REMEMBERING DIZZY

words & music by 
Phil Morrison


Click here to listen


Afro Cuban rhythms groove - new harmonies are on the move
As sonic riffs dance on top - a classic music's born ....BEBOP!
With Bird he made this music grow - to heights where only giants go
Around the world this man got busy - with horn in hand they called him "Dizzy"

"Blowin' hard while cheeks inflate - from deep in his soul he'd create
Playin' notes fast and high - reachin' angels in the sky
Horn rim glasses he put in style - a french beret, a mischievous smile
With small goatee below his lip - no one can say he wasn't hip

But from the start he paid his dues - raised in the South where they lived the blues
He'd laugh and joke but Diz was tough - don't mess wit Diz, he'd take no stuff
Yet whenever you'd need a friend - Diz was there right to the end
Max, Moody, Mike Longo too - he was always there for you

In fact, he loved humanity - the planet earth was his country
Even in his band you'd find - people from all humankind
A master musician we can't deny - but don't forget Diz was a Baha'i
Which advocates WORLD UNITY - and Diz showed us how it should be!

                           c 1993 Phil Morrison 

PHILANTHROPY

 (160 Jazz Artists Mentioned)

                       words & music by   Phil Morrison 

Charlie Parker (Bird) & Dizzy Gillespis (Diz)

(1st Vocal Chorus-12 bar bebop blues tune)

 Here is a style of music that we offer you
 It was created by musicians who we are indebted to
 They were true pioneers....
 And the songs they played will last throughout the years....
 Even now they can be heard
Around the world they know the names of Dizzy and the Bird

(Rap/Verbal Verses)

1)Jazz! BeBop! -  more precious than gold
   Taste it! enjoy! - it's food for the soul
   The masters came and sang their song
   Armstrong, Duke...the list goes on
   Miles, Sarah, Bird & Diz
   Respect it people...tradition lives!

2)Race music, jazz, hip-hop, funk
   Check out Horace - groove on Monk
   Tatum, Blakey, Prez & 'Trane
   Creative giants fed the flame
   Wynton,Branford, the Brecker brothers
   The torch is now passed on to others

3)Ray Brown, Blanton, Pettiford, LaFarro
   Durham, Mitchell, Rodney, Navarro
   Congress says...a national treasure
   Dolphy, Moody....dig King Pleasure
   Clifford, Bud, Mingus, Max
   It's our culture...know the facts

4)Roots in Africa...feel that spirit
   Moves your heart when you hear it
   Dexter, Ammons...tenors talkin'
   Percy, Pederson...basses walkin'
   Movin', groovin' - what's in a name?
   Bebop, blues...the roots are the same

5)Oscar, Milt...just down home swingin'
   That eternal groove is what they're bringin'
   Payton, Redman, McBride & Green
   Burnin' young lions are new on the scene
   While Chick & Herbie contemporize
   Reachin' the young...opening eyes

6)Garner, Shearing, Wilson, Waller
   Bechet & Bix...who's to follow
   Strayhorn writes - Hodges plays
   An era gone...their spirit stays
   Whitfield, Scofield, Metheny, Malone
   But Wes Montgomery still holds the throne

                     (2nd Vocal Chorus)

                      Back in the forties when this music had begun
                      You never knew how great this music would eventually become
                      Very few would accept it....
                      New York City was the place where they would play
                      And even there some would reject it
                      This classic music Bebop that should always be respected
    

7)Elvin, Tony, Higgins, Haynes
   Webb, Jones, Rich & Payne
   Bishin', bashin' - snares & toms
   Brushin' with feathers...droppin' bombs
   Gomez, Sam, Buster, Ron
   Your BASSic bottom's goin' strong

8)Cedar, Barry, Bishop, Barron
   Evans, McCoy, Jarrett, McPherrin
   Garland, Flanagan, Kelly with Miles
   Ornette & Desmond...opposite styles
   Henderson, Lavano improvise....
   Phineas Newborn would mesmerize

9)Griffin, Konitz, - Rivers, Lateef
   Shorter, Woods, Byas & Heath
   Swingin', singin' saxophone
   Giant Steps...In A Mellow Tone
   Coleman Hawkins paved the way
   For Sonny Rollins to have his say

10)Benny Carter standing tall
   Stitt, Getz, Cannonball
   Basie's band - pure hard swing
   Dig Freddie Green do his thing
   Chambers, McClean, Philly Joe
   New York City was the place to go

                     (3rd Vocal Chorus)

                      Look at the kinds of music that they teach in school
                      And you will find that classic European seems to be the rule
                      We need Jazz to be taught there
                      It originated in the USA
                      So let's preserve this worthy art
                      Paying tribute to the ones who paid their dues right from the start
    

