're just good music and sometimes that's good enough, the genre conventions and the songwriting (or lack thereof) just falls away and I hear a bunch of people working together to make it as good as they can in that moment.

Got to agree with you about 'lesser' work being extremely rewarding. MOST of what I've got is probably what would be regarded as 'lesser' material. I bought 'Sidewinder' in '68, or maybe '69, and pretty soon decided it was a one-track album as far as I was concerned, because there was nowt for me in the other three cuts. So I ditched it and never looked back. The Morgans I have are:

6th sense

Rajah

Sonic boom/unissued album I call 'Uncle rough'

Search for the new land

Peckin' time

Rumproller (only on LP, and they hardly ever come out to play nowadays)

I think few would say that any of those are among Mr Morgan's best work. If you're familiar with these albums, you'll get that I got most of them not for Lee Morgan, but for someone else in the band. But I am happy to tolerate Morgan as a sideman and I think I have quite a bit of him in that capacity, though I've never been interested enough in him to count them. But I MUCH prefer to listen to Blue Mitchell, Bill Hardman, Harry Edison or Bobby Bryant than ANY of the 'authorised masters' thank you very much. I guess it comes of not really being a jazz fan

MG

 

[Guy Berger]

On 11/12/2015, 3:43:58, danasgoodstuff said:

So, recently I was feeling sorry for myself thinking I might not get around to re-listening to all the music I've spent so much time & $ collecting and I pulled out Lee Morgan's Charisma (Liberty LP) and The Sixth Sense (expanded CD) - generally thought of as lesser efforts, but I quite enjoyed them.  Lowered expectations or is the received opinion here just wrong?

I had a similar experience when I acquired them; they're very enjoyable.  My guess is lowered expectations; some might say "reasonable expectations".  The converse of this phenomenon is the numerous times I've thought "this supposedly classic/indispensable album is a disappointment!"  (The Sidewinder...)

Edited November 14, 2015 by Guy Berger

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

im sorry, Charisma is the AAA#1 top instrumental non classical album, of all time.  someone snag the sealed copy on ebay rt now (original)

[JSngry]

I only really know both as LPs, and for me, Charisma was all about Side 2, and Sixth Sense all about Side 1. Back in the day when turntable would allow you to repeat an LP side endlessly (though any number of ways), those tow sides got that treatment more than anybody who really took good care of their records would let happen.

But hell yeah to both, and let's look at how when you see Jackie McLean and Lee Morgan together on any 1960s Blue Note that you don't already have and you wonder if you should get it, the only correct answer is DUH!