frank morgan jazz

Scrobbling is when Last.fm tracks the music you listen to and automatically adds it to your music profile. Steeped in bebop which is where Frank cut his teeth, but also very contemporary. "SAVED BY THE HORN - After spending half a lifetime on drugs and in prison, jazz great Frank Morgan found redemption in music - and a long-lost family in Minneapolis.". Connect your Spotify account to your Last.fm account and scrobble everything you listen to, from any Spotify app on any device or platform. [14] HighNote Records eventually released three albums worth of material from a three-night stand at the Jazz Standard in New York City in November, 2003. "Teddy Charles (1928-2012)." Frank Morgan. Meyers, Marc. [4] Morgan performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival on September 21, 1986, and turned down an offer to play Charlie Parker in Clint Eastwood's film Bird (Forest Whitaker took his place). The late jazz saxophonist Frank Morgan's tale of redemption from drug addict, conman and convict to beloved elder statesman of jazz.\n \nThe late jazz saxophonist Frank Morgan's tale of redemption from drug addict, conman and convict to beloved elder statesman of jazz.\n I listened to Frank Morgan after reading glowing words of praise by Michael Connelly in his Harry Bosch series of novels. Frank Morgan. [3] His first drug arrest came in 1955, the same year his debut album was released, and Morgan landed in San Quentin State Prison in 1962, where he formed a small ensemble with another addict and sax player, Art Pepper. Like so many of his bebop contemporaries, he had been plagued by heroin addiction and his career was punctuated-and nearly aborted-by numerous periods of incarceration. This is a must have album for jazz fans. Morgan took up his father's instrument at an early age, but lost interest the moment he saw Charlie Parker take his first solo with the Jay McShann band at the Paradise Theater in Detroit, Michigan. [7][8] On November 1, 1954, Morgan cut five tracks with the Kenny Clarke Sextet for Savoy Records, four of which were released with Clarke billed as the leader, with "I've Lost Your Love" credited to writer Milt Jackson as leader. Frank Morgan (b. Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 23, 1933; d. Minneapolis, December 14, 2007) was a jazz saxophonist with a career spanning over 50 years. Yes, Frank is one of the best jazz sax players you will ever listen to. "Jazz Standard", NYC, November 28-30, 2003 Jovial, somewhat flamboyant Frank Morgan (born Francis Wuppermann) will forever be remembered as the title character in The Wizard of Oz (1939), but he was a veteran and respected actor long before he played that part, and turned in outstanding performances both before and after that film. The late altoist Frank Morgan performed together frequently with pianist George Cables; evidence of that includes studio recordings of duets in 1986 (Double Image) and 1989 (half of Mood Indigo), as well as three separate live discs culled from an extended quartet engagement at New York’s Jazz Standard alongside drummer Billy Hart and bassist Carmen Lundy in November 2003. Fitzgerald, Michael. The late jazz saxophonist Frank Morgan’s tale of redemption from drug addict, conman and convict to beloved elder statesman of jazz. A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site. [3][4][5], As a teenager Morgan had opportunities to jam with the likes of Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray on Sunday afternoons at the Crystal Tearoom. Frank Morgan (also referred to as Gene Norman Presents Frank Morgan) is an album by saxophonist Frank Morgan with trumpeter Conte Candoli and Machito 's Rhythm Section which was recorded in 1955 and released on the Gene Norman Presents label. We don’t have any upcoming events for this artist right now. Son … Morgan also participated in the 2004 Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in Tompkins Square Park. [18], The New York Times editor Peter Keepnews wrote that Frank Morgan was "a leading figure in the jazz revival of the late ’80s, a living reminder of bebop’s durability. During the 1950's he was known as a Charlie Parker protege and recorded several bebop albums. During the 1950's he was known as a Charlie Parker protege and recorded several bebop albums. From Minneapolis, Morgan was the son of Ink Spots guitarist Stanley Morgan, who started him on guitar at the age of 2. "Frank Morgan Leader Entry. Alto saxophonist Frank Morgan brings his sweet and soulful tone to a quartet setting with host Marian McPartland, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi and … It is a real rarity for a jazz musician to have his career interrupted for three decades and then be able to make a complete comeback. [6], Fresh out of prison in April, 1985, Morgan started recording again, releasing Easy Living on Contemporary Records that June. Some user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. Can't say enough good things about Frank Morgan. Listen to Jazz 'Round Midnight by Frank Morgan