My Favorite Lee Morgan 🎺 Trumpet Solo of All Time
Published about 1 month ago • 2 min read
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Reader,
1 minute into Art Blakey's Moanin' and Lee Morgan lays out one of the hippest, bluesiest, trumpet solos I've ever heard. I've heard it 1000 times, and it still gives me stank face whenever I hear it.
Today's 2-5-1
Each week, I share 2 transcribed phrases, 5 ideas observed from 1 featured jazz recording. This week:
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Moanin' / Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
From 1958, featuring Lee Morgan (trumpet), Benny Golson (tenor), Bobby Timmons (piano), Jymie Merritt (bass) and Art Blakey (drums).
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Here's a summary of what I loved about this track and why I think you should care.
- The tune is in Fm, and the solo section loops a 4 chord vamp of a tonic minor, and 3 dominants chords. Fm6 - Ab7 - G7 - C7.
- Lee’s solo is blues inspired. Throughout the whole solo he leans on that minor 3 and minor 7
- Iconically, Lee kicks of the solo with an emphasis on the 6th. D over Fm, which he reiterates at the top of each of the 3 phrases.
- Notice how Lee anticipates the upcoming chord by 2 beats. In every bar transcribed, (except perhaps mm 5), the melody line starts the upcoming chord change on beat 3 of the previous measure.
- As the solo continues past the phrase above, Lee uses F melodic minor to solo over.
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Josh Walsh
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