Soulful Singer Morgan James Releases New CD, “Morgan James Live” on Dec. 4th, 2012

Soulful
singer and songwriter Morgan James will be releasing her debut album
Morgan James Live (Epic Records) on December 4th. Recorded at Dizzy’s
Club Coca-Cola, an intimate jazz club nestled within New York City’s
Time Warner Center, the album features James’s stirring renditions of
standards from the repertoire of Nina Simone.

James studied opera
at Juilliard, and while the rigorous conservatory training went a long
way in refining her vocals and building her remarkable range, she
ultimately abandoned opera to pursue musical theater. Thanks to her
unshakeable dedication and ingenuity, she soon worked her way onto the
stage of some of the city’s most legendary clubs—and into prominent
roles in Broadway productions like Godspell and Wonderland.

Not
only embracing Simone’s raw, heady passion, James channels the sparkling
eclecticism that made the High Priestess of Soul a key influence in
cultivating her own singing style. “For a long time I wasn’t sure what
to do with the fact that I’ve got this gigantic voice that doesn’t quite
match how I look, so I ended up trying out lots of different things to
find my way, ” said James. “Nina refused to be pigeon-holed into any one
genre, and she wasn’t setting out to impress anyone, ” she said. “That
sort of purity and lack of showboating means so much to me as a
musician.”

2013 will mark ten years since Nina Simone’s passing.

James collaborated with music director David Cook in creating the musical arrangements at Dizzy’s in July of 2012.

Keeping
up that balance between Broadway and her solo work, James will take the
stage in Motown: The Musical in April. She continues to explore her
musical depths by writing and recording her first full- length studio
album, which she envisions as a more contemporary, pop/R&B record
with blues and soul influence.