Lee Morgan – The Sixth Sense (Blue Note Tone Poet)

Lee Morgan’s prolific creative output throughout the late-1960s was staggering by any measure, whether quality or quantity. Following his hit album The Sidewinder the trumpeter recorded 15 Blue Note sessions between 1964-68 that continued to push hard bop into the realm of post-bop. Recorded in November 1967, The Sixth Sense is a particularly evocative effort featuring Morgan in a sextet that bristled with vitality including Jackie McLean on alto saxophone, Frank Mitchell on tenor saxophone, Cedar Walton on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The opening title track sets the stage with percolating rhythms and a sinuous melody while the groovy “Psychedelic” delivers Morgan’s signature boogaloo stylings. The set also includes Walton’s declarative “Afreaka” and closes with Cal Massey’s plaintive ballad “The Cry Of My People.”