Isaiah Morgan

Among the musically gifted Morgan brothers from New Orleans, Isaiah alone received a first name that stood out as distinctive, if not wholly uncommon. At the close of the nineteenth century a far broader array of Biblical names could be given to newborns, whereas the brothers Andrew, Alan, and Sam have since become commonplace and Isaiah has lent itself to arbitrary vowel rearrangements by careless typesetters. Consequently his name surfaces in discographies and credits under countless spellings—Isih, Isah, Isiah, Isaah, and every other conceivable variant.

Three brothers complete the picture: bassist Al Morgan, whose recorded legacy surpasses the others, fellow trumpeter Sam Morgan, and saxophonist-clarinetist Andrew Morgan. Al alone traveled northward and remained there, contributing to Midwest R&B history before eventually settling in California, while the rest of the family stayed rooted in New Orleans. Any discussion of rivalry between the two trumpeting siblings must acknowledge the bassist’s choices; Al occupied the bass chair in Isaiah’s groups during the early twenties yet never performed with Sam’s ensembles. The brass-playing pair themselves readily shared bandstands, though the very title of Sam Morgan’s Jazz Band around 1927 leaves little doubt about leadership.

The principal sonic document of Isaiah’s work is a 1955 live recording issued as Dance Hall Days, Vol. 1. Captured at a Biloxi dance, the set features the trumpeter directing his own group with longtime associate Freddie Land at the piano. Numbers such as “Biloxi Jump” and “Bunny Hop” appear among the selections. Earlier material has resurfaced on Timeless, where a collection also containing performances by Oscar “Papa” Celestin spotlights Sam Morgan’s Jazz Band’s 1927 Columbia sides, notably an unusually brisk reading of “Steppin’ On the Gas.”