on Apple Music. Morgan also performed at the 2006 East Coast Jazz Festival in Washington, D.C., and on the West Coast at Yoshi's and Catalina's. Web. Frank Morgan, a jazz saxophonist who modeled his style after bebop pioneer Charlie Parker, died of complications relating to colon cancer Friday … Frank Morgan (December 23, 1933 – December 14, 2007) was a jazz saxophonist with a career spanning more than 50 years. The album would be Morgan's only release for 30 years until his comeback in 1985. His career was interrupted in the '50s due to drug problems, but he bounced back surprisingly in the late '80s with a string of well-received albums. An all around amazing alto sax man and probably one of the best balladeers in jazz history. Shortly before his death, Morgan completed his first tour of Europe. Frank Morgan (b. Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 23, 1933; d. … Actor, Frank Morgan, in a dual role as a professor and a crook in the play, Topaze, standing by a table with an open French newspaper. For one of Morgan's final recordings, he composed and recorded music for the audiobook adaptation of Michael Connelly's crime novel The Overlook (2007), providing brief unaccompanied sax solos at the beginning and end of the book, and between chapters. Frank Morgan - City Nights: Live At The Jazz Standard (HighNote HCD 7129) Frank Morgan, alto sax; George Cables, piano; Curtis Lundy, bass; Billy Hart, drums. The album copy hailed Morgan as the new Charlie Parker, who had died the same year. "[5][10], Following in the footsteps of Parker, Morgan had started taking heroin at 17, subsequently became addicted, and spent much of his adult life in and out of prison. This artist appears in 8 charts and has received 0 comments and 0 ratings from BestEverAlbums.com site members. Directed by N.C. Heikin. He was known as a Charlie Parker successor who primarily played bebop and ballads. Morgan is mentioned in the book by lead character Harry Bosch, a jazz enthusiast. 08 Aug. 2014. Published May 1, 1997 – By Willard Jenkins If anyone currently playing jazz knows how to bop it’s Frank Morgan, and his way with this program of eight bebop chestnuts ranging from “Half Nelson” to “A Night In Tunisia” is clear and sure. [4] That same year he won a television talent-show contest, the prize of which was a recording session with the Freddy Martin Orchestra, playing "Over the Rainbow" in an arrangement by Ray Conniff, with vocals by Merv Griffin. Frank Morgan: Bop! Morgan moved to live with his father (by that time divorced) in Los Angeles, California at the age of 14, after his grandmother caught him with marijuana. Frank Morgan, 73, a jazz saxophonist of impeccable ability, whose claim to the mantle of the celebrated Charlie Parker was clouded by his heroin addiction, died Dec. 14 at … ", Adler, David R. "Jazz Reviews: Charlie Parker Jazz Festival 2004. "[19][20] The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD called Morgan "a passionate improviser" who "organizes his solos in a songful, highly logical way. ", Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story, "Frank Morgan: Alto Saxophonist Protg of Charlie Parker Who Spent 30 Years behind Bars in San Quentin", "Frank Morgan, Master of Bebop Sax, Dies at 73", "Jazz Reviews: City Nights, Frank Morgan", "Jazz Albums: Raising the Standard, Frank Morgan", "Bestseller Michael Connelly Making Frank Morgan Jazz Biopic", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frank_Morgan_(musician)&oldid=1007375067, Jefferson High School (Los Angeles) alumni, Pages using Template:Infobox musical artist with unknown parameters, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 February 2021, at 20:23. Frank Morgan John Coltrane, “Soul Eyes” Sonny Rollins, Falling In Love With Jazz Wayne Shorter, “502 Blues” Jimi Hendrix, “Purple Haze” I also came across a site that is dedicated to providing the music that is part of the TV series, broken down by each season and episode. [23][24][25], Anthony, Michael. Order the DVD from Amazon. The 1985 release of Frank Morgan’s Easy Living marked the brilliant alto saxophonist’s return to recording after 30 years of near-total obscurity. For jazz lovers in northern New Mexico, it doesn’t get any better than this! Morgan practiced on the clarinet for about two years before acquiring a soprano sax, and finally, an alto. Order the DVD from Kino Lorber. He was known as a Charlie Parker successor who primarily played bebop and ballads. A strikingly innovative jazz saxophonist, with a sharp, accented style reminiscent of Art Pepper. We went. [3] Morgan attended Jefferson High School during the day, where he played in the school big band that also spawned jazz greats Art Farmer, Ed Thigpen, Chico Hamilton, Sonny Criss, and Dexter Gordon. Frank Morgan from United States. Genres: Jazz. When he was just 15 years old, Morgan was offered Johnny Hodges's spot in Duke Ellington's Orchestra, but Stanley deemed him too young for touring. "[21] Comparing Morgan and Art Pepper, C. Michael Bailey wrote that "both possessed a beautifully spearmint-dry ice tone in their early careers and both were unsurpassed as ballad interpreters," and that Morgan showed "why bop still matters so much. In 1985 he st…, Frank Morgan (b. Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 23, 1933; d. Minneapolis, December 14, 2007) was a jazz saxophonist with a career spanning over 50 years. That's clearly evidenced here with a beautifully chosen set of standards and Frank Morgan penned tunes. With Frank Morgan, Mark Gross, Ron Carter, Grace Kelly. [4][11] Though he stayed off heroin for the last two decades of his life, Morgan took methadone daily. Since 2015, the Frank Morgan Taos Jazz Festival has presented world-class jazz artists and attracted capacity crowds from far and wide. He mainly plays alto saxophone but also plays soprano saxophone. Later releases also included five tracks cut at the Crescendo Club in West Hollywood on August 11, 1956 with a sextet featuring Bobby Timmons and Jack Sheldon. Frank Morgan (December 23, 1933 – December 14, 2007) was a jazz saxophonist with a career spanning more than 50 years. He mainly played alto saxophone but also played soprano saxophone. BestEverAlbums.com provides a whole host of statistics, and allows you to rate, rank and comment on your favourite albums, artists and tacks as well as letting you create your own year, decade or overall charts. "Jazz Reviews: East Coast Jazz Festival 2006. American jazz saxophonist (alto, soprano), born 23 December 1933 in Minneapolis, Minnesota; died 14 December 2007 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. [4] Morgan suffered a stroke in 1998, but subsequently recovered, recording and performing during the last four years of his life. Discover releases, reviews, track listings, recommendations, and more about Frank Morgan With Conte Candoli And Machito's Rhythm Section - Gene Norman Presents Frank Morgan at Discogs. 04.59 EST Bowled over by hearing Charlie Parker in person, Frank Morgan, who has died aged 73, took up the alto saxophone as a teenager, desperate … [6][16] His last gig in Minneapolis featured Grace Kelly, Irv Williams, and Peter Schimke at the Dakota on July 1, 2007.[17]. He mainly plays alto saxophone but also plays soprano saxophone. [2], Frank Morgan was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1933, but spent most of his childhood living with his grandmother in Milwaukee, Wisconsin while his parents were on tour. American jazz trumpeter Benny Bailey and American jazz saxophonist Frank Morgan Copenhagen Jazz Festival July 1987. A strikingly innovative jazz saxophonist, with a sharp, accented style reminiscent of Art Pepper. His final incarceration, for which Morgan had turned himself in on a parole violation, ended on December 7, 1986. Artists similar to Frank Morgan on OLDIES.com. 2012. Five years later, Morgan switched to saxophone after hearing Charlie Parker in Jay McShann's orchestra at Detroit's Paradise Theater. Frank Morgan showed a great deal of promise in his early days, but it was a long time before he could fulfill his potential. [6] He made his New York debut in December 1986 at the Village Vanguard, and collaborated with George W.S. He was a Black musician. He mainly plays alto saxophone but also plays soprano saxophone. One of the most heartbreaking and emotionally-exposed ballad performances you'll ever hear. Frank Morgan discography and songs: Music profile for Frank Morgan, born 23 December 1933. Complete your Frank Morgan With Conte Candoli And Machito's Rhythm Section collection. Stream songs including "Helen's Song", "I Didn't Know About You" and more. 23501379, ; Maintained by Carol STEVENS (contributor 46861595) Unknown. Morgan, seven years old at the time, assumed they'd be picking out a saxophone, but Parker suggested he start on the clarinet to develop his embouchure. 24 November 1925, New York City, New York, USA, d. 15 February 1988, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, USA. [4][12][13] His 1990 album Mood Indigo went to number four on the Billboard jazz chart. *Frank Morgan was born on this date in 1933. Morgan's father Stanley was a guitarist with Harlan Leonard and the Rockets and The Ink Spots, and his mother, Geraldine, was a 14-year-old student when she gave birth to him. Go directly to shout page. In his own words, Morgan was "scared to death" by this and "self-destructed. "[14] Writing in JazzTimes, David Franklin described Morgan as having a "sweet, singing tone" and praised his "subtle use of dynamic contrast" and "mature self-assuredness" which complemented his "youthful exuberance. Saxophonist Frank Morgan’s life story, as movingly related in a documentary film and a book, is at once uplifting and frustrating.Emerging in the early 1950s as part of the vibrant African American West Coast Jazz SceneAfrican American West Coast Jazz Scene Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed ), memorial page for Frank Morgan (23 Dec 1933–14 Dec 2007), Find a Grave Memorial no. Stanley introduced them backstage, where Parker offered Morgan advice about starting out on the alto sax, and they met at a music store the following day. At the late night jam sessions in LA, Jazz musicians used to dedicate their shows to the greatest alto sax player in the world, Frank Morgan, but if you wanted to hear him, you had to go to San Quentin. [6] Morgan stayed in contact with Parker during these years, finding himself in jam sessions at Hollywood celebrities' homes when Parker visited L.A.