Jeffrey Morgan (musician)
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Morgan is a United States-born jazz
musician (piano, soprano- tenor- and alto-saxophone
, trumpet, violin, and conceptual composer). Since 1991 he lives in Cologne, Germany, while remaining active with free jazz
and improvised
music.
in Olympia,WA in 1973. During his education he attended the legendary Creative Music Studio
in Woodstock, NY, and studied under Karl Berger
, Don Cherry
, and Oliver Lake
as part of his external studies program. Moreover, he created his first compositional work for music and dance – “Distress Mistress,” and performed his first ensemble work (14 piece) entitled “The Delirium Dimension” also in 1976. In 1977 he created his first interdisciplinary work (multi-media) – “Galactic Visions,” a composition for music, dance, slide projectors, costumes, and light design. Over the next several years he conceptualized and composed a few collaborative interdisciplinary works: “It’s Only Money”; “C.A.S.H”; “Transient Landscapes”; and “Mykrocozm,” wherein he also had directing and acting responsibilities. In 1982 Morgan co-founded "Presto Chango" a musical theater/performance group that incorporated costumes and stage design along with Andrew Woodruff and Bob Heywood. Two years later together, along with Paul Hoskin, he co-founded NAO (New Art Orchestra) in Seattle. He also worked for Muzak as supervisor to re-evaluated their current library of music. In 1987 Morgan moved to Birmingham, AL., and worked with dancers Mary Horn and Susan Hefner, and started an on-going collaboration with LaDonna Smith
. In 1988 he made his first tour to Europe with the Seattle-based trio Clank (w/ Johnny Calcagno and Charly Rowen), as well as working with several international musicians from Denmark, England, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. Since 1991 he resides in Cologne, Germany, remaining active in the field of jazz and improvised music. In the meantime has worked with Alan Silva
, Keith Rowe
, Peter Kowald
, Paul Lytton
, and Xu Feng Xia just to name a few. From 1991 to 1996 he organized the Drang in Klang festival for experimental and improvised music, and in 1994 he established another open-door workshop for Conceptual Composition and Improvisation in Cologne, which led to invitations to lead other workshops in Bielefeld, Hamburg, Lisbon, Leeds and Wuppertal. Also, in 1994 he composed another interdisciplinary work entitled “In the Shadow of the Gambler” which was performed in Cologne and Krefeld. Moreover, he has led three classes through a group process focused on Installation and Performance: “Elements”; “Haunted House”; and “N-Station” respectively, at the Tekniske Skole in Copenhagen.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician (piano, soprano- tenor- and alto-saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, trumpet, violin, and conceptual composer). Since 1991 he lives in Cologne, Germany, while remaining active with free jazz
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
and improvised
Free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician involved. The term can refer to both a technique and as a recognizable genre in its own right....
music.
Life and work
Morgan started studying the Performing Arts: Music; Dance; Experimental Theater; Ethnomusicology; Philosophy of Aesthetics; and Eastern Religion at The Evergreen State CollegeThe Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College is an accredited public liberal arts college and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. It is located in Olympia, Washington, USA. Founded in 1967, Evergreen was formed to be an experimental and non-traditional college...
in Olympia,WA in 1973. During his education he attended the legendary Creative Music Studio
Creative Music Studio
The Creative Music Studio was a premier study center for contemporary creative music during the 1970s and 1980s, based in Woodstock, New York. Founded in 1971 by Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso, and Ornette Coleman, it brought together leading innovators in the jazz and world music communities...
in Woodstock, NY, and studied under Karl Berger
Karl Berger
Karl Hanns Berger is a musicologist with a PhD in Music Sociology, jazz composer, jazz vibraphone and piano player.-Biography:...
, Don Cherry
Don Cherry (jazz)
Donald Eugene Cherry was an innovative African-American jazz cornetist whose career began with a long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman. He went on to live in many parts of the world and work with a wide variety of musicians.-Biography:Cherry was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and...
