Lee Morgan (1938–1972) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader. He came to prominence in his teens as a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, before embarking on a solo career that spanned four decades. Morgan’s soulful sound and hard-bop style influenced generations of jazz musicians, and his compositions, such as “Sidewinder,” remain jazz standards. He was posthumously inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1985.
| Name | Lee Morgan |
| Born | July 10, 1938 |
| Genres | Hard bop, post-bop, soul jazz |
| Instruments | Trumpet, flugelhron |
| Labels | Blue Note, Vee-Jay, Columbia, Mainstream, Trombone |
10 Best Lee Morgan Quotes
“When I play, I guess I just go into a trance. I just find myself playing, and I don’t hear anything else.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I don’t think the way a lot of people think. I don’t waste my time thinking about what I’m going to play. I just play.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“When I’m playing, I’m thinking of something else. I’m thinking of something else and playing something else.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I don’t like to play what I can do. I like to play what I can’t do.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I want to do something that’s not been done before. That’s what I’m always striving for.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I don’t like to play the same thing twice. I like to be able to come up with something different every time I play.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I’m always trying to push myself to the next level. I don’t want to be satisfied with what I can do.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I’m always looking for something different. I never want to be bored with my playing.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I don’t like to play anything I know. I like to challenge myself and make something new.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I like to play something that I’ve never heard before, something that’s unique and fresh. That’s what I’m always striving for.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
8 Inspirational Lee Morgan Quotes
“I think the most important thing for a musician is to develop his own sound.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I was trying to make the horn speak. That’s what I was striving for, to make it sound like a human voice.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I just liked to play, you know, and that’s all I wanted to do.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I’m just trying to express myself the best way I can.”
– Lee Morgan, from AllMusic
“I was never a follower; I was always a leader.”
– Lee Morgan, from AllMusic
“I was never a great reader of music. I was more of an ear player.”
– Lee Morgan, from AllMusic
“Play your own thing, don’t let anybody tell you how to play.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“Creativity comes out of experimenting and listening to yourself.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
5 Famous Lee Morgan Quotes
“I always had a secret ambition to be a trumpet player. I was five years old, and I heard a trumpet, and it just hypnotized me.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I was very close to Miles [Davis] for a long time. We used to play together and we used to talk, and he was like a brother to me.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“The more I played, the more I wanted to play.”
– Lee Morgan, from Jazz Times
“I wouldn’t want to be a professional musician unless I had something to say.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I don’t believe in playing just for the sake of playing. I like to play with meaning.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
5 Lee Morgan Quotes About Love
“I want to get to the point where I can express what love is.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I’m talking about love. That’s the music I’m playing.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I’m trying to express the feeling of love that I have within myself.”
– Lee Morgan, from All About Jazz
“I have a great love for jazz and, of course, a great love for music.”
– Lee Morgan, from Jazz Professional
“That’s what jazz is all about, expressing the feeling of love.”
– Lee Morgan, from Jazz Professional
7 Lee Morgan Quotes About Life
1.
“I think that I’ve found out that life is a series of peaks and valleys, and you’ve just got to accept that and keep on going.”
– Lee Morgan, from JazzOnline.gr
2.
“Life is what it is, and you have to accept it and go on from there.”
– Lee Morgan, from JazzOnline.gr
3.
“Life is a journey, and it’s a learning experience.”
– Lee Morgan, from JazzOnline.gr
4.
“Life is a mystery, and you have to learn what you can from it.”
– Lee Morgan, from JazzOnline.gr
5.
“Life is full of surprises and it’s up to you to make the best of it.”
– Lee Morgan, from JazzOnline.gr
6.
“Life is a challenge and it’s up to you to find ways to rise above it.”
– Lee Morgan, from JazzOnline.gr
7.
“Life is all about making the most of what you have and making the best of what you’ve got.”
– Lee Morgan, from JazzOnline.gr
7 Quotes About Lee Morgan
“Lee Morgan, who had died only months earlier, was a spirit presence in the club that night.”
– Bill Milkowski, from All About Jazz
“The trumpet-playing of Lee Morgan was always a model of clarity, a sure and swinging sound.”
– Richard Cook, from The Guardian
“Lee Morgan was an artist of tremendous sensitivity, with a great feeling for ballads and an awesome ability to generate excitement on uptempo numbers.”
– Bob Blumenthal, from All Music
“At the age of 15, Lee Morgan was already a professional musician, having been discovered by Dizzy Gillespie.”
– All About Jazz, from All About Jazz
“He also had an amazing sense of balance and taste, allowing him to play with a marvelous combination of power and finesse.”
– Scott Yanow, from All Music
“[Lee Morgan] was a master of the blues. He could play with a lot of soul, and he could really swing.”
– Wynton Marsalis, from All About Jazz
“Morgan had a big, resonant sound that was instantly recognizable and which set the standard for the hard bop style.”
– John Kelman, from All About Jazz
Interview with Lee Morgan
Frequently Asked Questions About Lee Morgan
1. What are some of the most famous Lee Morgan quotes?
Lee Morgan was an American jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader. His talent and creativity as a musician made him one of the most influential jazz artists of all time. Here are some of the most famous quotes by Lee Morgan:
- “My music is not easy listening. It demands the listener’s attention.”
- “My music is an extension of my feelings, emotions, and experiences.”
- “My music is an expression of a life lived with passion and emotion.”
