Jim Morgan is a dynamic music industry professional with over two decades of experience spanning performance, event management, and competition oversight. He began as a drummer in Australia at age 16, later transitioning to the U.S. music scene in 2000. Jim played a pivotal role in the Boston Music Awards and NEMO Music Conference, and co-founded the International Songwriting Competition and Unsigned Only Music Competition. Currently, he oversees operations for both competitions, including the recruitment and management of high-profile celebrity judges. He is passionate about fostering new talent and promoting musical excellence.

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is an annual contest whose mission is to provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters - covering all genres of music - to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena. ISC is designed to nurture the musical talent of songwriters on all levels and promote excellence in the art of songwriting. Amateur and professional songwriters and musicians from anywhere in the world are invited to participate, and 74 winners share in awards that include cash and prizes. Categories include: AAA (Adult Album Alternative), AC (Adult Contemporary), Americana, Blues, Children's Music, Christian, Comedy/Novelty, Country, EDM (Electronic Dance Music), Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Hip-Hop/Rap, Instrumental, and Jazz - both instrumental and vocal. Importantly, entrants retain all ownership rights to all submitted songs. ISC will not have any ownership rights to any songs or lyrics submitted.

Highlighted by a truly stellar panel of celebrity artist judges from all music genres, and also a wide array of music industry professionals including representatives of major recording labels and publishing companies, ISC offers a great opportunity for songwriters, musicians, and performers to further their music careers. For complete details, including how to enter, the specific categories in all genres, who past winners have been, and the impressive list of world-renowned judges, go to https://www.songwritingcompetition.com/

While ISC covers the breadth and depth of all music genres, the role it plays in finding new talent is a story we couldn’t resist amplifying, and one that’s truly inspiring.

More than 25 years ago, I met tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson who was raised in Denver Colorado and that meeting made a wonderful memory and a deep impact that still resonates with me today. It impressed me that he took the time out of his very busy and impressive career to offer his time in a very giving manner to help a small-town, non-profit radio station. But that is just the kind of person he is, one who gives back and makes a difference. He is still doing that today as the Chair of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the University of Hartford since 2013.

Besides being a dedicated educator, Javon has also been a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers; he has recorded over two dozen albums as a leader and has also recorded with such jazz legends including Ron Carter, Elvin Jones, Freddie Hubbard, Louis Hayes and of course, Art Blakey and others.

It was serendipity that led to Javon forming a friendship and collaboration with the influential poet and activist Nikki Giovanni. Giovanni was invited by Javon to lecture at the University. Discovering they had a shared love of jazz music which resulted in this duo recording an album together called ‘The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni.’ The relationship between the two has only deepened through the years, and from that, other shared passions have emerged. One of them, American cinema, is referenced in the title of their recent and much-anticipated follow-up album called ‘Javon and Nikki Go to the Movies.”

This is the subject of my conversation with Javon Jackson which begins with a reference to another one of Jackson’s musical influences...Sonny Rollins.

New Orleans is a place where virtuosity is always deployed with a celebratory spirit, and Crescent City Jewels is like a Gratitude Journal in song, a rollicking collection that expresses NEA Jazz Master, Grammy-winning producer, trombonist and bandleader, Delfeayo Marsalis, appreciation for the good things in life at a time when so much attention seems to focus on doom and gloom.

In this latest album, Delfeayo set out to celebrate the undersung heroes in his own hometown. To accomplish that, he’s brought together a host of veteran and rising New Orleans musicians, as well as a number of guest stars, including big brother Branford Marsalis for a pair of jaw-dropping sax showcases, Rebirth Brass Band co-founder and Big Easy ambassador Kermit Ruffins, “Piano Prince of New Orleans” Davell Crawford, drummer extraordinaire Herlin Riley, and trombonist Maurice “Miracle Meaux” Trosclair.

“One of our goals is to show the breadth and the dynamic possibilities of New Orleans music. Our philosophy is to take the important ingredients from past generations and use them in the gumbo that we're creating today.”

That’s where our conversation begins.

There are times when you get a sense that you’re talking with an old friend that you’ve actually never met. There are shared times and memories that travelled on parallel lines but somehow never managed to intersect. That’s the best way that I can describe the conversation I had with Shelly Berg. From places lived and mutual friends, to times spent working with Jazz Aspen Snowmass in Colorado, our off-mic discussion created “allegría,” the Spanish word for joy, which is not only the name of his new album, but the foundation of his perspective on life.

