Lament Review

07/13/2005 5:23 AM, AMG


Frank Morgan's comeback (he had gone 30 years between recordings) was a major story in the mid-1980s. For his third record as a leader (which only followed his second by less than a year), the altoist is once again matched up with pianist Cedar Walton and drummer Billy Higgins, although this time Buster Williams is on bass. Morgan mixes together a few older tunes ("Perdido," Miles Davis' "Half Nelson" and J.J. Johnson's "Lament") with Lee Morgan's "Ceora," Wayne Shorter's "Black Diamond," an obscurity, and his "Thank You Blues." The music is high-quality bop, with Morgan shedding much of his Charlie Parker influence to display his own distinctive sound. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide