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| Born = <!-- {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | Born = <!-- {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| Died = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth) --> | Died = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth) -->
| Origin =], ] | Origin =
| Instrument =], ], ] | Instrument =], ], ], ]
| Genre =], ] | Genre =], ]<ref name="monger"/>
| Occupation =], ] owner, ] | Occupation =], ], ], ]
| Years_active =1997-present | Years_active =1996-present
| Label =] | Label =]
| Associated_acts = | Associated_acts =], ]
| URL ={{Official|http://www.enginecompanyrecords.com/blakemorgan/}} | URL ={{Official|http://www.enginecompanyrecords.com/blakemorgan/}}
| Notable_instruments = | Notable_instruments =], ]
}} }}


'''Blake Morgan''' is an American ], ], ], and ] owner based in ].<ref name="nyt"/> After releasing the ] solo album ''Anger's Candy'' (1997) on ]'s N2K ]/] label,<ref name="monger"/> he began producing music independently and founded the label ] in 2002. He helps produce all music released by the label, which has included artists such as ], ], ], ], ], and ]. His albums ''Burning Daylight'' (2005)<ref name="dal"/> and '']'' (2006) were positively received.<ref name="silencer"/>
'''Blake Morgan''' is a recording artist, producer, and label owner of ], a nationally and internationally distributed record label based in New York City.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news
| title = Turns From Indie Label, Piano Pair and Philip Glass
| first = Anthony
| last = Tommasini
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/arts/music/01reco.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
| newspaper = ]
| publisher =
| date = June 1, 2008
| accessdate = 2011-11-22
}}</ref>


==History== ==Early life==
Blake Morgan was born and raised in ]. He is the son of American feminist activist and writer ] and playwright ]. He began playing the piano and going to music school at at five, with the aim of becoming a professional pianist. At age six his interest switched from classical composers such as ] and ] to ], after his mother introduced him to '']''.<ref name="cool"/>
After signing a multi-album deal with ]’s label N2K (Sony/Red), Morgan split with Ramone, launching ] in 2002.


Morgan's first gig was at ]'s in ], when older students from his school recruited him to play keyboards in their band.<ref name="cool"/> Since he was legally too young for the venue, they used his then short stature to smuggle himself inside the club in a ] case. As the show began, Morgan came out of the case to jump on stage and play the ].<ref name="unified"/>
As a recording artist, songwriter, singer, and producer, Morgan has been paired with ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and Phil "Butcher Bros." Nicolo, among many others. His work has taken him from ] in New York to Sound City in Los Angeles, from ] in the Bahamas to Studio 4 in Philadelphia.


==Music career==
Morgan is the son of American feminist activist/writer/poet/editor ] and poet/novelist/playwright ].
After college he began to play in various band formations and began pursuing music full time, chiefly ].<ref name="unified"/> He has stated he has been influenced by musicians such as The Beatles, ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref name="cool"/> In 1996 he released the EP ''Sneakers''.<ref name="silencer"/>

===''Anger's Candy'' (1997)===
He signed a seven-record deal with ]'s N2K Sony/Red label in 1997,<ref name="monger"/> and released the solo album ''Anger's Candy'' later that year. The ten tracks included ] performing backup vocals on "Why Don't You See." The track "To Say It's Your Love" was co-written by Nandi Johannes. All other tracks were written and produced by Morgan, and he performed vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, piano, and organ.<ref name="discogs"/> He toured the ] in support of the album for over a year, sharing stages with musicians such as ].<ref name="monger"/>

Morgan has stated he quickly became frustrated with being on a corporate label. After the tour was completed he found a loophole in the contract,<ref name="monger"/> and despite being the label's most successful artist at the time, he told Ramone he wanted out of the deal.<ref name="enginehome"/>

===Engine Company Records===
While producing ''Anger's Candy,'' he had started helping other local artists and bands produce projects on the side. These on-going projects, as well as frustration with ] pitches from labels akin to N2K, led Morgan considering his own independent label. He went to bands and artists he was recording at the time, and pitched a label where they would have control over their own material and output.<ref name="unified"/>

He launched ] in ]<ref name="monger"/> in 2002, and remains President and owner.<ref name="unified"/> The associated publishing company is called Big Red Firetruck Music.<ref name="cool"/> Similar to ]'s relationship with ], Morgan produces the music for the label. Genres have ranged from ]/], to ], to ].<ref name="unified"/> He has recorded in locations such as ] in New York and ] in the Bahamas.<ref name="enginehome"/>

