Requisites
Cornbread ~ Lee Morgan | By Eddie Carter
A few nights ago, I was thinking about my mom and one of her favorite Sunday dinner meals for my sister and me growing up. It consisted of chicken wings, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, black-eyed peas and cornbread. This morning’s album from the library is Cornbread (Blue Note BLP 4222/BST 84222) by Lee Morgan. It was recorded in 1965 but not released until 1967, and is one of the best albums in the trumpeter’s catalog. He’s joined by a superb ensemble: Jackie McLean on alto saxophone; Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone; Herbie Hancock on piano; Larry Ridley on bass; and Billy Higgins on drums. The copy I own is the 1991 Toshiba-EMI Japanese Stereo reissue from Blue Note’s The 4000 Series Collection, sharing the original catalog number.
Side One opens with the title track, Cornbread by Lee Morgan. The rhythm section offers a soulful introduction, leading into the ensemble’s melody. Lee sets the table with a spirited main course, then Hank serves a succulent blues dish. Jackie brings the next plate of savory notes, followed by Herbie’s delicious dessert, completing the meal before the theme’s reprise and the trio’s tasty fadeout. Our Man Higgins, Lee’s tribute to Billy Higgins, showcases the lively interaction between the front line and the drummer during the theme. Jackie gets things started with a spirited interpretation, then Lee responds with a lively statement. Hank steps in next, paying dividends with an invigorating solo. Herbie follows with a captivating presentation, and Billy delivers the goods in a short workout before the sextet returns to take it out.
The second side opener shows that Lee Morgan could compose beautiful ballads, as in his Ceora. Herbie’s gentle, gracious introduction segues into the ensemble’s delicately polite melody. Lee brings soothing lyricism and warm affection to the lead solo. Hank then shares his heartfelt feelings with sincerity and sentimentality next. Herbie adds a romantic touch to the closing solo, leading to the group’s touching, emotional climax. Ill Wind by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler is a song from the thirties that begins with the trio’s introduction to the ensemble’s melody, with Lee on the mute throughout. Morgan then elegantly welcomes the lead solo like an old friend. Herbie breathes warmth into the second statement, then Lee and Hank give two concise comments preceding the closing chorus and soft finale.
Lee Morgan’s Most Like Lee wraps up the album with an energetic vibe, letting the group dive right into the melody. Hank starts things off with a vibrant, joyful solo, followed by Lee, who keeps the audience engaged with his captivating performance. Jackie glides smoothly into the third solo with his signature swing. Herbie follows with a very relaxing reading. Larry gets the last word and takes a short walk toward the theme’s reprise and climax. Alfred Lion produced the session, and Rudy Van Gelder managed the recording console. The album’s sound quality offers a sit-down listening experience, with a wide soundstage across the treble, midrange and bass that transports the musicians to your listening room with stunning fidelity.
If you’re a seasoned Lee Morgan fan or a new listener that’s looking for an album that can brighten any moment of the day or evening, or can be enjoyed whether you’re in a relaxed or serious mood, I happily recommend and invite you to pick up Cornbread the next time you’re at the record store. It’s a tasty, soulful, and nourishing slice of hard bop and post-bop music that’s not only a wonderful addition to your library but also perfect for spinning on your turntable!
~ Ill Wind – Source: JazzStandards.com © 2026 by Edward Thomas Carter
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Sam Taylor was born on July 12, 1916 in Lexington, Tennessee. Playing tenor saxophone he attended Alabama State University and was a part of the Bama State Collegians. Picking up the moniker “The Man”, Taylor would go on to work with Scatman Crothers, Cootie Williams, Lucky Millinder, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Buddy Johnson, Louis Jordan and Big Joe Turner.
He was one of the most requested session players in the New York recording studios in the 1950s and replaced Count Basie as the house bandleader on Alan Freed’s ‘Camel Rock ‘n Roll Dance Party’ radio series over CBS.
