Carol Morgan

Carol Morgan is a jazz trumpeter, composer, educator and author who resides in NYC. Originally from Texas, she is a Juilliard graduate who has worked with many remarkable teachers including Raymond Crisara, Chris Gekker and Mark Gould.

Carol's discography includes seven CD's as a leader. The much anticipated POST COOL—Vol’s. 1 & 2 (2016, 2018) are a return to the Carol Morgan Quartet flavor of her celebrated Blue Glass Music. Retroactive (2013) includes many of her original compositions and features Mike Stern and Chris Cortez among a cast of New York and Houston musicians. A 2011 release, The Carol Morgan Quartet CD, Blue Glass Music received 4 1/2 stars in a DownBeat magazine review. The Carol Morgan Trio CD, Opening, with Harvie S and Rich DeRosa was signed by Blue Bamboo Music and released in early 2010. Other session work includes solo outings, Classic Morgana and Passing Time with the Carol Morgan Quintet, as well as filling side-person roles on releases by Wallace Stelzer Three (2021), DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Hawk-Richard Jazz Orchestra, The Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, NPR's The Engines of Our Ingenuity, Thomas Helton, Henry Darragh and Calvin Owens. As a composer she has been commissioned by DiverseWorks, the Michele Brangwen Dance Ensemble, the Arch-diocese of Houston/Galveston and St. Thomas Presbyterian Church, Houston. In 2008, Carol authored what is now a highly-regarded method for jazz improvisation--a textbook entitled The Practicing Improviser.

Currently, Carol's performing ensembles include the Carol Morgan Trio, Carol & Company, the Carol Morgan Quartet (featuring Joel Frahm, Martin Wind and Matt Wilson) and Gingerbred (co-led with Brad Linde). Recent performing venues include Small's Jazz Club, Mezzrow, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, The Blue Note, The 55 Bar, The Kitano, The Django, The Iridium, The Bar Next Door, Twins Jazz Club (DC), Blues Alley (DC), The Atlas (DC), Bohemian Caverns (DC), Scullers Jazz Club (Boston), the Playboy Jazz Festival (The Hollywood Bowl, LA), Marians Jazz Room (Bern, Switzerland), The Lionel Hampton Jazz Club (Paris), the Continental Club (Austin), The Elephant Room (Austin), The Deer Head Inn (Delaware Gap, PA), Chris’ Jazz Cafe (Philadelphia) and World Cafe' Live (Philadelphia).

Carol's goal as an artist and teacher is to help people enjoy music more.

Press:

”...why isn’t she signed to a popular label?”—Steve Greenlee, Jazz Times magazine

"Rising Star"--DownBeat magazine

"4 1/2 stars" --James Hale, DownBeat magazine

"Carol Morgan has proven on prior records to be a superb straight jazz musician, but the wider range of styles found on Retroactive reveals that she’s just a superb musician, period."--S. Victor Aaron, somethingelsereviews.com

"She's just so damned fascinating to listen to."--Mark S. Tucker, FAME Reviews

"A sparkling, mature but under-recognized trumpeter, Carol Morgan fronts a stellar crew on her impressive fourth release as a leader. The organic interplay that she forges with her frontline partner Joel Frahm, a formidable and consistently adventurous tenor sax player, is sheer magic. A superb outing."--Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times

"Morgan takes her trumpet downtown, runs into Matt Wilson and Joel Frahm (and) they open a can of whup ass on some jazz classics..."--Chris Spector, Midwest Record

https://www.carolmorganmusic.com