Gary Morgan is a native of Santiago, Chile but grew up in Toronto, Canada,
where he studied composition and woodwinds, led jazz bands and played in the
recording and television industry. He has been awarded composition grants
by the Canada Council, The National Endowment of the Arts, and the New
Jersey State Council on the Arts. He was also a charter member of the BMI
Jazz Composer's Workshop under Bob
Brookmeyer and Manny Albam.
A lifelong lover of Latin music with many trips to Brazil and Cuba to his
credit, Gary started PanAmericana! six years ago to combine the propulsive
rhythms of Latin music with the orchestral sonorities and harmonic richness
of the jazz orchestra, with the addition of French horns and Latin
percussion. PanAmericana! serves as a compositional vehicle for Gary, as
well as a repertory orchestra for modern Cuban and Brazilian classics. The
recent emphasis in the band has been the orchestration and arrangement of
some of the wealth of material emerging from the contemporary composers of
Brazil, who do not have much exposure in this country, including such major
talents as Egberto Gismonti, Milton Nascimento, Hermeto Pascoal, Jovino
Santos Neto and Itibere Zwarg. This is not your father's big band!
Although Gary is steeped in the big band tradition and sound, PanAmericana!
represents an attempt to expand, through orchestration, his rhythmic,
melodic and harmonic ideas.
PanAmericana! is composed of some of the finest Latin jazz musicians in New
York.
Notes on the songs
1. ZILCH CITY BLUES Gary Morgan (Dedicated to Joseph Papp)
I imagined this one during a backpacking trip in Northern Ontario (Canada)
I always liked the old 3 chord 24 bar blues to provide a framework for relaxed blowing.
For the theme, in contrast, I decided to cram as many chords as I could into 24 bars.
Solos:Marcus Persiani, piano; Terry Goss, baritone sax; Andy Gravish, trumpet
2. REFRACTIONS Gary Morgan (Dedicated to Bobby Paunetto)
This one was influenced by Bobby Paunetto, a somewhat obscure, but very talented musician/composer from New York. I listened to him a lot in the '70's. He was one of the first composers to really expand the harmonic palette of latin music with chromatic, Hindemithian harmony. I tried to do likewise.
Solos: Dave Rickenberg, tenor sax; Bill Mobley, trumpet.
3. VERA CRUZ Milton Nascimento
I discovered Milton Nascimento on my first trip to Brazil. What a breath of fresh air!
This is one of his classics, done in a samba version. Just to be perverse, I injected some funkiness under the melody at the end.
Solos: Chris Olness, bass trombone, Elliot Mason, bass trumpet, Mike Migliore, alto sax.
4. THE BLACK PRINCE Gary Morgan (Dedicated to Paul Klee)
A short suite in two movements, a slow prelude followed by 6/8 Bembe rhythm.
Originally a segment of a National Endowment project (remember the National Endowment?), this one portrays the painting of the same name. This prince enjoys his sensual pleasures, but can turn nasty when provoked.
Solos: Adam Kolker, soprano sax, Mike Migliore, alto sax; Emedin Rivera, congas.
5. CACTUS Michael Rendish
A lovely waltz, this one popped up in the overhead projector during a harmony class at Berklee. Written by Michael Rendish, a teacher at Berklee, to me this song has that special quality wherein, no matter how much you try and analyze it, it's essence remains a mystery.The first statement of the melody is unison french horn, bari sax and bass.
Solos: Marcus Persiani, piano, Chris Komer, french horn.
6. SALVADOR Egberto Gismonti
Another one of those prodigious talents from Brazil, Egberto here portrays one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in the world, on the south Atlantic coast, the cradle of Afro-Brazilian culture. (Think New Orleans).
Solos: Adam Kolker, soprano sax, Elliot Mason, trombone; Memo Acevedo, Emedin Rivera, Terry Clarke, percussion.
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