Lanny Morgan
Alto saxophonist Lanny Morgan has been on the scene here and abroad since 1960, playing every major jazz club and festival that exist and guesting as soloist/clinician at colleges and universities in nearly every state of the union. He has traveled the world as a soloist, as a member of Supersax, and with ensembles backing Frank Sinatra, Natalie Cole, and others. Notably, he became a frequent front-liner with British musicians throughout the U.K.
Morgan first came to prominence in New York City, as the young lead alto for Maynard Ferguson’s Big Band of the sixties, as well as the MF Sextet of the same era, and clubbing with his own group in the Big Apple. His signature sound has endured from his early years with Ferguson through decades in a career that has spanned an A-Z list of involvement with everyone notable in the recent history of jazz. A significant endorsement of his earned respect is his role in a program that pays tribute to revered alto saxman Charlie Parker. Featured at three jazz festivals since its debut in 2004, the show spotlights Morgan with symphony orchestra members, reproducing the famous recording of “Charlie Parker with Strings,” and in a quartet setting, playing famous Parker tunes.
As a studio/jazz musician, he was tapped for 15 variety shows of TV’s heyday, along with movie soundtracks and recordings by everyone from Manhattan Transfer to Steeley Dan. He taught at the Bud Shank Workshop, Dick Grove School of Music and the Stanford Jazz Workshop and was an instructor for many years at Idyllwild Jazz Camp. Clinic and solo work at more than 100 colleges and high schools coast-to-coast inspired “Lanny’s Licks,” a book for beginning jazz improv students. The CD titled “6” The Lanny Morgan Sextet was performed live by the old master and his five old friends at the first annual conference of the California Alliance for Jazz (CAJ). Other Morgan-led recordings include: A Suite for Yardbird, Lanny Morgan interprets the compositions of Charlie Parker; Pacific Standard, The Lanny Morgan Quartet and It’s About Time.