The Caribbean is rife with musical influences and genres. In almost any country or island nation that calls the Caribbean home you will find an incredible diversity in sounds, rhythms and styles. Guyana is a small but bustling country in South America that is nestled between Venezuela to the West, Suriname to the East, Brazil to the South and Southwest and the sun soaked, clear waters of the Caribbean to the North. Guyana itself means "land of many waters" however in the case of Jan Morgan, the trumpet player for KOBO TOWN, Guyana could have well meant "land of many instruments."
Morgan grew up in the cricket crazy country cheering on national heroes in the sport such as Rupert Roopnaraine and Clive Lloyd but when the affable Morgan turned 15 the die was cast in his life when he started learning to play the steel pan. A stint on the Guyanese Police Force and Military introduced the budding musician to the trumpet and Morgan knew he had found his first love. He cut his teeth on the instrument in the Guyanese Military Band and quickly developed a knack for brass instruments, including the trombone. The musician was taken by the sound and approach to the trumpet by Wynton Marsalis and Arturo Sandoval and quickly integrated many of their stylistic techniques into his own unique playing. Morgan offered this perspective, "When I first heard Wynton Marsalis I knew that this was going to be one of my influences. His tone and his approach to the trumpet resonated deep within me." Morgan's reputation as a top flight musician grew outside of Guyana's borders and he soon found himself playing throughout the Caribbean and Europe. He has been working with KOBO TOWN for the last 6 years and recorded on the band's 2013 JUNO Award nominated "Jumbie in the Jukebox" and will be heard on the upcoming studio effort, "Where the Galleons Sank" as well as on stage during KOBO TOWN's 2014 summer tour of Canada, the United States and Europe.
Morgan resides in Toronto, Canada and can be found gigging around the city with his B & S Challenger trumpet within the vibrant and eclectic music scene.
To see Morgan in action click on the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_DfoSqvaEs
Morgan grew up in the cricket crazy country cheering on national heroes in the sport such as Rupert Roopnaraine and Clive Lloyd but when the affable Morgan turned 15 the die was cast in his life when he started learning to play the steel pan. A stint on the Guyanese Police Force and Military introduced the budding musician to the trumpet and Morgan knew he had found his first love. He cut his teeth on the instrument in the Guyanese Military Band and quickly developed a knack for brass instruments, including the trombone. The musician was taken by the sound and approach to the trumpet by Wynton Marsalis and Arturo Sandoval and quickly integrated many of their stylistic techniques into his own unique playing. Morgan offered this perspective, "When I first heard Wynton Marsalis I knew that this was going to be one of my influences. His tone and his approach to the trumpet resonated deep within me." Morgan's reputation as a top flight musician grew outside of Guyana's borders and he soon found himself playing throughout the Caribbean and Europe. He has been working with KOBO TOWN for the last 6 years and recorded on the band's 2013 JUNO Award nominated "Jumbie in the Jukebox" and will be heard on the upcoming studio effort, "Where the Galleons Sank" as well as on stage during KOBO TOWN's 2014 summer tour of Canada, the United States and Europe.
Morgan resides in Toronto, Canada and can be found gigging around the city with his B & S Challenger trumpet within the vibrant and eclectic music scene.
To see Morgan in action click on the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_DfoSqvaEs