Karl Morgan

Karl Morgan is a soulful blues guitarist, singer and songwriter whose inspiring talent is reminiscent of the great blues and soul artists of the 60's and 70's. He hails from the small town of Geraldton, in remote Western Australia. Always a natural singer, it was only at the age of 15 that Karl realized music was where his ambition lay. While his Mother, a music teacher, had tried to teach him to play the piano many times from an early age, it wasn't until his mid-teens that he picked up a classical guitar and began teaching himself to play. A key point in Karl’s musical development was his introduction to the blues, but the foundations of his musical style have been laid by such varied influences as Donny Hathaway, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Stevie Wonder, BB King, The Meters, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Albert King, Bobby Bland, The Allman Brothers Band, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, The Band and Al Green. It became his ambition to master the three elements which he felt so many of these artists embodied: great singing, songwriting and instrumental virtuosity. Karl then spent several years touring the Australian West Coast developing his own style, with the help of two WA Conservatorium of Music graduates, Joe Whittle on drums and Graham Local on bass. In 2004 the band journeyed to Sydney's 301 Studios and, with limited time and funds, recorded tracks for his debut album. This unfinished recording attracted the attention of Pied Piper Records of Nashville, Tennessee. Karl was offered a record deal and in the summer of 2006, was added to the label’s roster. With Pied Piper now behind him, he ventured back to Sydney in late 2006 to finish the recording. With ARIA Award-Winning Anton Hagop (Silverchair, Powderfinger) in the Engineer’s chair, as well as some of Australia's finest blues and jazz players alongside him, including the famous Clayton Doley on keyboards, Karl finished the recording at Sydney's Origami and Electric Avenue Studios to complete his impressive debut album, the equally rocking and soulful 'Talkin' With the Hands'. Karl penned all but one of the tunes on his debut release, which is a rich mix of incendiary rock & roll, authentic acoustic blues, folk and soul. Karl brilliantly reinterprets a classic with a visceral and brooding guitar rendition of Bobby Hebb’s 1956 R&B hit, 'Sunny'. Demonstrating his great versatility as an artist, 'Hold Me Where I Lay' is a solo acoustic ballad, exploring themes of mortality and the meaning of one's life - "I was trying to express the idea that we all want to be remembered after we're gone, but ultimately, when we die, the fact of our having been loved by someone is the only real thing of consequence – that's the only way any of us are truly remembered." Since late 2008 Karl has been playing shows in and around Austin, Texas, where he has teamed up with local players, Wilson Carr and John Duran to bring his sound to US audiences. The trio are performing regularly at such famous Austin venues as Antone's, Momo's, Saxon and One-2-One, played several shows during SXSW 2009, and has touring scheduled in Europe for late '09 and early 2010. The creative energy that comes out of the improvised moments of their live performances makes every show unique, powerful and truly inspiring. Karl Morgan offers irrefutable proof that the blues, the great progenitor of modern music, continues to drive contemporary music with its soul, it's tone, and that inimitable element Karl likes to call 'feel'. Listen closely, and witness the return of soul to the blues... http://www.karlmorganmusic.com http://www.reverbnation/karlmorgan http://twitter.com/karlfmorgan