Morgan rose to fame in New York as the young lead alto in Maynard Ferguson’s Big Band in the sixties. He also played in the MF Sextet in the same era and was a regular at clubbing in the Big Apple. Morgan’s signature sound has been with Ferguson since his early days and has survived through many decades. He has had a long career with many notable jazz musicians, including Supersax, Bill Holman, Frank Capp, and Juggernaut. His 2004 appearance as a guest on the program “Bird Lives”, a tribute to Charlie Parker, was a significant endorsement of his respect. Morgan was featured in the program with Pasadena Symphony members, performing the famous recording of Charlie Parker with Strings. He also performed in a quartet setting playing classic Parker tunes. Morgan’s most recent recording, “6”, The Lanny Morgan Sextet documents many of Morgan’s originals. He said that he was “just waiting for an opportunity to “go on record.” “6” features Bob Summers (trumpet), Doug Webb (10or sax), Tom Ranier (12-string piano), Chuck Berghofer (bass), and Steve Schaeffer (drums). These are fellow old masters, some more senior than others but still masters of their craft. Other CDs include a Fresh Sound Records project, A Suite for Yardbird; Lanny Morgan’s interpretation of Charlie Parker’s compositions; Pacific Standard (Contemporary), Lanny Morgan Quartet, (VSOP) as well as It’s About Time (Quicksilver Records KSCD2024, Palo Alto Jazz Masters). Credits include television, film soundtracks, over 100 albums, and regular appearances at major festivals around the world. “Lanny’s Licks” is a book for beginners in jazz improv, which was inspired by his appearances at more than 100 colleges and high school from coast to coast. He has also been an instructor at Idyllwild Jazz Camp for many years. from http://www.lannymorgan.com
