"Totem Pole" (Alternative Take) offers a second look at Lee Morgan's Latin-flavored composition from his 1963 Blue Note album The Sidewinder. Like the primary take, it is set in a 32-bar AABA form in E-flat minor at approximately 140 bpm with a Latin rhythmic feel, but this version reveals how even the most polished jazz performances are products of spontaneous creation. Morgan again takes two opening and two closing trumpet choruses, his solos following different melodic paths than the released version while maintaining the same lyrical quality. Joe Henderson's two tenor saxophone choruses explore alternative harmonic angles through the minor-key changes, demonstrating the infinite possibilities inherent in jazz improvisation. Barry Harris contributes two more choruses of thoughtful piano. The inclusion of this alternate take provides listeners with a rare opportunity to compare how these master improvisers approached the same compositional framework with fresh ideas on successive attempts. Both takes achieve a high level of musical excellence, and the comparison reveals the remarkable consistency of the group's collective performance while highlighting the spontaneous differences that make each jazz performance unique.
