Lee Morgan recorded this album before his mega-selling The Sidewinder was released; it was intended to be the direct follow-up, but Blue Note, wanting to firm up his image as a swinging hard bop player, shelved it until 1966. It’s subsequently attained the classic status it always deserved. The nearly 16-minute title track breaks down over and over again, solo sections for each player bracketed by a mournful chorus that drops the temperature in the room ten degrees. The compositions are all Morgan originals, and the band — tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Herbie Hancock, guitarist Grant Green, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Billy Higgins — delivers whether it’s a bluesy romp (“The Joker”), a jumpy, somewhat gritty workout (“Mr. Kenyatta”), a tender ballad (“Melancholee”) or a tuneful hard bop burner (“Morgan The Pirate”).