11)Cassandra, Diane, Tierney & Krall
   Nat and Ella ...the standard for all
   Hartman, Eckstine.... Nancy, Dinah
   Dee Dee, Betty...nothing finer
   Carmen, Christy, Connors, O`Day
   Check out Billie Holiday

12)Sun Ra, Cecil, Ayler, Shepp
   A peek OUTSIDE is what you get
   Shaw, Little, Rodney, Blue
   Donaldson, McPherson, Haig & Drew
   Al, Zoot, Hinton, Slam
   You say "let's"...they say "jam"

13)East coast groove - way out west
   Hampton Hawes passed the test
   Wardell, Edwards, Morgan, Land
   Criss, Clark and the Vinegar man
   Jamal, JJ and Mulligan too
   Brubeck, Baker and the MJQ

14)Can`t no-one say that jazz is dead
   Throughout the world this music spread
   Grappelli, Toots and Marian knew
   Airto, Flora and Zawinul too
   Brazil, Europe and even Japan
   Where Sadao and Toshiko had a band

15)BB and T-Bone ... singing the blues
   Brothers and sisters - payin' dues
   Here at home they faced rejection
   'Cause they wore the wrong complexion
   Who defines what music`s  "Legit"
   Is "jazz" a word that doesn't fit?

16)Remember those who came this way
   To move the hearts when they play
   We named a few - there's many more
   It's serious music we can't ignore
   Neglected in its land of birth
   But it's respected around the earth!!

                       (4th Vocal Chorus)

                       Now that you've heard this composition that we've played
                       Please remember who the masters were-the history they made
                       Let's expose them to others
                       It's our culture and we look at them with pride
                       They were sisters and our brothers
                       Deserving recognition that so long has been denied

                       .....PHILANTHROPY!  
                      (c) 2001 Phil Morrison

(Click below to hear song on youtube)

https://youtu.be/vSFCvRv6vAU?si=lKegv8MCVCr429Tt

(click below to hear song on broadjam)

https://www.broadjam.com/songs/philmorrison/philanthropy-jazz-bebop-spoken-word

HIS MESSAGE: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

words:  Phil Morrison   music:  Ron Zack 

Click here to listen

We shall overcome... We shall overcome, someday...

  You wonder why with so much need there's not enough concern
   The problems of the world affect us all
   The poverty, the wars, the hate - will we ever learn
   Those barriers between us have to fall

    But every now and then you'll find that someone comes along
    Who reminds us of our moral obligation
    Humanity will not survive if we keep on doing wrong
    This goes for every person, every nation

(chorus)
              His Message was for love and peace
              And justice he would cry
             The racism and wars must cease
              His dream must never die

    People proud marched to the song "we shall overcome"
    Arm in arm in unity they'd sing (and)
    The voice behind this movement was known by everyone
    That special man - Martin Luther King

    "I have a dream" this man proclaimed as he rose to take a stand
     To bring about  some change in this great nation
     And when he spoke you'd always hear the voice of a fearless man
     His  words would give us hope and inspiration

 (chorus)     His Message was for love and peace
                  And justice he would cry
                  The racism & wars must  cease
                   His dream must never die

 (bridge)  Why can't the people of the world be unified forever
               Or do we have to share the pain before we come together
               The welfare of our children and their future are at stake
               So should we look for answers now or leave it up to fate?

  (chorus)    His Message was for love and peace
                   And justice he would cry
                   The racism and wars must cease
                   His dream must never die.....

                                (c)zack/morrison

Award for Song for Shanghai EXPO

ANTHEM FOR SHANGHAI EXPO 2010 2ND HONOR FROM CHINA FOR AMERICAN JAZZ MUSICIANSListen to the Anthem Here. In April of 2008, jazz musicians, Phil Morrison and Keith Williams were notified that their song "Beijing Olympics 2008 - Hao Yuin" was selected by the Beijing Olympics Committee as an official song for the Beijing Olympics 2008. Along with world famous producer/songwriter David Foster, Phil Morrison and Keith Williams were among only a handful of foreign writers to have their song selected ...and within that group, Phil and Keith were the only native born Americans (David Foster was born in Canada). Two years later, in April, 2010, Keith and Phil received official notification that another one of their songs entitled "Shanghai Expo - 2010" was selected to be an anthem for that event. It is noteworthy that these two jazz musicians, along with music industry giant Quincy Jones, were the only Americans to be recipients of such distinguished awards from the world's most populous country hosting two major world events.
Phil Morrison, a Boston native, and Keith Williams, from the California Bay Area, have both been longtime Georgia residents and spent much of their professional career performing in China, Japan and Brazil. This wide geo- graphical spectrum gives them a broad framework to draw from when collaborating on their various musical projects. A further indication of their international background is the name they gave the group that they co-lead which is called "World Unity Jazz Ensemble" (WUJE-woojay). The group usually consists of musicians from different countries and cultures using their traditional instruments. Although the Beijing Olympics may be more well known, the Shanghai World Expo 2010 may have more economic impact internationally and their latest award winning song may be useful to the many participating countries and their sponsors.....such as Coca Cola, General Motors and Siemens. Phil and Keith were first told of the Shanghai Expo while performing with their friend and world renowned erhu player (Chinese violin), Ma Xiao Hui.....who, along with Yo-Yo Ma, was featured in the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". She knew the signifcance of this event and she was also aware that her friends had won an award for their Beijing Olympics song so she suggested that they submit a song to the Shanghai World Expo 2010. Although Phil Morrison and Keith Williams have performed at the Ritz Carlton Hotels in Shanghai & Osaka and the Wangfujing Hotel in Beijing, their music is frequently heard in concert at various colleges both in the USA and China. Their CDs "China Skies" & "Hollow Reed" feature Chinese and Japanese instruments within a Jazz context which underscores the fact that their talent reaches far beyond that of "song-writer"......and far beyond national borders!!

