Lee Morgan & Donald Byrd

[Peter Friedman]

My favorite Blue Note sessions by Lee Morgan and Donald Byrd as leaders were recorded between November 1956 and September 1961.

The 7 Blue Note recordings of Morgan and 7 by Byrd from November 1956  to September 1961  did NOT have any Boogaloo tunes. They also did not have any modal tunes on them. 

I suspect that these two factors above play an important role in my preference.

Both Morgan and Byrd recorded for a number of other labels during that same time period, and I like most of them too. But the Blue Note albums are the ones I prefer.

LEE MORGAN

Indeed - 11/56

Vol.2 - 12/56

Vol.3 - 3/57

City Lights - 8/57

The Cooker - 9/57

Candy - 11/57 & 12/57

Lee-Way - 4/60

 

DONALD BYRD

Off To The Races - 12/58

Byrd I Hand - 5/59

Fuego - 10/59

At the Half Note - 11/60

Chant - 4/61

The Cat Walk - 5/61

Royal Flush - 9/61

 

 

 

 

 

[HutchFan]

Two delicious slices of pie from these artists' discographies.  

I enjoy other slices too -- but I can see how the albums listed above align with your stated preferences.   

 

[Dub Modal]

Cool to break them out like this. I love those records too. Without looking, several if not all the Byrd albums have Pepper Adams on them I think. 

[mjzee]

How about the one that had both Byrd and Morgan?

[felser]

Byrd then recorded 'Free Form' (my favorite album by him) on December 11, 1961, even though it wasn't released until 1966.  I realize that has some modal tunes.  The title track continues to blow my mind, and seems years ahead of its time.

Edited 16 hours ago by felser

[Peter Friedman]

20 hours ago, mjzee said:

How about the one that had both Byrd and Morgan?

I would have included this one, but only listed albums with Morgan or Byrd as leaders. This one shows Mobley as leader.

[JSngry]

All things being equal, Billy Higgins.

[felser]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

All things being equal, Billy Higgins.

Amen to that!

[Rooster_Ties]

I only fairy recently picked up Lee’s Take Twelve with Clifford Jordan for the first time — it’s from Jan 1962 (just slightly after OP’s time-window) — after having owned all of Lee’s Blue Note output for 20+ years (but very little of his non-BN work).

Have to say Take Twelve is a darn nice album.

I got it primarily because I’ve been on a little bit of a Clifford Jordan binge — and it did not disappoint in any way.