I Called Him Morgan
A hard-bop trumpet prodigy who played with Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane and other legends, Lee Morgan died at the age of 33, gunned down by his long-time romantic partner, Helen, at an East Village jazz club in the depths of a blizzard. Interweaving frank audio interview clips with Helen, memories from Lee’s fellow musicians, and exquisitely assembled archive footage, Swedish director Kasper Collin’s documentary untangles this knotty tale with a sensitive, lyrical touch. Unfolding almost like cinematic jazz, I CALLED HIM MORGAN manages to find sympathy for both players in a tragic, toxic love story.
Lee Morgan, Helen Morgan, Wayne Shorter
- Notes From Bryan FogelCollin’s film is a haunting and poetic documentary about the life and death of jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan. Before seeing this film I knew nothing about Lee Morgan and his fatal shooting at the hands of his wife, Helen, between sets of a performance in 1972. I was riveted. Collin’s approach to storytelling feels like jazz, an improv. I learned so much (which is what great docs do) and loved the fragile intersection of genius, passion and human frailty. I found the film to be a meditation on the choices and circumstances that define us. I also love how the film weaves larger social and cultural themes into a deeply personal tragedy.
