Search - Frank Morgan :: Mood Indigo

Morgan conjures a deep melancholy mood

J. Levinson | Media, PA USA | 09/26/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Frank Morgan stacked this 1989 set with moody ballad interpretations, but as a bop-based player, he still finds plenty of opportunity to insert the quick little phrases associated with the style. Four tunes are taken as duets with George Cables on piano, a format that Cables' had explored in 1982 with Art Pepper in the final year of his life, and the results here are equally bittersweet yet rewarding. Buster Williams and Al Foster provide strong rhythmic support on the rest of the tracks, with Ronnie Matthews subbing for Cables on a couple of tracks. Wynton Marsalis sits in on trumpet on Coltrane's "Bessie's Blues" and Freddie Hubbard's "Up Jumped Spring", lending a broader sound to those tracks. A very satisfying set overall, if you're in the right mood for it."