Dave Morgan
MAJOR PROJECTS
As a jazz musician it is really easy to get into a routine of playing a lot of gigs. For this reason I try to always have large scale projects to stimulate my imagination and to create opportunities to present special musical events. A major ongoing project has been the transcription and arrangement of the music of Frank Zappa for the Jazz Unit. I also invested quite a bit of time composing and arranging an evening of big band music for Joe Lovano and the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. Over the past few years I've composed several works for large wind ensemble and orchestras that have been performed and recorded throughout the world.
SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
Here are some of the recordings I've been involved with over the last few years. You should be able to find most of these with a simple Google search.
JAZZ RECORDINGS
The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra featuring Joe Lovano- The Surprise of Being--Live at Birdland. This recording documents our week-long engagement at Birdland in 2006 and features my five-part suite "The Surprise of Being" along with my arrangements of Joe Lovano and Judi Silvano tunes.
Russell Schmidt-Season of Change. This is a great trio recording featuring Schmidt on piano, Jim Rupp on drums, Dave Morgan on bass.
The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra-Jazz Vespers. This is a fantastic recording of Paul Ferguson's arrangements of religious standards. Great writng and playing.
The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra-Traditions. This recording includes my piece "Thad-Type Tune" featuring Pete Mills, Sean Jones, and Dan Wall.
The Jazz Unit-Choices. This is the first recorded collection of my compositions for large jazz ensemble, and features great performances by Howie Smith, Jack Schantz, Chris Karlic, Dan Wall, and Bob Fraser.
Helen Welsh-One Dream. This is a satisfying collection of standards by the English songbird.
Paul Ferguson Jazz Orchestra-Friends. An excellent Cd featuring Mark Lopeman.
Jamad-Jamad. This is a recently re-released recording of the Austin, TX sextet featuring James Polk, Alex Coke, Martin Banks, A.D. Mannion, Randy Zimmerman and me. It incudes some of my first recorded jazz compositions. I really learned a lot from these legendary Texas musicians.
Paul Ferguson Jazz Orchestra-Live at the Bop Stop. Another nice effort from Paul featuring Jim Rupp, Sean Jones, Russ Schmidt, Jack Schantz, et.al.
John Perrine-Dance of the Pampanzi. This is a quartet recording by the CSU jazz prof featuring the amazing Paul Samuels on drums. The bass/drum hookup on this one is pretty satisfying.
Topliow Brothers. This is an interesting session I did with the clarinetist who is best known as conductor of the Cleveland Pops and the Cleveland Institute Orchestra.
CLASSICAL RECORDINGS
American Wind Symphony Orchestra-Reflections. This features the first recording of "Reflections and Meditations" for solo clarinet and winds conducted by the legendary Robert Boudreau. The score and parts are available from Peters.
Katherine DeJongh, Polish National Chamber Orchestra-Twentieth Century Works for Flute and Orchestra. This Centaur recording includes my "Romance" for flute and strings Conducted by Bohdan Jarmolowicz.
Greg Banacsak, Beethoven Festival Orchestra. The stunning two-Cd set includes my "Three Vignettes" for alto saxophone and strings.
Mary Kay Ferguson-Panoromicos. This is an exquisite recording by the wonderful flautist and strings from The Cleveland Orchestra. This includes my "Secret of the Golden Flower."
Dark Wood-Youngstown Percussion Collective. Includes a recording of my "Dark Wood" for marimba quartet.
Beyond the Horizon-Adam Frey. This includes my piece "Shapes of the Morning" as recorded by the euphonium virtuoso. Score and parts are available at euphonium.com.
Dana Symphonic Wind Ensemble-Tipping Points. This fine recording features my "Tipping Points" for piano, bass, and wind ensemble featuring Caroline Oltmans and myself, conducted by Stephen Gage.
Dana Symphonic Wind Ensemble-Spin Cycle. This recording includes "Reactions," a concerto for drum set and wind ensemble featuring my colleauge Glenn Schaft as soloist.
Here is a partial list of the many wonderful musicians I have had the opportunity to perform and record with throughout the years.
Howard Alden
Sandy Allen
Mose Allison
Chris Anderson
Kenny Anderson
Joe Augustine
Erich Avenger
Martin Banks
Allan Baker
Chas Baker
Chris Baker
Zoot Baker
Greg Bandy
Gene Bertoncini
Seamus Blake
Bob Brookmeyer
Dan Bruce
Ron Busch
Ann Hampton Calloway
Tony Campise
Keith Carnekie
Carmen Castaldi
Dave Catney
The Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra
Bob Chadwick
Alex Coke
Larry Coryell
Creative Oportunity Orchestra
Harold Danko
Kenny Davis
Dennis Dotson
Nate Douds
Kent Engelhardt
Kurt Ellenberger
Bobby Ferrazza
Paul Ferguson
Mary Kay Ferguson
Clare Fischer
Bob Florence
Ricardo Flores
Bob Fraser
Hugh Fraser
Casey Genemans
Dizzy Gillespie
Ron Godale
Benny Golson
Mark Gonder
Benny Green
Mike Greensill
Marshall Griffith
Cliff Habian
Jamey Haddad
Doug Hall
Slide Hampton
Rich Harney
Steve Hawk
Jeff Hellmer
Bob Henshon
Peter Hess
John Hicks
Holly Hoffman
John Hollenbeck
Joe Howard
Joe Hunter
Jamad
Sean Jones
Clifford Jordon
David Kana
Chris Karlic
Val Kent
Mark Kimbrell
Roy King
Ernie Krivda
Rick Lawn
Mike Lee
Joe LoCasio
Mark Lopeman
Mundell Lowe
A.D. Mannion
Tina Marsh
Bob McKee
Paul McKee
Jim McNeely
Alton Merrell
Bob Meyer
Ed Michaels
James Moody
Dan Murphy
Mike Murray
New Images
Adam Nussbaum
George Oldziey
Caroline Oltmanns
Matt Perko
John Perrine
Bernadette Peters
James Polk
Jim Powell
Tom Reed
Vernon Reed
David Renter
John Reese Project
Jason Rigby
Humberto Ramirez
Bobby Rodriguez
Jim Rupp
Ally Ryerson
Paul Samuels
Jack Schantz
Diane Schurr
Russell Schmidt
Maria Schneider
Bobby Selvagio
Glenn Schaft
Scott Sherwood
Matt Shulman
Judi Silvano
Howie Smith
Tony Spicer
Chip Stephens
Suzi Stern
Dave Sterner
Rick Stone
Arthur Topilow
Carl Topilow
Bethani Ullman
James Umble
Brad Wagner
Dan Wall
Cedar Walton
Jackie Warren
Mitch Watkins
Bobby Watson
Ernie Watts
Rock Wehrman
Helen Welsh
Paul Wertico
James Wideman
Mike Wolford
Kenny Wheeler
Jiggs Whigham
Wesla Whitfield
John Wojciechowski
Mark Wood
Randy Zimmerman
RECENT COMPOSITIONS
Impressioni il Faggotti. For solo bassoon. Premiered by Evan Hertrick.
Being Time. For Alto saxophone, double bass, and drum set.
Premiered by James Umble, David Morgan, and Glenn Schaft.
Suite Sara. For Soprano saxophone and Marimba.
I. Dirigible
II. Lament
III. Kind-Lee
IV. Visible Light
V. The Law of Seven
Premiered by Sara Kind and Brian Sweigart.
Thanks to Sarah Korb and Corey Doran for the great new version of "Emergence" for baritone saxophone and percussion!