http://www.myspace.com/worldunityjazzensemble http://philtrio.blogspot.com http://keithpiano.blogspot.com Striving to be of Service to Humanity ... by Promoting International Harmony through Music

THEY CALL HIM TIGER

"Tiger Woods" by Keith Allison

words & music by
Phil Morrison
(intro) 8 bars

(chorus)

They Call Him Tiger...and it's more than just a name
Can't noone touch this cat when he's down on his game
They Call Him Tiger... stalkin' his prey
Loves the competition while he puts them away

(interlude - 4 bars)

(verse 1)

Strollin' on the course after drivin' the ball
(On the) fairway from the tee - ain't no problem at all
Been there before - from the time he was Two
When his daddy showed him golf and what he had to do

(chorus)

They Call Him Tiger...and it's more than just a name
Can't noone touch this cat when he's down on his game
They Call Him Tiger...stalkin' his prey
Loves the competition while he puts them away

(interlude - 4 bars)

(verse 2)

Groovin' on a challenge while cruisin' through eighteen
Power playin' long....while finesse-in' on the green
Fans love to see him...focused ....walkin' tall
Breakin' down the barriers some said would never fall

(chorus)

They Call Him Tiger...and it's more than just a name
Can't noone touch this cat when he's down on his game
They Call Him Tiger...stalkin' his prey
Loves the competition while he puts them away

(guitar solo - 8 bars)

(bridge) When he leads there ain't no way to catch him
Takin' care of business with a flair..and
When he plays the world will stop to watch him
A Tiger's on the prowl...you better beware!

(chorus)

They Call Him Tiger...and it's more than just a name
Can't noone touch this cat when he's down on his game
They Call Him Tiger...stalkin' his prey
Loves the competition while he puts them away

(ending vamp - 16 bars)

(click below to hear song)

https://www.broadjam.com/songs/philmorrison/they-call-him-tiger

(c) 2006 Phil Morrison

Photo "Tiger Woods" by Keith Allison is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 2.0.

Michael Jordan .. What can you say?

by Phil Morrison & Keith Williams
Click to hear the song R&B Version

Click to hear the Song Swing Version

Michael Jordan ... what can you say?
In basketball -- the greatest human ever to play.
Doing things you've never seen -- night after night
Then show you why he's superman and take off in flight.

Michael Jordan ... what can you say?
The man can beat you anytime; don't get in his way.
He'll take you up high, then burn you down low
Ain't no stoppin' Michael -- he's the star of the show.

Michael Jordan ... what can you say?
He can hit 50 and do it any day;
Offense or defense -- free throws, too
There's nothing on the court that the brother can't do

Michael Jordan ... what can you say?
He'll slam down a facial, then knock down the "trés" ;
Or handling the rock, he's so silky smooth
And don't try to challenge him, forget it , you lose.

Michael Jordan ... what can you say?
Watching his moves is like watching ballet.
No matter how you play the game, he'll steal you blind
Cause he's not only quick, but he uses his mind

Michael Jordan ... what can you say?
From North Carolina in the U. S. of A.
A genuine hero to every boy and girl
A member of the Dream Team -- and known around the world.

