Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
In Memoriam: Rodney Holmes, 1966–2026
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
Fred Hersch (left) and Scott Morgan perform at The Kitano in New York on Sept. 15.
(Photo: Brian Zimmerman)In jazz, sometimes a newcomer can provide a completely fresh take on old standards. That’s especially true in the realm of singers of the Great American Songbook, who tend to treat the pages of that decades-old tome as scripture.
It was therefore tremendously refreshing to hear Scott Morgan—a Johnny-come-lately among jazz vocalists in New York—perform for an intimate crowd at The Kitano on Sept. 15.
Appearing alongside his life partner and musical director, Fred Hersch, the vocalist offered material from his recently released debut album, Songs Of Life (Miranda Music), a sparkling collection of covers and originals drawn from a broad range of contemporary sources, including pop classics, vocalese originals and Broadway masterpieces past and present.
Morgan is an artist whose passion for music dates back to childhood stage performances in his native Sarasota, Florida. After stints in musical theater and apprenticeships with vocalists René Marie and Kate McGarry, Morgan, who arrived in New York in 2001, began his quiet introduction into the city’s pulsing jazz scene, carving out a reputation as an open-hearted vocalist as comfortable with Andrew Lloyd Webber as he is with Gershwin.
The Sept. 15 performance cast the vocalist’s sweet, creamy timbre and graceful diction against a vivaciously swinging rhythm section. Hersch, who arranged many of the songs, remained on piano throughout, helming a trio rounded out by Matt Aronoff on bass and Mark Ferber on drums. Tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm, who galvanizes just about any setting he’s dropped into, joined the group on several numbers.
Though brief, the set served as a powerful showcase for a singer who excels at bending pop standards toward a jazz light. He floated elegantly above the placid scenery of Lennon/McCartney’s “I Will,” which the group transformed into a slow-motion dance, and caressed the elegant contours of James Taylor’s “Secret Of Life” with meditative calm, carefully examining each lyric.
Morgan’s voice, which blossoms in the higher register, bears a passing resemblance to Taylor’s, if only for its ease of delivery and friendly, guileless tone. Morgan fared especially well on “Everyone But Me,” an original composition that bobbed and dipped against a lilting swing. The song’s message of self-deprecating loneliness—”Spring has sprung for everyone … but me”—found its foil in the group’s cover of Jimmy McHugh’s waggish “I Just Found Out About Love,” which the singer chirped with a boyish, love-struck wonder.
The latter song appears on Songs Of Life, which also includes a poignant cover of “Lost In The Stars,” from the Broadway musical of the same name. Morgan’s rendition of the tune—with lyrics conveying existential angst in poetic detail—demonstrated a dramatist’s ear for nuance, as he peppered his delivery with fragile whispers and delicate melisma.
The night’s other high-water mark was Morgan’s cover of “Acaso (No Tomorrow),” a swift bossa nova by fellow vocalist Peter Eldridge. The song had a warm, radiant glow, and featured Morgan emitting wordless vocals against a shimmering 3/4 ostinato by Hersch. As the song reached its midpoint, none other than Eldridge himself walked into the club and settled into a seat. Morgan, barely missing a beat, cheerfully acknowledged his friend and mentor. “Good timing, Mr. Eldridge,” he said.
The same can certainly be said for Morgan, 53, whose solid debut is a wonderful example of “better late than never.”
A drummer’s drummer, Rodney Holmes gigged with everyone from Joe Zawinul and Carlos Santana to Steve Kimock and the Brecker Brothers.
Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
Clockwise from top left, Mary Halvorson, Patricia Brennan, Adam O’Farrill, Keith Jarrett’s At the Deer Head Inn: The Complete Recordings, Sheila Jordan and Jaki Byard.
Jul 16, 2026 1:34 PM
The DownBeat Critics Poll never ceases to amaze! And the 74th Edition offered plenty of accolades for poll veterans and…
Ibrahim was an early jazz acolyte, studying the music via 78s he would buy from soldiers stationed in South Africa — who also gave him the nickname “Dollar.”
Jun 30, 2026 3:19 PM
Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, the NEA Jazz Master from South Africa who helped fuse the folk music of his home country with…
Joe Lovano’s Paramount Quartet will record live at New York’s Village Vanguard for ECM records on Aug. 26–27.
Jul 22, 2026 12:46 PM
One of Joe Lovano’s buzz terms is “the moment of now” and with seemingly infinite patience — despite a schedule…
“There was something about her tone and sound and phrasing — an intimacy, a vulnerability, an honesty,” says Joshua Redman, who produced Cavassa’s record after she toured with his band.
Jun 16, 2026 1:27 AM
Gabrielle Cavassa is an avowed perfectionist. So when she failed to place despite becoming a finalist in the 2018 Sarah…
