"The Sidewinder" is one of the most commercially successful recordings in Blue Note Records history, the title track from Lee Morgan's 1963 album. Morgan's own composition features a 24-bar form in E-flat with a funky, boogaloo-inspired groove at approximately 159 bpm that bridged the gap between hard bop and the emerging soul jazz movement. Morgan leads with three choruses of trumpet that define the tune's swaggering personality, his bright, confident tone and rhythmic inventiveness setting the standard for the performance. Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson follows with three exploratory choruses that bring a more angular, modernist sensibility to the groove. Pianist Barry Harris contributes three hard-swinging choruses, and bassist Bob Cranshaw rounds out the solos with two melodic choruses. The track's infectious groove and Morgan's memorable melody made it an unexpected jukebox hit, reaching the pop charts and helping to keep Blue Note financially solvent during a challenging period for jazz. Despite its commercial appeal, the quality of the improvisation is uncompromising, with each soloist treating the funky groove as a launching pad for serious jazz exploration. The Sidewinder remains Morgan's signature composition and one of the defining recordings of 1960s jazz.
