Introducing: Morgan James - Broadway Actress and Soulful Blues Singer
One voice is all it takes. The right vocalist can make you fall in love at first listen, elicit tears, or bring you back to a different era altogether. A microphone and a stage remain the only necessities.
That holds true for New York-based singer and songwriter Morgan James. On her first full-length studio debut for Epic Records, Hunter, she casts an unbreakable spell with a powerhouse voice equally inspired by smoky soul, swaggering R&B, theatrical swing, and a virtuosic classical poise.
I discovered the wonderful voice of Morgan James whilst writing about Scott Bradely and The Post Modern Jukebox. Morgan is a guest vocalist with the band and is currently touring with them. After hearing her version of Hozier's "Take me Church" I just had to download her new Album "Hunter" and find out more about her.
MORGAN JAMES TALKS ABOUT HER MUSICAL INFLUENCES, HER EARLY LIFE & THE NEW ALBUM
James was born in Boise, Idaho in 1981. Her parents who were actors, moved frequently when James was a child and they eventually ending up living in Modesto, California where she spent her high school years. James was inspired by her parents to enter the performing arts. She discovered her passion for music early on and pursued it wholeheartedly. She joined a choir and her grandmother bought her a karaoke machine and agreed to pay for singing lessons until James went to college. Morgan graduated from High School in 1999 and at 18 years old she was quickly accepted into The Juilliard School in New York City. She studied opera and took a master class headed by Broadway veteran, Barbara Cook, and eventually earned her Bachelor of Music in Voice in 2003.
“I didn’t want a career in opera, but Juilliard still shaped me,” she confesses. “The traditional training really made me a disciplined singer. I carry that with me to this day.”
MORGAN JAMES SINGS A COVER VERSION OF HOZIER'S "TAKE ME TO CHURCH"
After college, James initially struggled to find work and looked for jobs that utilized both her operatic and classical training. She spent the next few years facing the proverbial struggles of being a young artist in New York. Low on money, she bounced back and forth between bartending and restaurant gigs while fighting to survive. Immersed in classic sixties and seventies soul records, she concurrently experienced a pivotal revelation. “Out of that frustration came this other voice,” she says. “It was my true voice, and I feel like I discovered it in the middle of so much hardship just trying to be heard. I embraced who I was at that very moment.”
MORGAN JAMES - AIN'T NO WAY LIVE
She made her Broadway debut in 2010 in the musical production of The Addams Family, starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth. In 2011, James appeared in Frank Wildhorn's Wonderland and the Broadway revival of Godspell.
During her time on Broadway, she also moonlighted as a solo artist with a backing band often composed of Chris Fenwick, Matt Fieldes, Damien Bassman, and others. She played at numerous New York City clubs including (Le) Poisson Rouge, 54 Below, Rockwood Music Hall, and Birdland.
AUDIO VERSION OF "I PUT A SPELL ON YOU" BY NINA SIMONE
In 2013, James took on the role of Teena Marie in Berry Gordy's Motown: The Musical. The latter set the stage for her to properly launch her solo career. Gordy recognized the vocalist’s immense talent, and introduced her to Doug Morris and L.A. Reid, opening the door for a deal with Epic Records in 2012.
Her first solo album, Morgan James Live: A Celebration of Nina Simone, was recorded at New York jazz club, Dizzy's, and is a collection of cover songs closely associated with the legendary artist. The incendiary show was recorded and released in December 2012 as the critically acclaimed Morgan James Live on Epic Records. It also proved to be the perfect segue for her first studio album "Hunter" which was released in June of 2014. The 11-track album was produced by Doug Wamble and is James' first album of all original, solo material.
“I always knew to make a neo-soul pop record,” Morgan says. “The foundation is all real ingredients, and those roots of soul and R&B are pretty strong. It’s the culmination of my musical life up to this point. The painful songs are straight out of a bad relationship with someone from my past. The joyful moments are wonderful memories. It’s all coming from me. I’ve lived every one of these stories, and I love the genres I’m representing. It’s one point-of-view—mine.”
The first single “I Want You” tempers electronic elements with her overpoweringly soulful delivery. “It incorporates that classic spirit with a modern framework,” she goes on. “It’s a fresh take on writing a love song. Lyrically, I really wanted to capture what it’s like to fall for someone and not be able to live without them.”
The title track and album opener “Hunter” boasts a seductive hook with cinematic noir flair. Flaunting the singer’s immense delivery and dynamic presence, it’s an undeniable and classy come-on that proves as animalistic as it does magnetic. “From a woman’s perspective, it’s such an empowering and sexy song,” she smiles. “It totally makes me feel like a warrior! Music is so sensual and life-affirming. That’s what I look for. You don’t often see a girl take this position, and that’s what I love about it!”
Morgan assumed co-writing duties on eight of the collection’s eleven tracks and even performed all of her own background vocals and harmonies. From the empowering farewell of “Fed Up On You” to the mournful rumination of “You Never Lied”, she continually bares it all—both emotionally and musically. “I sing like I’m never going to sing ever again,” Morgan affirms. “I wanted to capture that power and passion every time. At some moments, it might sound flawless; at others, it might sound like it’s going to break. I’m revealing something about myself with every song. You’ve got to do that. My favorite artists, whether Joni Mitchell or Michael Jackson, are and were, always honest.”
OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR "CALL ME" BY MORGAN JAMES
There’s a unique structure to the album. The first five songs boast electronic elements, while the last six don’t have any. “There’s a gradient of the record that goes down,” she says. “By the time you get to the last song, it’s just piano and voice. It starts with a song about power and ego, and it ends on one about surrender and selflessness. I have all of that in me. Maybe we all do.”
MORGAN JAMES SINGS "SAY THE WORDS" FROM HUNTER
MORGAN JAMES SINGS "LET ME KEEP YOU" FROM "HUNTER"
Ultimately, her honesty permeates everything that Morgan James does, and it’s why you’ll always remember her voice. “I want people to walk away from this album feeling fulfilled. That’s the way it used to be. Often, I think I’m from another time,” she says, her voice trailing off. “I just want to bring back the power of the singular legacy voice.”
Morgan James is currently joining Post Modern Jukebox for some dates on their USA & European Tour.
Find out more at www.morganjamesonline.com
MORGAN JAMES SINGS "BABY I LOVE YOU (ACOUSTIC ARETHA FRANKLIN COVER)
