Totem Pole

Totem Pole was composed by Lee Morgan and recorded on December 21, 1963, at Rudy Van Gelder Studio for Blue Note Records as part of the landmark album The Sidewinder. The quintet featured Morgan on trumpet alongside Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, Barry Harris on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The composition is a 64-bar post-bop piece structured in an AABA-like form, anchored in E-flat minor with functional harmony that cycles through dominant tensions before shifting to brighter major areas for contrast. Its medium-tempo groove blends hard bop energy with subtle Latin inflections, and the angular, syncopated melody creates a stacking of motifs that builds intensity across the form. Morgan wrote all five tracks on The Sidewinder, and Totem Pole exemplifies his ability to craft groove-oriented pieces that bridge bebop sophistication with soul-jazz sensibility. While it has not achieved the widespread standard status of the album's iconic title track, it remains a respected deep cut in Morgan's catalog, praised for its harmonic depth and the tight interplay between the horns. The original Blue Note session is the primary recording, and AllSolos features transcribed solos from two takes of the tune, capturing both Henderson's angular tenor lines and Morgan's commanding trumpet work alongside Harris's piano contributions.