Exclusive: Fly High With A Jazz Legend In Trailer For Documentary 'I Called Him Morgan'

Life, love, murder, and the story of a jazz legend flow through “I Called Him Morgan,” which for music fans, should be high on their list of must-see movies this spring. And today we have the exclusive trailer for the documentary which sheds a fascinating new light on the great Lee Morgan.

Directed by Kasper Collin (“My Name Is Albert Ayler”), and featuring cinematography by Bradford Young (“Arrival,” “Selma“), the film is anchored by a remarkable, previously unheard interview with Lee Morgan’s common-law wife Helen, who was convicted of killing the trumpeter in 1972. Her words, combined with archival footage paints a portrait that we called “a lean, thumping excursion into the life of a legend.” Here’s the official synopsis:

On a snowy night in February 1972, 33-year-old jazz trumpet star Lee Morgan was shot dead by his common-law wife, Helen, during a gig at a club in New York City. The murder sent shockwaves through the jazz community, where Morgan played with such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey and John Coltrane. Helen served time for the crime and, following her release, retreated into obscurity. Over 20 years later, a chance encounter led her to give a remarkable interview. Helen’s revealing audio “testimony” acts as a refrain throughout the film, which draws together a wealth of archival photographs and footage, interviews with friends and bandmates and incredible jazz music to tell the ill-fated pair’s story. Part true-crime tale, part love story, and an all-out musical treat, I CALLED HIM MORGAN is a stirring tribute to two unique personalities and the music that brought them together.

“I Called Him Morgan” opens on in New York on March 24th and Los Angeles on March 31st.