Michael Jordan ... what can you say?
Michael Jordan -- the brother can play
Michael Jordan -- loved by one and all
Michael Jordan -- the king of basketball!

c 1996 Morrison/Williams

Click to hear the song R&B Version

Click to hear the Song Swing Version

Harmonious society By Raymond Zhou (China Daily)

Harmonious society
By Raymond Zhou (China Daily)

Jazz duo Phil Morrison (left) and Keith Williams enjoy playing their East-meets-West creations in Beijing. Guan Xin

The sound from Hollow Reed instantly piques your ears. It has a jazz rhythm section, a sprinkling of Latin percussion, but the main melody is played on an erhu, the traditional Chinese instrument sometimes known as "the Chinese two-string fiddle". One cannot be sure whether this is East or West. The best way to describe it is East-meets-West, or what Phil Morrison and Keith Williams call "international harmony".

Hollow Reed is the latest album by American jazz musicians Morrison and Williams, who see their performance in China as not just another gig, but an attempt to fuse two musical styles. Distinct as it is, jazz can be in harmony with a quintessentially Chinese sound like the erhu or dizi, say the jazz duo. The erhu featured on this CD is played by Jiebing Chen, who has a history of seeking out jazz musicians from the US for collaboration.

Some of the tracks lean one way or the other - either more jazzy or more Chinese. China Skies, composed by Morrison, conjures up an image of a Chinese girl singing a folk song in a southern town crisscrossed with canals and boats. The Duke Ellington standard Prelude to a Kiss, on the other hand, is a better example of fusion, where the jazz accompaniment is not eclipsed by the erhu and the erhu takes on a special jaunty feel, almost like a Chinese girl sashaying across a New Orleans saloon.

It may be hard to categorize but this new jazz sound is the product of almost a decade of cultural blending.

Phil Morrison and Keith Williams first came to China in 1999 and played the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai for six months. Since then, they have played in Shanghai four times.

"There was a Chinese orchestra playing in the hotel lobby, complete with a conductor. That was the first time I'd heard Chinese music," recalls Morrison, who plays the bass and has written many of the songs they play.

Pretty soon, they were mingling with local musicians. A Chinese alto-saxophonist joined them for a while; dizi (Chinese bamboo flute) and erhu players jammed with them; they appeared in local concerts and lectured in the local music conservatory and children's palaces. "The jazz scene is growing in Shanghai," says Williams, who plays the piano and sometimes provides the vocals too.

Before the duo arrived in Beijing, they didn't know what to expect. "August 1 was the first day we played here, right before the Olympics, and it has been a pleasant surprise," says Morrison. "The city is just as cosmopolitan as Shanghai and the streets are so clean."

"Great food! Great nightlife!" Williams chimes in.


Unfortunately, the Hilton Wangfujing Beijing, where they currently perform six nights a week (except Monday), has had only a "soft opening", which means the turnout is not as big as it should be. But once the music starts, they throw themselves into it, heart and soul, regardless of the audience size.

Viva, vocalist for the Hilton gig, adds a nice touch of glamour and verve. She has been performing in Asia since 2003 and can croon any tune from a repertoire of 200 standards - she knows the familiar ones are often the most popular. In the daytime, she teaches singing and English lessons.

One night recently, an audience member requested The Moon Represented My Heart (Yueliang Daibiao Wo de Xin), the Chinese love song, and he himself hummed the vocal a la karaoke. "This song has been a favorite with the Chinese audience," says Williams.

Jazz, which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African-American communities, is not as popular in China as other America-initiated musical genres, such as hip-hop. "I can feel the Chinese audience is trying to figure out what's going on," says Williams. "There's this mystique about jazz. They want to know more about it, yet they assume it is played in smoky rooms only."

As proponents of this quintessentially African-American music, Williams and Morrison feel a responsibility to expose Chinese music lovers to more varieties of jazz and jazz played with a high level of musicianship.

"Music is a bridge," emphasizes Morrison, and their motto is "striving to be of service to humanity by promoting international harmony through music". It is printed on their business cards and pops up in their conversations as often as the refrains in one of the old chestnut tunes.

As American musicians, they also want to use their music to communicate with the local Chinese. "We came to play only three days after 9/11 and many Shanghainese expressed their sympathy to us," recalls Morrison. "For that, I'm very grateful."

In 2003, after hearing that Beijing had won its bid to host the 2008 Olympics, Morrison decided to do something to express what he and his collaborator felt - he penned a song titled Beijing Olympics Hao Yuing. The "good luck" tune was later submitted to Olympic organizers and was picked as one of the songs to be featured during the Games.

"The message of the song is so positive and it recognizes the international spirit of the Games," says Morrison. The use of guzheng and dizi, both traditional Chinese instruments, added a Chinese vibe to the upbeat samba tempo. In later compositions, the jazz duo, who have released five CDs, including China Skies, have made it a point to "capture the Chinese flavor".

They were back performing in Shanghai last night. The "China Skies" they have explored have enriched their repertoire and, in return, they will paint this sky with splashes of great American music mixed with a few brushes of Chinese color.

(China Daily 11/03/2008 page10)