, and Oliver Lake
Oliver Lake
Oliver Lake is an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer and poet. He is known mainly on alto saxophone but also performs on soprano saxophone and flute....
as part of his external studies program. Moreover, he created his first compositional work for music and dance – “Distress Mistress,” and performed his first ensemble work (14 piece) entitled “The Delirium Dimension” also in 1976. In 1977 he created his first interdisciplinary work (multi-media) – “Galactic Visions,” a composition for music, dance, slide projectors, costumes, and light design. Over the next several years he conceptualized and composed a few collaborative interdisciplinary works: “It’s Only Money”; “C.A.S.H”; “Transient Landscapes”; and “Mykrocozm,” wherein he also had directing and acting responsibilities. In 1982 Morgan co-founded "Presto Chango" a musical theater/performance group that incorporated costumes and stage design along with Andrew Woodruff and Bob Heywood. Two years later together, along with Paul Hoskin, he co-founded NAO (New Art Orchestra) in Seattle. He also worked for Muzak as supervisor to re-evaluated their current library of music. In 1987 Morgan moved to Birmingham, AL., and worked with dancers Mary Horn and Susan Hefner, and started an on-going collaboration with LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith is an American avant garde musician from Alabama . She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Gunther Christmann, Anne Lebaron, Derek Bailey, Eugene Chadbourne, Misha Feigin, Michael...
. In 1988 he made his first tour to Europe with the Seattle-based trio Clank (w/ Johnny Calcagno and Charly Rowen), as well as working with several international musicians from Denmark, England, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. Since 1991 he resides in Cologne, Germany, remaining active in the field of jazz and improvised music. In the meantime has worked with Alan Silva
Alan Silva
Alan Silva is an American free jazz double bassist and keyboard player.-Biography:...
, Keith Rowe
Keith Rowe
Keith Rowe is an English free improvisation tabletop guitarist and painter. Rowe is a founding member of both the hugely influential AMM in the mid-1960s and M.I.M.E.O. Having trained as a visual artist, Rowe's paintings have been featured on most of his own albums...
, Peter Kowald
Peter Kowald
Peter Kowald was a German free jazz musician.A member of the Globe Unity Orchestra, and a touring double-bass player, Kowald collaborated with a large number of European free jazz and American free-jazz players during his career, including Peter Brötzmann, Irène Schweizer, Karl Berger, Fred...
, Paul Lytton
Paul Lytton
Paul Lytton is an English free jazz percussionist.Lytton began on drums at age 16. He played jazz in London in the late 1960s while taking lessons on the tabla from P.R. Desai. In 1969 he began experimenting with free improvisational music, working in a duo with saxophonist Evan Parker. After...
, and Xu Feng Xia just to name a few. From 1991 to 1996 he organized the Drang in Klang festival for experimental and improvised music, and in 1994 he established another open-door workshop for Conceptual Composition and Improvisation in Cologne, which led to invitations to lead other workshops in Bielefeld, Hamburg, Lisbon, Leeds and Wuppertal. Also, in 1994 he composed another interdisciplinary work entitled “In the Shadow of the Gambler” which was performed in Cologne and Krefeld. Moreover, he has led three classes through a group process focused on Installation and Performance: “Elements”; “Haunted House”; and “N-Station” respectively, at the Tekniske Skole in Copenhagen.
Selected discography
- Ritual Space Solo Piano Works (CD Konnex) 2005
- Terra Incognita – Duo w/ Paul Lytton (CD Konnex) 2004
- Avenue X – Quartet w/ Capote (CD Ninth World) 2003
- Take No Prisoners – Duo w/ Bert Wilson (CD Konnex) 2003
- Dubbel Duo – Quartet w/ Goudbeek, Jacquemyn, Kowald (CD Konnex) 2002
- Magnetic Fields – Duo w/ Bert Wilson (CD FMO) 2002
- Quartz & Crow Feather – Solo Alto Saxophone + Violin (CD Headlights) 2000
- Sign of the Raven – Trio w/ Peter Jacquemyn + Mark Sanders (CD Ueton) 2000
- Electroshock – I Woke Up Braindead - Quintet (CD Ueton) 1999
- Dial: Log-Rhythm – Duo w/ Keith Rowe (CD Matchless) 1999
- Near Vhana – Duo w/ Joker Nies (CD Ninth World) 1997
- Snake Eyes – Duo w/ Joker Nies (CD Random Acoustics) 1995
- Quasar-Mach – Solo + Ensemble Works (LP AuRoar) 1983
- More than 20 cassettes were released by Sound of Pig Music 1983 till 1992