Night Lights Classic Jazz

Jackie McLean and Lee Morgan: the Dynamic Hardbop Duo

Jazz writer David Rosenthal called Jackie McLean and Lee Morgan "a frontline match made in hardbop heaven."

Play Episode (Real Audio)
Jackie McLean Consequence

Photo: Album cover art

CONSEQUENCE: One of several 1960s Blue Note LPs that teamed Morgan and McLean.

“Jackie and Lee: a Hardbop Dynamic Duo” features the mid-1960s Blue Note recordings of alto saxophonist Jackie McLean and trumpeter Lee Morgan. Both veterans of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, McLean and Morgan joined in the studio on several occasions to produce some of the most searing hardbop records Blue Note ever put out. Their trenchant, biting attack, an ability to convey a kind of street lyricism, and a sardonic humor in Morgan’s approach coupled with an edgy pathos in McLean’s led jazz writer David Rosenthal to call them “a frontline match made in hardbop heaven.”

We’ll hear selections from the Morgan album Infinity and the McLean LP Consequence, in addition to sides from Morgan’s Cornbread date and the Grachan Moncur album Evolution.

Music Heard On This Episode

Portrait of Doll
Lee Morgan — Infinity (Blue Note, 1965)
Buy from Amazon »
album cover
Portrait of Doll
Lee Morgan — Infinity (Blue Note, 1965)
Buy from Amazon »
album cover
Our Man Higgins
Lee Morgan — Cornbread (Blue Note, 1965)
Buy from Amazon »
album cover
Bluesanova
Jackie McLean — Consequence (Blue Note, 1965)
Buy from Amazon »
album cover
Consequence
Jackie McLean — Consequence (Blue Note, 1965)
Buy from Amazon »
album cover
Miss Nettie B.
Lee Morgan — Infinity (Blue Note, 1965)
Buy from Amazon »
album cover
Air Raid
Grachan Moncur — Evolution (Blue Note, 1963)
Buy from Amazon »
album cover
Growing Pains
Lee Morgan — Infinity (Blue Note, 1965)
Buy from Amazon »
album cover
Slumber
Jackie McLean — Consequence (Blue Note, 1965)
Buy from Amazon »
album cover
David Brent Johnson

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, David Brent Johnson moved to Bloomington in 1991. He is an alumnus of Indiana University, and began working with WFIU in 2002. Currently, David serves as jazz producer and systems coordinator at the station. His interests include literature, history, music, writing, and movies.

View all posts by this author »

About Night Lights

About The Host

Search Night Lights

where to hear night lights

This Week On Afterglow

Afterglow Plays Cole Porter

Cole Porter songbook

Johnny Hartman, Blossom Dearie, Dean Martin and others help us pay tribute to the Indiana songwriter.

Read more »

Afterglow is WFIU's weekly program of jazz and American popular song hosted by David Brent Johnson.

More from Afterglow »