CD Review: Carol Morgan Trio - Opening

Featured Artist: Carol Morgan Trio

CD Cover
CD Title: Opening

Year: 2010

Record Label: Blue Bamboo Music

Style: BeBop / Hard Bop

Musicians: Carol Morgan (trumpet), Harvie S (bass), Rich DeRosa (drums), Woody Witt (sax)

Review: Carol Morgan is a fabulous trumpet player with great tone and technique. She is also a composer, author and college professor. A Julliard graduate, Carol discography includes two CDs as a leader, Classic Morgana and Passing Time with the Carol Morgan Quintet. On this album Carol leads his own trio, featuring bassist Harvie S and drummer Rich DeRosa.

The first track, Opening Line is a Carol original composition in a Bebop style with impressive fast runs on trumpet. Carol shows her nice tone on Horace Silver Nica’s Dream a piece that feels like a bolero, but then changes into a swinging tempo. Bud Powell's Celia is another Bebop style piece that takes you back to the Bird and Dizzy era. Carol, Harvie and Rich swing hard on this one.

Dark Continent is an original by drummer Rich DeRosa with a nice groove a la Afro Blue and good harmonies on trumpet with special guest Woody Witt on sax. Like someone in love is a ballad played beautifully by Carol. There are similarities in tone and phrasing with Miles Davis on these slow pieces. But then again which trumpet player has not been influenced by Miles?

Kenny Dorham Prince Albert is another swinging track with the best bass solo by Harvie S. Carol. Woody exchange some nice improvisations with Carol and both play good harmonies on Harvie original Sizzle. Rich DeRosa Calypso Blue ends up this wonderful CD with a combination of Calypso rhythms and bebop melodies.

Tracks: Opening Line, Nica's Dream, Celia, Dark Continent, Like Someone in Love, Prince Albert, Sizzle, Calypso Blue

Record Label Website: http://www.bluebamboomusic.com

Artist's Website: http://www.carolmorganmusic.com

Reviewed by: Wilbert Sostre