Sam Morrison (b.

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, 1952) is an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, and composer, who replaced Sonny Fortune in Miles Davis's band in 1975. Davis supposedly said, "I haven't heard that much fire on the saxophone since 'Trane was in my band". He is of partly Ukrainian heritage, two of his grandparents having originated in Pereiaslav, near Kyiv. In 1976, the then 24-year-old saxophonist released ''Dune'' for

Inner City Records Inner City Records was a jazz record company and label founded by Irv Kratka in 1976 in New York City. The company was a division of Music Minus One and also owned the label Classic Jazz. It started with reissues, then moved on to new recordi ...

(America) and East Wind Records (Japan). The album features Al Foster and

Buster Williams Charles Anthony "Buster" Williams (born April 17, 1942) is an American jazz bassist. Williams is known for his membership in pianist Herbie Hancock's early 1970s group, working with guitarist Larry Coryell from the 1980s to present, working in th ...

. It was reissued on CD in 2003. Morrison also appears on Foster's 1978 ''Mixed Roots'' album. A second album, ''Natural Layers'' ( Chiaroscuro Records), followed the next year, featuring

Narada Michael Walden Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy. He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...

. Morrison, who specializes in the

soprano saxophone The soprano saxophone is a higher-register variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument invented in the 1840s. The soprano is the third-smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists (from smallest to largest) of the soprillo, sop ...

and

alto flute The alto flute is an instrument in the Western concert flute family, the second-highest member below the standard C flute after the uncommon flûte d'amour. It is the third most common member of its family after the standard C flute and the ...

(also playing tenor saxophone and

bass flute The bass flute is a member of the flute family. It is in the key of C, pitched one octave below the concert flute. Despite its name, its playing range makes it the tenor member of the flute family. Because of the length of its tube (approximate ...

), has also played with Gil Evans, Woody Shaw, Andrew Cheshire, and Japanese jazz musicians Masabumi Kikuchi, Terumasa Hino and Ryo Kawasaki. He graduated from Columbia University, where he played in a band with

Armen Donelian Armen Hrant Donelian (born December 1, 1950) is a jazz pianist, composer, educator and author. Donelian was classically trained at the Westchester Conservatory of Music in White Plains, New York. He has appeared since 1975 as a featured soloist a ...

and Marc Copland. Morrison lives in

Livingston Manor Livingston Manor was a tract of land in the Province of New York granted to Robert Livingston the Elder during the reign of George I of Great Britain. History Livingston Manor was a tract of land in the colonial Province of New York granted ...

, Sullivan County, New York.

References

External links

Discogs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morrison, Sam Miles Davis American jazz tenor saxophonists American male saxophonists American jazz soprano saxophonists American jazz flautists Living people 1953 births 21st-century saxophonists American male jazz musicians Columbia College (New York) alumni People from Sullivan County, New York American people of Ukrainian descent 21st-century flautists