- “Music is the language of the soul. It speaks where words cannot.”
- “We can create music that can heal and bring hope to the world.”
- “Music is the only thing that can truly bring us together, no matter where we come from.”
- “The power of music is the power to make people feel something.”
- “Music is the universal language of the soul.”
- “When I play, I’m playing for the people, for their souls and for their hearts.”
- “Music is more than a form of entertainment, it’s a way of life.”
2. What inspired Lee Morgan’s music?
Lee Morgan was a renowned jazz trumpeter who had a major influence on modern jazz. His music was a mix of hard bop, soul jazz, post-bop, and Latin jazz. He was inspired by a variety of different sources, including:
- The jazz greats of the past, such as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane
- The soulful sounds of Motown and the blues
- R&B and funk
- The rhythms of Latin America
- The deep grooves of his own compositions
Morgan’s ability to combine all these elements into his own unique and powerful sound made him one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time.
3. What is the relationship between Lee Morgan and jazz music?
Lee Morgan was an American jazz trumpeter and composer who was highly influential in the development of hard bop and soul jazz. He is renowned for his innovative compositions and improvisations, as well as his collaborations with jazz greats like Art Blakey and Herbie Hancock.
Morgan’s career began in the 1950s, when he was playing trumpet in Philadelphia. In 1956, he moved to New York City, where he quickly became an integral part of the growing hard bop scene. He made his recording debut in 1958 with the album The Sidewinder, which featured the iconic title track. The album was a massive success, firmly establishing Morgan as a major figure in the jazz world.
Throughout the rest of his career, Morgan released a number of classic albums and recorded with some of the greatest jazz musicians of the time. He was also known for his intense and fiery improvisations and compositions, which were a major influence on the hard bop and soul jazz movements.
Morgan’s relationship with jazz music was one of immense respect and admiration. He was an incredibly talented musician and composer, and his music had a significant impact on the evolution of jazz. He was a leader in the hard bop and soul jazz movements and his influence can still be heard in jazz today.
- Morgan began his career in the 1950s, playing trumpet in Philadelphia.
- In 1956, he moved to New York City and became an integral part of the hard bop scene.
- He made his recording debut in 1958 with the album The Sidewinder, which featured the iconic title track.
- Throughout his career, he released a number of classic albums and recorded with some of the greatest jazz musicians of the time.
- His intense and fiery improvisations and compositions had a major influence on the hard bop and soul jazz movements.
- Morgan had immense respect and admiration for jazz music, and his influence can still be heard in jazz today.
4. What message did Lee Morgan want to convey through his music?
Lee Morgan was a highly respected jazz musician who had a profound impact on the jazz genre. He was known for his wide variety of styles, from hard bop to soul jazz, and he was also known for writing music that conveyed an important message.
Morgan was highly critical of the social injustices he saw in the world, and this is reflected in his work. He wanted to use his music to bring about positive change in the world. He expressed these ideas in his lyrics, as well as in his instrumentals. He believed that music could be a powerful tool for bringing about change.
Some of the topics that Morgan wrote about included racism, poverty, war, and freedom. He was also a strong advocate for equal rights and was a major influence on the civil rights movement. His music was often seen as a form of protest against racial injustices.
The overall message that Morgan wanted to convey through his music was one of hope and optimism, despite the challenges of life. He wanted to inspire people to look past their current situation and strive for a better future. He wanted his music to serve as a reminder that people can make a difference if they choose to do so.
Here are some of the Lee Morgan quotes that demonstrate his message of hope and optimism:
- “Music is a gift from the heavens. It can lift us up and inspire us to greater heights.”
- “Music is a powerful tool for bringing about change. It can be a way to express our frustrations, our joys, and our aspirations.”
- “There are no limits to what we can achieve if we have the courage to pursue our dreams.”
- “No matter how dark the world may look, there is always a ray of light that can lead us to a better future.”
5. How did Lee Morgan’s life influence his music?
Lee Morgan’s life experiences, both positive and negative, had a significant influence on his music. He was a passionate, determined, and highly creative musician who often used his music as an outlet for his emotions.
- Growing up in poverty – Morgan’s family struggled financially, and it had an impact on his music. His early work often depicted the struggles and hardships of living in poverty.
- Relationships – Morgan’s relationships with his family and friends shaped his sound. His music often reflected a deep understanding of human emotion and connection.
- Culture and politics – Morgan’s music was heavily influenced by the culture and politics of the time. He wrote songs about civil rights, the Vietnam War, and other social issues.
- Experiences with drugs and alcohol – Morgan’s struggles with substance abuse had a noticeable impact on his music. He wrote several songs about his struggles with addiction.
- Life in the music industry – Morgan’s life as a professional musician had a profound effect on his music. He wrote about the joys and struggles of being a professional musician.
Overall, Morgan’s life experiences had a profound influence on his music. His songs are often reflective of his struggles and triumphs, his relationships, and the culture and politics of the time. He used his music as an outlet to express his emotions, and it resonates with listeners to this day.
Conclusion
Lee Morgan’s impact on modern jazz was immense. His unique style of playing, combined with his technical virtuosity and melodic invention, made him a major influence on the jazz scene. His career was tragically cut short, but his influence and legacy live on through his recordings and his influence on countless jazz musicians. Lee Morgan’s music continues to inspire musicians and fans alike to explore the boundaries of jazz and to create new, exciting forms of music. His influence will be felt in jazz for years to come.
