The Lee Morgan Story (Feat. John Robinson & Christian Scott)

7/10/1938, Illadelph, Pennsylvania birthed a prodigy
A brilliant musician in the making
Pops played organ at the church every weekend
At a early age, he collected records
Grew well versed, so who was playin' the best with
Horns and drums, using arms and lungs
To take the world by storm and build a legacy, son
Southern roots, though he was born in the Northeast
His parents left the South on a mission to make ends meet
He lived with passion, his heart pumped music
His father was his first true inspiration to do it
Each day revealed a true essence natural
Studied cats like Clifford Brown and Fats Navarro
Always wonderin' would the sun come out tomorrow
To end the ghetto pain and sorrow, oh so shallow

His first teenage love was a trumpet
His sister got it for him 'cause she knew that he wanted it
I doubt she knew what all would become of it
He studied it at the school of the arts
Not knowin' he would goof on the start (Hmm)
His teacher was a chain-smokin' local
Who mastered the horn, y'all, he was no joke, yo
He used to cut out of school
Him and his mans just to break early and go to the jams
Y'know, network and build
Humble cat, just showin' his skill
Met Clifford Brown and Dizzy and he knew it was real
Know for his grace notes and light tone quality
Methodically, shake the longest lines, so ill melodically
So much hard work, graduated at last
Same month Clifford Brown died in a car crash
So sad it crushed him, life goes on
Huge tragedy would thrust him, a star is born

At the age of 18, he joined the Art Blakey Messenger team
The next level of things, livin' his dreams
A few months later, he was hired by Diz
To play in big band gigs only to further his biz
The experience outweighed the money so much
He failed to attend the most prestigious school in the country
He shot junk in his veins, started to slip
His friends and family worried, was this gonna be it?
No, soon to rise again from the underground
With a hard bop, jazz type, soulful sound
Sidewinder, first original composition
And most successful at the time in terms of chart positionin'
His work ethic was massive, sideman sessions
Go on for days like discography lessons
Like so many, his downfall was narcotic
And soon to be his fate if he couldn't learn to stop it
It was a gun that ended his life
At a gig in New York City by his so-called wife
33 Years young, so full of greatness
The Lee Morgan story, read about it in the papers, studied the reason

Helen Moore, Slugs, legacy, The Lee Morgan Story
Out