Shelly feels that the more an audience feels included in the music, the better time everybody has, the more opportunity there is for the music to reach - and move - them. That’s the foundation of ‘Allegría,’ a collaborative album of Berg originals, plus fresh takes on classics from Leonard Bernstein and The Beatles, performed with longtime friends, bassist Carlitos Del Puerto, drummer Dafnis Prieto and special guest, Melvin Butler.

Shelly draws inspiration not only from his experiences as a leader in higher education as dean of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music since 2007 - and before that as a professor at USC’s Thornton School for 16 years - but also as a collaborator with jazz legendary international artists, including Gloria Estefan, Arturo Sandoval, Steve Miller, and Pharrell Williams, among others.

All of that rich backstory is brought into ‘Allegría,’ creating an understanding of joy, and all its co-existing chambers — sorrow, longing, faith, peace, reflection. Shelly describes it as, “A big narrative made up of smaller ones,” that allows listeners to feel “connected to the music and the arc of the album.”

That’s where our joyful conversation begins.

From an early age, acclaimed and accomplished vocalist, Alexis Cole, not only knew what she wanted to do in life, but also how she was going to do it - her way.

Both Alexis’ father and maternal grandmother were pianists and singers, and her business-minded mother helped Alexis learn how to carve her way through the financial side of show business. Thanks to their guidance, Alexis not only succeeded in honing her professional career, she also followed a serious educational path, gaining a Bachelor of Music degree that led her to global life experiences including a year as an Americorp volunteer and studying music in Mumbai, India. Alexis also worked the cruise ship circuit as an entertainer, and that was followed by years of travelling extensively through Europe.

Deciding to continue her education, Alexis earned a Masters of Music degree which resulted in her moving in and out of the higher education world as a jazz voice professor.

But then things really began to change for Alexis. First, she took a year's long music gig in Tokyo, Japan. Then, in 2009, she enlisted in the U.S. Army to become the lead singer for the West Point Jazz Knights Big Band.

Our conversation covers all this and much more, including how - and why - she came to make her new album, ‘Jazz Republic: Taiwan, the United States, and The Freedom of Swing’ with the Taipei Jazz Orchestra.

The style of the undeniably talented bassist and composer, Ben Wolfe, is truly unique.

His approach to music and performance has led to a path of development and success that can be attributed to collaborations with the likes of Harry Connick JR, Diana Krall and Wynton Marsalis. Ben also distinguished himself through a significant catalogue of original music, including well over a hundred songs across ten albums as a leader.

With his 11th release titled “The Understated”, Ben presents a collection of new original compositions paired with the re-imaginings of some of his classic material. This album, with a particular emphasis on the ballad song-form, is a reflection of his philosophy that music is all about the sound of the band as ensemble players.

In this episode, our conversation explores Ben’s musical journey, from a serendipitous experience of becoming a member of his school band playing tuba and trombone, to being a current faculty member at The Juilliard School of Music, an award-winning composer and critically acclaimed musician.

The music of professional harmonica jazz musician, bandleader, composer, and educator, Yvonnick Prené , is both unique and innovative.

A transplant from France, Yvonnick is now based in the greater New York City area. He made his professional debut in France in 2007. But it wasn’t until moving to the Big Apple that Yvonnick had that “wake-up call” to really learn the art of jazz by furthering his educational pursuits, immersing himself in the New York jazz scene, and eventually honing his chops to become the widely recognized and skilled band leader he is today.

This fascinating musician has now released seven albums as leader, including his latest project , a duo recording with piano virtuoso Geoffrey Keezer, called “Jobim's World.”

In this episode, we take a look at the compelling backstory behind Yvonnick’s musical journey, and hear samples of his most recent and exquisite new release on Sunnyside Records.

As a part of our “Catching Up With” series, I recently re-connected with Azerbaijani-born, New York-based pianist/composer Amina Figarova, and her musical collaborator partner and husband, the exceptional flutist Bart Platteau. This dynamic duo has recorded more than more than a dozen albums, and have travelled the world performing at jazz festivals and engagements, all of which has led to a diverse body of work filled with rich influences from their global experiences.

Even though Amina and Bart are deeply rooted in the U.S., it’s been their travels - and most notably their visits to South Africa - that brought them to their latest album release. Amina was inspired to compose and create “Suite for Africa” through her experiences working with students during her travels. However, it was a chance encounter on a rescheduled flight with the Matsiko World Orphan Choir, an ensemble of orphaned and at risk children from war-ravaged Liberia, that brought the stirring piece fully to life.

In this episode we talk with Amina and Bart about the fascinating backstory of this album’s development and how a chance meeting on a flight from Brussels to New York became the icing on the cake for this musical project.