Venturing into rhythm and blues, Taylor’s saxophone solo appeared on Turner’s “Shake, Rattle and Roll”, Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters “Money Honey” and “Sh-Boom” by The Chords. During the 1960s, Sam led a five-piece band called the Blues Chasers and in the 1970s frequently played and recorded in Japan.
Tenor saxophonist Sam “The Man” Taylor died on October 5, 1990 in Lexington, Kentucky. He left a discography of fifteen albums as a leader across the MGM, Moodsville, Decca, Pony Canyon, Epic and Japanese labels.
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Henry Lowther was born Thomas Henry Lowther on July 11, 1941 Leicester, Leicestershire, England. Learning trumpet, his first experience was on cornet in a Salvation Army band. He studied violin briefly at the Royal Academy of Music but returned to trumpet by 1960 though he sometimes played violin professionally.
In the 1960s, he worked with pianist and composer Mike Westbrook, a relationship that lasted into the 80s, Manfred Mann, John Dankworth from 1967-77, Graham Collier, John Mayall, John Warren, and would appear with the Keef Hartley Band.
The Seventies brought work with Mike Gibbs, Kenny Wheeler, Tony Coe, Gordon Beck and Barbara in addition to his own ensemble, Quaternity. In the 80s Henry worked with the Buzzcocks, Talk Talk, Peter King, Gil Evans, Humphrey Lyttleton on a Buddy Bolden documentary.
He played with Charlie Watts’ band in the late 80s, and then led his own band, Still Waters. From the late 1980s he did much work in big bands, such as the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra and the London Jazz Composers Orchestra; in the Nineties he worked with Kenny Wheeler’s group, The Dedication Orchestra, the London Jazz Orchestra, George Russell’s Living Time Orchestra, and the Creative Jazz Orchestra. Trumpeter Henry Lowther most recently plays in the band Jazzmoss.
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Cootie Williams was born Charles Melvin Williams on July 10, 1911 in Mobile, Alabama and began his professional career with the Young Family band, which included saxophonist Lester Young, when he was 14 years old. In 1928, he made his first recordings with pianist James P. Johnson in New York, where he also worked briefly in the bands of Chick Webb and Fletcher Henderson.
Williams rose to prominence as a member of Duke Ellington’s orchestra, with whom he performed from 1929 to 1940. He recorded his own sessions during this time, both freelance and with other Ellington sidemen. In 1940 he joined Benny Goodman’s orchestra, then a year later formed his own orchestra. Over the years he employed Charlie Parker, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Bud Powell, Eddie Vinson and other important young players.
In 1947, Williams wrote the song “Cowpox Boogie” while recuperating from a bout with smallpox; began playing more rhythm and blues in the late 1940s, in the Fifties he toured with small groups and fell into obscurity. By 1962, he rejoined Ellington, stayed with the orchestra until 1974, after Ellington’s death, and in 1975, and performed during the Super Bowl IX halftime show.
Trumpeter Cootie Williams, who was noted for his occasional singing, renowned for his growling “jungle” style trumpet playing, reputed to have inspired Wynton Marsalis, and was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, passed away in New York on September 15, 1985, at age 74.
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June Richmond was born July 9, 1915 in Chicago, Illinois. She became one of the very first black singers to be featured regularly with a white band when she performed with Jimmy Dorsey’s Orchestra in 1938.
An enthusiastic vocalist who was excellent on blues but also effective on ballads, June was a popular attraction during the swing era although never a major name. She worked with Les Hite early on in California, toured with Jimmy Dorsey, was with Cab Calloway in 1938 and then became best known for her association with Andy Kirk’s Orchestra during 1939-42.
Richmond became a solo act after leaving Kirk and then from 1948 on mostly worked in Europe, at first based in France and then later on in Scandinavia. Her only recordings as a leader were a self-titled album on the Barclay label, four numbers in 1951 with Svend Asmussen and four songs on the album “Jazz In Paris” with the Quincy Jones Orchestra in 1957.
Vocalist June Richmond, who gained fame during the swing era, died of a heart attack at the age of 47 on August 14, 1962 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
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