David Morgan Trio Feat. Grammy Winner Paul Francis (Tony Bennett)

Pianist & Organist David Morgan and his trio with Grammy Award Winning drummer Paul Francis and bassist Dan Asher takes music to a higher ground at Bethel Jazz when they hit the stage 7:00pm this Wed July 26 at LaZingara Restaurant 8 P.T. Barnum Square in Bethel CT. For tickets visit this Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6... Meantime, check out a few minutes of a previous performance

David Morgan -Pianist is a musician for life. For him, it’s music 24/7. After a childhood of playing in rock bands, competing in classical piano competitions, putting on solo Keith Emerson keyboard shows and producing demos on his 4-track cassette recorder, he knew a life of music was the only soulful and logical choice. When he was 19, he moved to New Orleans to study with jazz legends Ellis Marsalis and Harold Battiste at The University of New Orleans. Since migrating to the east coast in 1992, he has had a rich career of touring, recording, producing, writing and teaching. He has recorded and toured the world with his jazz trio, renowned vocalist Neshama Carlebach, Peter Himmelman and actress/songstress Jane Lynch, to name a few. His original music can be heard regularly on CBS and NBC sports telecasts and cable TV shows like Pawn Stars, Catfish, Counting Cars and American Restoration. This past June he was the musical director for the benefit concert, Trevor Live, in New York City.
Music Education has become a very important part of Morgan’s career. His rock band training program, The Music Shed is in its 9th season. He developed this program to give middle and high school musicians the opportunity to get extensive coaching in rock, jazz and blues music in a weekly small group setting. Lately, Morgan has been producing and recording his students’ original music and plans to release a Music Shed Artists Vol.1 album in early 2018. He regularly performs and records with his quartet, Portal, a Connecticut band of brothers featuring Greg Wall, Matt Moadel, and Rich Zurkowski.

Paul Francis - Drummer, Grammy Award-winning drummer and educator Paul Francis has extensive experience working with some of the world’s greatest musicians. He is featured on the Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett album and subsequent PBS special “Cheek to Cheek”, and toured extensively with the duo to support that recording. He continues to perform with Lady Gaga on a regular basis. Paul has also recorded and/or performed with Stevie Wonder, Jose Feliciano, Jon Faddis, David Hazeltine, Jim Belushi, Molly Ringwald, Megan Hilty, The Rockettes, Ralph Lalama, Brian Newman, Rich Little, The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and The Albany Symphony Orchestra, and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra conducted by Buddy Morrow. Paul has also appeared on shows for HBO, ABC and MTV, and is on the soundtrack for the movie “Friends with Kids”. Paul endorses Yamaha drums, Sabian cymbals, Remo drumheads and Vic Firth drumsticks.

As an educator, Paul has taught all ages and playing levels. He is currently on faculty at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and has taught private lessons and master classes at SUNY Purchase, University of Cincinnati and The Ohio State University, as well as continuing to teach at his own private studio. He has also been published in Modern Drummer and Drumhead magazines. Paul holds a Bachelor of Music from The Ohio State University and a Master of Music from SUNY Purchase. He has studied with musicians such as John Riley, Kenny Washington, Jim Chapin, Jim Rupp, Joe Ong and Chad Rager.

Dan Asher -Bass Dan Asher has been busy performing and teaching in the New York area since 2001. His active schedule has included performances at legendary venues such as Birdland, the Blue Note, Smalls, and the 55 Bar, covering a wide range of music, mainly Rock, R&B, Jazz and what some people might call “fusion”. He works with numerous singers and songwriters, performing at venues such as Rockwood Music Hall, The Living Room, and The Bowery Poetry Club, which showcase some of the greatest up-and-coming talents in New York City. As an in-demand sideman, he performs and records regularly with projects involving members of Screaming Headless Torsos, Snarky Puppy, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and many others, while also keeping active in NYC’s unparalleled musical theater community. A regular performer at the world-famous Baz Bar in St. Barth, he has performed most recently with Jimmy Buffett as well as legendary keyboardists David Bryan and Jay Oliver. He currently lives in the Bronx and continues to rack up as busy a schedule as possible, wearing out brake pads, blowing head gaskets, napping at highway rest stops, and somehow always coming to the conclusion that it’s all worth it.