In May 1968 when he entered Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey to record his albumCaramba!, trumpeterLee Morganwas still two months shy of his 30thbirthday, which makes the fact that this was his 23rdBlue Note recording all the more astounding. Having cut his first Blue Note date as a precocious 18-year-old hot shot, Morgan was by now a full-fledged master, his technical prowess on his horn matched equally by the expressiveness and emotional depth of his playing. He had also continued to grow as a composer who could conjure myriad different moods and styles with his writing, as this diverse 5-song set of his original compositions attests.

Caramba!opens with the irrepressible groove of the title track, a lengthy performance that finds the remarkable quintet stretching out on vamp with creative solo flights by Morgan, tenor saxophonistBennie Maupin, and pianistCedar Walton, each given buoyant support by bassistReggie Workmanand drummerBilly Higgins. The program keeps moving from there through the intricate post-bop lines of Suicide City and Cunning Lee to the joyful Soulita and finally to the easy mid-tempo swing of Helens Ritual, a dedication to Morgans wife Helen.

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered byKevin Grayfrom the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Tracklist:
Side A
1. Caramba
2. Suicide City

Side B
1. Cunning Lee
2. Soulita
3. Helen’s Ritual