NEW LP
New sealed copy. 2020 Blue Note Classic Series reissue on 180 gram vinyl. Lacquer cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearant Audio. Pressed by Optimal Media in Germany.
Recorded in 1963 and released in 1964 on Blue Note, The Sidewinder became Lee Morgan’s breakthrough and one of the defining albums of hard bop. Anchored by its title track—a 24-bar blues with a memorable, driving groove—the album crossed over to the pop charts, with the single reaching number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album peaking at number 25.
The unexpected success of The Sidewinder helped save Blue Note from financial collapse, turning the record into the label’s best seller at the time. It also set a template for Morgan’s future recordings, with later albums following a similar mix of soulful, boogaloo-tinged openers and hard bop foundations.
Praised by critics and selected for the National Recording Registry in 2024, The Sidewinder remains one of the essential albums of its era—catchy, swinging and a showcase for Morgan’s brilliant, fiery playing.
TRACKLIST:
A1 The Sidewinder
A2 Totem Pole
B1 Gary’s Notebook
B2 Boy, What A Night
B3 Hocus-Pocus
