Lee Morgan | Sidewinder | Vinyl

Recorded in December 1963 at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio and released on Blue Note in 1964, The Sidewinder is built around Lee Morgan’s instantly catchy title track, a loose, funk-tinged blues that helped popularize the soul-jazz and boogaloo sound of the mid-1960s. The song unexpectedly climbed onto the Billboard Hot 100, and the album itself reached No. 25 on the Billboard 200, becoming Blue Note’s best-selling record at the time and helping keep the label financially afloat. The record’s success led other labels to chase similar funky, groove-based formulas throughout the decade. In 2024, The Sidewinder was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry, and this edition is part of Blue Note’s Classic Vinyl Series of audiophile reissues.

Track List

Side A

1. The Sidewinder
2. Totem Pole

Side B

1. Gary’s Notebook
2. Boy, What a Night
3. Hocus-Pocus

Release Details

• UPC: 0602507438869
• Label: Capitol Music Group
• Format: LP Vinyl — Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series Lp
• Genre: Jazz
• Release Date: 12/4/2020