Lee Morgan
July 10, 1938 – February 19, 1972
Lee Morgan was a jazz trumpeter who was one of the key figures of the hard bop style. He received his first trumpet on his 13th birthday, and within five years, he was playing in Dizzy Gillespie’s band. In 1956, Morgan was signed by the legendary Blue Note label where he recorded over two dozen albums. His The Sidewinder of 1963 was his biggest release and is considered one of jazz’s landmark albums. As a sideman, Morgan played on recordings by over 250 musicians. His most noteworthy contributions were to John Coltrane’s Blue Train, Art Blakey’s Moanin’, McCoy Tyner’s Tender Moments, and Stanley Turrentine’s Mr. Natural. On February 19, 1972, Lee Morgan was shot and killed by his girlfriend after the two got in a fight between two of his sets at an engagement. He was 33 years old.
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