Sonic Boom is an album by jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, recorded on April 14 and 28, 1967, but not released on the Blue Note label until 1979. The 2003 CD reissue added seven tracks recorded on September 12 & October 10, 1969, which were first released on the original double LP edition of The Procrastinator. Therefore, the CD edition includes performances by Morgan with two line-ups: the first one with tenor saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Billy Higgins, whilst the second features trombonist Julian Priester, tenor saxophonist George Coleman, pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer Mickey Roker. The Sonic Boom session is notable for the rare contribution of David "Fathead" Newman,[1] who made only two Blue Note appearances during his career, the other being with Lonnie Smith.
| Sonic Boom | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1979 | |||
| Recorded | April 14 & 28, 1967 | |||
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ | |||
| Genre | Jazz, hard bop | |||
| Length | 37:25 original LP 74:19 CD reissue | |||
| Label | Blue Note LT 987 | |||
| Producer | Alfred Lion (#1-6) Francis Wolff (#7-13) | |||
| Lee Morgan chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
.jpg) Japanese edition | ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 2003 CD reissue | ||||
Reception edit
AllMusic stated: "Despite the great differences in approach, these two sessions complement each other well; Morgan fans would be well advised to snag this one before Blue Note yanks it from the catalog once more."[2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz |  [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [4] |
Track listing edit
All compositions by Lee Morgan except where noted
- "Sneaky Pete" - 5:45
- "The Mercenary" - 7:10
- "Sonic Boom" - 6:18
- "Fathead" - 5:27
- "I'll Never Be the Same" (Malneck, Signorelli, Kahn) - 7:16
- "Mumbo Jumbo" - 5:29
2003 bonus tracks on CD reissue, originally part of The Procrastinator:
- "Free Flow" (Coleman) - 4:50
- "Stormy Weather" (Arlen, Koehler) - 5:44
- "Mr. Johnson" (Mabern) - 6:11
- "The Stroker" (Priester) - 5:47
- "Uncle Rough" (Mabern) - 5:35
- "Claw-Til-Da" (Roker) - 3:07
- "Untitled Boogaloo" - 5:40
Recorded on April 14, 1967 (#3) and April 28, 1967 (#1-2, 4-6); September 12, 1969 (#8-9, 13) and October 10, 1969 (#7, 10-12).
Personnel edit
Tracks 1-6
- Lee Morgan - trumpet
- David "Fathead" Newman - tenor sax
- Cedar Walton - piano
- Ron Carter - bass
- Billy Higgins - drums
Tracks 7-13
- Lee Morgan - trumpet
- Julian Priester - trombone
- George Coleman - tenor sax
- Harold Mabern - piano
- Walter Booker - bass
- Mickey Roker - drums
References edit
- ^ Blue Note Records. "10 by 3: Mobley, Morgan and Byrd in 1967". Blue Note Spotlight. Blue Note Records. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ a b Jurek, T. AllMusic Review accessed November 14, 2011
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1041. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 147. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.