[5] In 1952, Morgan earned a spot in Lionel Hampton's band, but his first arrest in 1953 prevented him from joining the Clifford Brown and Max Roach quintet (that role went instead to Harold Land, and later, Sonny Rollins). About Frank Morgan Originally a Bebop bred stylist firmly in the Charlie Parker mold, Morgan eventually developed a slightly tougher sound of his own. He mainly plays alto saxophone but also plays soprano saxophone. The son of Stanley Morgan, who played guitar for the Ink Spots, Frank Morgan gravitated toward his father's instrument — until he heard Parker playing in Jay McShann's band in Detroit. "JAZZMAN FRANK MORGAN WILL BE REMEMBERED. [9] Morgan recorded an all-star date with Wild Bill Davis and Conte Candoli on January 29, 1955 and participated in a second recording session on March 31, 1955 with Candoli, Wardell Gray, Leroy Vinnegar and others, which were combined and released in 1955 as Morgan's first album, Frank Morgan, by GNP Crescendo Records. ", Kabran, Michael. ", "Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story - 2014 Los Angeles Film Festival. [15], After moving to Minneapolis in the fall of 2005, Morgan headlined the 2006 Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival and played duets with Ronnie Mathews at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis and George Cables at the Artists' Quarter in St. Paul. [1] He mainly played alto saxophone but also played soprano saxophone. This sextet featured short-lived tenor player Wardell Gray and was included on the 1983 posthumous release Wardell Gray Memorial Volume 1. 'JazzWax' 19 Apr. Instead he joined the house band at Club Alabam where he backed vocalists including Billie Holiday and Josephine Baker. Download the film from Kino Lorber. "[22] Author Michael Connelly co-produced a documentary film about Morgan, Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story, directed by N.C. Heikin, which had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 14, 2014 and was followed the next day by a tribute concert at The Grammy Museum, featuring George Cables, Ron Carter, Mark Gross, Grace Kelly, and Roy McCurdy. He was absent from performing for an extended period, but unlike many suffering from that particular affliction, was able to create a second act in his playing career. Trow on Prison-Made Tuxedos, a semi-autobiographical Off-Broadway play which included live music by the Frank Morgan Quartet (featuring Ronnie Mathews, Walter Booker, and Victor Lewis). During the 1950's he was known as a Charlie Parker protege and reco…, Frank Morgan (b. Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 23, 1933; d. Minneapolis, December 14, 2007) was a jazz saxophonist with a career spanning over 50 years. [18], Frank Morgan died in Minneapolis on Friday, December 14, 2007 from complications due to colorectal cancer, nine days before his 74th birthday. [3] He made his recording debut on February 20, 1953 with Teddy Charles and his West Coasters in a session for Prestige Records. ", "Frank Morgan Tribute - 2014 Los Angeles Film Festival. He, too, developed a heroin habit, and spent much of the next two decades incarcerated. Frank Morgan (b. Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 23, 1933; d. Minneapolis, December 14, 2007) was a jazz saxophonist with a career spanning over 50 years. ", Raihala, Ross. He, too, developed a heroin habit, and spent …, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. A memorial service featuring members of Morgan's family and a performance by Irv Williams was held at the Artists' Quarter on Sunday, December 23. During the 1950's he was known as a … Frank Morgan, “Lullaby,” Mood Indigo George Cables John Coltrane, “Soul Eyes” Chet Baker, “Cool Burnin'” Chet Baker, “My Funny Valentine” Louis Armstrong, “What a Wonderful World” Billy Strayhorn, “Lush Life” From The Narrows Lucinda Williams, World Without Tears Frank Morgan, “Lullaby” From The Closers Javascript is required to view shouts on this page. [4] Morgan supported his drug habit through check forgery and fencing stolen property. Produced by Michael Connelly. Albums include Frank Morgan, Reflections, and Mood Indigo. Of redemption: the Frank Morgan Story - 2014 Los Angeles Film Festival comeback in 1985 and recorded several albums... Last.Fm is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License and Machito 's Rhythm Section collection Morgan also participated the..., Reflections, and collaborated with George W.S drug habit through check forgery and fencing stolen property frank morgan jazz world-class. 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