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Carl Morgan's High 5
Carl Morgan's High 5 Guitarist and composer Carl Morgan has quickly established himself as one of Sydney's top young musicians. A graduate of the…
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Guitarist and composer Carl Morgan has quickly established himself as one of Sydney’s top young musicians. A graduate of the Australian National University, Carl was a finalist in the National Jazz Awards in 2007. He has recently recorded an album of original music featuring Mike Rivett (Tenor Sax), Steve Barry (Piano), Alex Boneham (Bass) and Ben Vanderwal (Drums). He has also toured this group over the last two years performing at 505 in Sydney, Bennett’s Lane in Melbourne and The Street Theatre in Canberra.
Carl is also a member of the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra and has performed with Kristin Berardi, James Morrison and Sean Wayland among others.
More information on the upcoming album and tours at
1. DAVID BINNEY QUARTET – 55 bar NYC, May 2010
This was simply the most mind blowing musical experience of my life. At that point I owned one Dave Binney album and enjoyed it so I thought I’d go and check out his band at the 55 bar on my trip to NY. What made the gig for me was the interplay between Binney and drummer Dan Weiss, and the incredible energy and groove that they developed over the course of a tune. Dave Binney has an amazing melodic concept and a fresh approach and is not afraid to turn jazz on its head. Dan Weiss was equally refreshing, he’d really meshed the Indian rhythmic stuff with jazz in a way I’d never heard. I left the gig in a laughing fit which didn’t end for half an hour!
2. JOHN SCOFIELD TRIO/WAYNE SHORTER QUARTET – Hamer Hall, Melbourne 2005
I was 16 at the time and to see these “jazz gods” was a big deal for me. Being from a small country town I hadn’t seen any high profile jazz gigs before. I’d been John Scofield’s number one fan for about 3 years and to hear his trio play the tunes off his album “Enroute” was surreal. Wayne Shorter’s set had some high energy moments that had me on the edge of my seat. It was inspiring to see two of the world’s best drummers, Bill Stewart and Brian Blade at the top of their game.
3. MESSHUGGAH – Manning Bar, Sydney 2010
Swedish metal band Meshuggah were a big influence on me in 2009-2010 and to see them live was a great experience. I was standing right in front of the stage and it was LOUD! To hear and see them perform their unique polyrhythmic music was eye opening and inspiring on an ensemble and compositional level. Their guitarist Fredrik Thordendal is one of the most unique musicians I’ve encountered.
4. KURT ORSENWINKEL TRIO – Darling Harbour Jazz Festival, Sydney 2011
I’ve seen Kurt Rosenwinkel on a few occasions, being one of my all time biggest influences. His trio’s performance at Darling Harbour this year blew me away. Kurt’s music is an inspiration to all of my peers and his mastery of the guitar is unprecedented. The rhythm section were subdued which was perfect for the music, allowing Kurt to feature his huge sound and musicianship.
5. BEN WENDEL GROUP – Undead Jazz Festival, NYC 2010
On my trip to NY I checked out the inaugural “Undead Jazz Festival” held in Greenwich Village. I bought a ticket because it was a great opportunity to check out some new artists who I hadn’t heard of. Ben Wendel’s group was the first gig of the festival and featured some great musicians in Nir Felder, Ben Street, Gerald Clayton and Dan Weiss. This gig led me to check out the band Kneebody (another of Wendel’s band) who have been a big influence on me recently.
