Loving This Earth: Environmental Music & Poetry
Original Poetry & Music by Ken Morgan & Friends
This music and poetry performance featured the artistry of four well-known Michigan musicians: Ken Morgan — woodwinds Carolyn Koebel — percussion & vocals Elden Kelly — guitar & vocals Jim Cooper — vibraphone
Original Poetry & Music: a unique and spiritually inspiring evening of creative sounds and words, captured live at Kalamazoo Public Library, Wednesday, December 9, 2015.
Original environmental poetry by Ken Morgan is featured with composed and improvised musical accompaniment that blends the sounds of jazz, world, and Native American music. The poetry is a preview of Ken’s soon to be published “Loving This Earth” collection of poems, reflections, and songs which express respect, gratitude, and inspiration for loving and preserving our natural world.
Ken Morgan has been performing as a woodwind and recording artist for over 40 years. He has backed up many artists including Louis Armstrong, Henry Mancini, and Aretha Franklin. Ken’s jazz recording “Live At Chaps On Main” was selected as one of the top eight jazz releases of the year by the Detroit News. He has more recently expanded his interests to include Native American and World music and original environmental poetry.
Percussionist Carolyn Koebel has been exploring rhythm and vibration for the past thirty years. The result is a compelling variety of styles and genres in groups from Fonn Mor & An Dro, to Dunuya Drum & Dance, Blue Dahlia, Sacred Waters Kirtan, Rhonda Larson & Ventus, improvisational jazz, and more recently in the beautiful world of Japanese taiko drumming with Michigan Hiryu Daiko.
Guitarist and vocalist Elden Kelly brings an original and eclectic style as he fuses the sounds of jazz and world music and communicates his music with phenomenal technique and inspired vocalization. Originally from Vermont, Elden taught at and graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music. He is now based in Lansing, MI, where he is an instructor and travels out to perform with many other artists.
Vibraphonist and recording artist Jim Cooper has been performing for over 40 years. A native Chicagoan, Jim has performed with many of the leading jazz artists in the country and at numerous jazz festivals. Jim, who now resides in Saugatuck, MI, is also a music educator and adjudicator and teaches at Northwestern University, Lake Michigan College, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
Recorded 12/09/2015
Categories: Music & Concerts
Tags: culture; kalamazoo; music; poetry