Hard-hitting trumpeter Stafford has led this group for quite a while now and it certainly shows. It's as tight as a drum and its sound has been exceptionally well captured by producer John Clayton and engineer Katsuhiko Naito in NYC's Systems Two, with perhaps special mention for the way they've recorded the bass and drums. This tribute to one of Stafford's idols, concentrating on many familiar Morgan compositions (you'll recognise the melodies more than the titles) came about as a result of a one-night gig in Philadelphia organised by Danilo Perez. Even a faulty pressing can't take away the pleasure the quintet obviously feels towards the man and his music and there are fine, funky solos by all five, especially on the several blues tracks. Stafford wisely doesn't try to copy any of Lee's little tricks, but everything he plays has the qualities of Morgan's music. Though most of the tempos are medium or up, the ballads – ‘Candy’, from one of Lee's quartet dates for Blue Note, show off Stafford's tender bluesy side. Warfield is in top form throughout, especially on the 12-bars, while Barth plays an equally important role in solo and support, with Washington and Dana Hall locked beneath them. Some of the very best tracks are ‘Mr Kenyatta’, ‘Petty Larceny’, ‘Carolyn’ and the storming ‘Speedball’ which ends the record – not forgetting Terell's only original, ‘Favor’, written for another project, but which fits in well. Lee would have liked it.