During a brief association with Dizzy Gillespie (1957-58) and a long association with Art Blakey (1958-65) trumpet prodigy Lee Morgan (1938) had a chance to develop a fiery, bluesy style that came to be seen as the quintessence of hard bop. He led Bobby Timmons (piano), Pepper Adams (baritone sax), Paul Chambers (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums) on The Cooker (september 1957). His performance on Candy (november 1957), when he was still a teenager, was hailed as a major event. He recorded Indeed (november 1956) when he was just 18 (in a quintet featuring alto sax player Clarence Sharpe and pianist Horace Silver).

Introducing Lee Morgan (november 1956) of the Hank Mobley Quintet features Morgan with Doug Watkins (bass), Art Taylor (drums) and Hank Jones (piano). City Lights (august 1957) features George Coleman (alto and tenor saxes), Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums), Ray Bryant (piano) and Curtis Fuller (trombone).

Already a celebrity at 21, he could afford to cut Here's (february 1960) accompanied by a supergroup with tenor Clifford Jordan, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Blakey. That album contained his first significant compositions (Terrible T, Mogie).

A quintet with Jackie McLean (alto sax), Paul Chambers (bass), Art Blakey (drums) and Bobby Timmons (piano) recorded Leeway (april 1960).

Quintets with Clifford Jordan (tenor sax), Wynton Kelly and US Barry Harris (both on piano), Art Blakey and Louis Hayes (drums), and Paul Chambers and Bob Cranshaw (bass) recorded Take Twelve (january 1962).

Suddenly, he had a hit with the lengthy title-track off Sidewinder (december 1963), one of the manifestos of soul-jazz. The album contained six Morgan originals, particularly Totem Pole. Search for the New Land (february 1964) was better, a sort of highbrow counterpart to the best-seller. Morgan's lighter side (the Sidewinder side) was overshadowed by three innovative compositions such as Search for the New Land, Melancholee and Mr Kenyatta, that took advantage of a stellar combo with tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, guitarist Grant Green, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Billy Higgins.

The Rumproller (april 1965), with Joe Henderson (tenor sax), Ronnie Mathews (piano), Victor Sproles (bass) and Billy Higgins (drums), contains a ten-minute version of Andrew Hill's The Rumproller.

Morgan had matured as a composer, but his recordings focused on the lighter side, such as Ceora, off Cornbread (september 1965), and Ca-Lee-So, off Delightfulee (may 1966), rather than on the experimental side (influenced by modal improvisation and free jazz). The latter was best represented by the eleven-minute title-track of The Gigolo (july 1965) and the nine-minute title-track of Cornbread (1965), that featured Hancock, Jackie McLean on alto and Hank Mobley on tenor. Some of his best recordings weren't even released, such as Infinity (november 1965) with McLean, pianist Larry Willis, Workman and Higgins, or the eight-minute The Procrastinator (july 1967) with Hancock, Shorter, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, pianist Ron Carter and Higgins.

He led Reggie Workman (bass), Billy Higgins (drums), George Benson (guitar), John Hicks (piano) and Bennie Maupin (tenor sax) on Taru (february 1968).

The Rajah (november 1966) featured Cedar Walton (piano), Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Paul Chambers (bass) and Gene Taylor (drums).

Caramba! (may 1968) featured Benny Maupin (tenor sax), Cedar Walton (piano), Billy Higgins (drums), and Reginald Workman (bass). The Sixth Sense (november 1967) featured Jackie McLean (alto sax), Victor Sproles (bass), Billy Higgins (drums), Cedar Walton (piano) and Frank Mitchell (tenor sax). Charisma (september 1966) featured Jackie McLean (alto sax), Billy Higgins (drums), Paul Chambers (bass), Cedar Walton (piano) and Hank Mobley (tenor sax).

A quintet with Bennie Maupin (tenor sax), Harold Mabern (piano), Jymie Merritt (bass) and Mickey Roker (drums) is documented on the double-disc Live At The Lighthouse '70 (june 1970), aka Both/And Club, San Francisco, June 1970, including the 20-minute Willow Weep For Me and the 17-minute Ceora.

Morgan was killed in 1972 at the age of 34.