Some fans of Lee Morgan’s album The Sidewinder will debate as to whether the style of jazz the band is playing on record falls under the soul jazz umbrella of if it is part of the hard bop sub-genre. Having sat at a table and listening to two people debate the differences between the two for around an hour I found the discussion both fascinating and frustrating. In the end it seemed just a splitting of hairs. Both are funky and soulful and both came as an outgrowth of bebop but neither of the two could define where one of the sounds started or the other one ended or particular distinctive differences other than who was playing on what record and the substances they preferred to get them in their zone.
Though jazz is not a forte I have the strongest knowledge of, I am a fan of a lot of the stuff that came out in the late 50s through the mid 60s. Released in 1963, The Sidewinder is one of my top 10 favorite records released on the Blue Note label. It's simply groovy all the way through. The title track, which has used in car commercials and as TV show themes is a well known song, leads off the record. Allow me to move the needle to the next track on the record so we can give a listen to "Totem Pole."
What are you listening to tonight?
