A rare and striking poster advertising the Lee Morgan Memorial Concert at New York City’s Fordham University at Lincoln Center, on 20 May 1972.  The concert featured Art Blakey and the Messengers*, the Irene Reid Trio, and the Ray Bryant Trio.

This was part of the legendary jazz collection of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts (1941-2022), and sold at auction in 2023 by Christie’s, London.

As Wikipedia notes, Morgan recorded prolifically from 1956 until a day before his death in February 1972. He joined Dizzy Gillespie’s Big Band at 18… Morgan began recording for Blue Note in 1956, eventually recording 25 albums as a leader for the label… He was a featured sideman on several early Hank Mobley records, and intermittently thereafter. On John Coltrane’s Blue Train (1957), Morgan played a trumpet with an angled bell given to him by Gillespie.

Joining Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in 1958, Morgan further developed his talent as a soloist and composer. He toured with Blakey for a few years, and was featured on numerous albums by the Messengers, including Moanin’, which is one of the band’s best-known recordings… On returning to New York in 1963, he recorded The Sidewinder. The title track cracked the pop chart in 1964… with [the] album The Sidewinder becoming Blue Note’s best-selling record ever. Morgan tragically died at the age of 33 on 19 February 1972 when his common-law wife Helen Morgan shot and killed him following an altercation between sets at Slugs’ Saloon in New York City.’

This was sold as part of Lot 571 in the Christie’s auction Charlie Watts: Gentleman, Collector, Rolling Stone. 

Designed by Jim Bell, printed in black and pink on light card stock.  In Excellent condition.  14″ x 19″, framed to 17 1/2″ x 24 1/2″.

With Recordmecca’s written lifetime guarantee of authenticity, a copy of the Christie’s lot label, and our card noting this was part of the Charlie Watts Collection.

*At the time of this show, the lineup of Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers included Woody Shaw, Walter Davis Jr., George Cables, John Hicks, Ramon Morris and Mickey Bass.