Lee Morgan: A Trumpet Burns

A Life in Hard Bop, The Rise, Triumphs, and Tragedy of Lee Morgan

De: Garran P. Oakhurst

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Lee Morgan’s trumpet burned with brilliance, defiance, and urgency. From the bustling streets of Philadelphia to the smoke-filled clubs of New York, Morgan carved out a place as one of the defining voices of hard bop. His journey was one of prodigious talent, early fame, devastating addiction, triumphant resurgence, and a tragic end that stunned the jazz world.

Lee Morgan: A Trumpet Burns traces his story across three decades of jazz history. Readers are taken inside the rehearsal rooms, Blue Note sessions, international tours, and the iconic nights with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers that cemented his legend. The book captures his explosive breakthrough with The Sidewinder, a hit that crossed into the mainstream, and explores the creative battles that followed as Morgan pushed beyond commercial formulas with bold compositions like Search for the New Land.

This biography does not shy away from the shadows. It confronts Morgan’s battles with heroin, his withdrawal from the scene, and the volatile love affair with Helen Morgan that both sustained and destroyed him. The fatal night at Slugs’ Saloon in 1972 is rendered with clarity and respect, underscoring the fragility of an artist whose horn still seemed to hold endless possibilities.

Yet this is not only a story of tragedy. It is also a testament to resilience and artistry. Morgan’s recordings remain central to the jazz canon, his tone and phrasing studied by generations of trumpeters. His legacy continues to resonate in classrooms, clubs, and concert halls around the world.

For jazz fans, musicians, and lovers of untold histories, Lee Morgan: A Trumpet Burns offers both an intimate portrait of a singular artist and a sweeping view of the cultural world he helped define.