PHIL MORRISON COMPOSER
“Striving to be of Service to Humanity by Promoting International Harmony through Music!” – Phil Morrison
About
"What I like to call America's Classical Music ... Jazz"
Phil Morrison is a Jazz Luminary, Internationally Award Winning Composer and Master Bassist. Phil Morrison has performed with many of the greats including Freddy Cole, T-bone Walker, Sam Rivers, Tony Williams, Hal Galper, Dizzy Gillespie, Stark Reality, Alan Broadbent, John Clark, Alan Braufman, Russell Malone, June Christy, Gloria Lynne, John Abercrombie, Barry Greene, Von Barlow, Keith Williams, Zac Chester and Joe Watts…
discography
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Phil Morrison
Phil Morrison has been recognized for his excellence many times throughout his career including: Internationally Award Winning Beijing Olympics Official Song; Award-Winning Jazz Ballad at #1 “Remember When”; Composer of the Official song for Brunswick and Glynn County Georgia; Golden Isles Lifetime Achievement Award; Co-writer of “His Message”, a tribute song for Martin Luther King Jr. which was performed at the unveiling of MLK Jr Statue at the National Monument in Washington, DC; Composition Selected to be an Official Anthem for the Shanghai Expo 2010 event; his compositions were performed by the Coastal Georgia Symphony Orchestra as well as top jazz musicians worldwide!
The Phil Morrison trio
Featuring Joe Watts
Hollow Reed
The World Unity Jazz Ensemble
Philanthropy
Featuring Keith Williams
China Skies
The World Unity Jazz Ensemble
Music Video
Phil Morrison's videos
Check out all the latest concerts and music videos from Phil Morrison and The Phil Morrison trio!
Musician
Phil Morrison's Career
Bassist/composer Phil Morrison learned to play the drums while serving with the U.S. Air Force in Japan but after discharge , the bass became his instrument of choice. In his hometown of Boston around the same time that Ornette Coleman was causing a stir nationally, saxophonist Sam Rivers was also spearheading a new musical direction. His group included pianist Hal Galper, drummer Tony Williams or Steve Ellington and bassist Phil Morrison. That period was very significant in Phil’s development as a jazz bassist.
Some years later, an innovative electric jazz group was put together by vibist Monty Stark featuring John Abercrombie on guitar, Vinnie Johnson on drums & Phil on bass. This group went on to record for Ahmad Jamal’s record label(AJP Records) and did a TV soundtrack consisting of children’s songs written by Hoagy Carmichael who also starred in the series. This cd “Now” by Stark Reality was re-released in 2003 by Stone’s Throw Records. The show was called “Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop” and was produced by Hoagy’s son, Hoagy Jr. and WGBH-TV in Boston.
Phil continued freelancing & worked with various major artists such as bluesman T-Bone Walker, vocalist Gloria Lynne and French Hornist John Clark. Phil subsequently joined the trio of pianist/singer Freddy Cole(youngest brother of Nat), with whom he worked for about 5 years. During that time, he frequently toured Brazil because of Freddy’s popularity there and developed a strong appreciation for Brazilian music and culture. The Brazilian influence is reflected in many of Phil’s original compositions. Phil also played with the great Dizzy Gillespie, who, along with Phil, was a member of the Baha’i Faith and was the inspiration behind his tribute to the legendary trumpeter, “Remembering Dizzy”, recorded on the Sea Island Blues CD.
“He Was The King”, a tribute to Nat “King” Cole, was co-written with Freddy Cole and songs honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Dizzy Gillespie, Maya Angelou, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X, Tony Williams and others can be found in Phil’s songbook “Phil Morrison…Words & Music.. plus Other Stuff”
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