Among artists and producers that have worked with the label are ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref name="unified"/> In summer of 2005 the label landed five albums in the Top 20 simultaneously, including ]'s '' ]'' and ]'s ''Reaching For A Gun''. <ref name="enginehome"/> In June 2008, the label released ''20th Century Duos for Violin and Cello with works by ], ] and ]'', which received a glowing review for performance and engineering in '']''.<ref name="nyt"/>

===''Burning Daylight'' (2005)===
His next solo album, ''Burning Daylight'', was released on Engine Company Records on July 12, 2005. Produced by ]-winner Phil Nicolo, it reached #1 on ]'s album charts, holding the number spot for both album, single ("Danger to Wake You"), and artist at the same time. The bonus track of his cover of ]'s "]" became the most successful track in the history of the label, and climbed high on ] charts.<ref name="enginehome"/>

The album received a positive review and 4/5 stars on ].<ref name="dal"/> '']'' wrote "He’s got killer pop-rock instincts . . . a natural when it comes to fashioning sharp melodies and catchy choruses."<ref name="enginehome"/>

In 2006 his song "It's Gone," performed by ], was featured in the final scene and closing credits of the independent film ''Flannel Pajamas'', by ]. The film, which was lauded by ], was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the ]. On March 18, 2009, the track "Better Angels" from the album was featured in ]'s '']''.<ref name="enginehome"/> The Lesley Gore version of "Better Angels" was also featured in the 2005 season premiere of '']''.

===''Silencer'' (2006)===
On October 25, 2006, he released the album '']'''<ref name="silencer"/> It features Morgan on vocals and piano performing acoustic versions of both new and older material, dating back to 1996. A cover of "]" by ] was also released as a digital bonus track.<ref name="enginehome"/> The album again received a positive review on AllMusic, which gave it a 3/5 stars and said "These are darkly heartfelt, enigmatic and melodic songs that often bring to mind a mix of the yearning, expansive rock of the ] and the soulful AM pop of ]. Meditative and sanguine, these are afterglow torch songs for the alt rock set."<ref name="silencer"/>

As of 2009, he continues to produce and work on original material for upcoming albums.<ref name="cool"/><ref name="gibson"/> He is sponsored by ].


==Discography== ==Discography==
*''Sneakers'' (1996) *''Sneakers'' EP (1996)
*''Anger's Candy'' (1997) *''Anger's Candy'' (1997)
*''Burning Daylight'' (2005) *''Burning Daylight'' (2005)
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== References == == References ==
{{reflist| refs = {{reflist|2| refs =


<ref name="enginehome">{{cite news
| title = Blake Morgan: Home
| url = http://www.enginecompanyrecords.com/blakemorgan/
| newspaper =
| publisher = ]
| date =
| accessdate = 2011-11-22
}}</ref>

<ref name="dal">{{cite news
| title = Burning Daylight: Blake Morgan
| first = Joe
| last = Viglione
| url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/burning-daylight-r783167/review
| newspaper =
| publisher = ]
| date =
| accessdate = 2011-11-22
}}</ref>

<ref name="silencer">{{cite news
| title = Silencer: Review
| first = Matt
| last = Collar
| url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/silencer-r931024
| newspaper =
| publisher = ]
| date =
| accessdate = 2011-11-22
}}</ref>


<ref name="unified">{{cite news
| title = Featured Record Label Owner: Blake Organ
| first =
| last =
| url = http://www.unifiedmanufacturing.com/blog/featured-record-label-engine-company-records/
| newspaper =
| publisher = Unified Manufacturing
| date =
| accessdate = 2011-11-22
}}</ref>

<ref name="gibson">{{cite news
| title = Blake Morgan Rehearsing New Songs
| first =
| last =
| url = http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/News/blake-morgan-1229/Default.aspx
| newspaper = Gibson Lifestyle
| publisher =
| date = December 29, 2009
| accessdate = 2011-11-22
}}</ref>

<ref name="monger">{{cite news
| title = Blake Morgan Biography
| first = James Christopher
| last = Monger
| url = http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p203800
| newspaper =
| publisher = ]
| date =
| accessdate = 2011-11-22
}}</ref>

<ref name="cool">{{cite news
| title = Interview: Blake Morgan
| first =
| last =
| url = http://www.suchcoolstuff.net/2009/09/blake-morgan.html
| newspaper =
| publisher = Such Cool Stuff
| date =
| accessdate = 2011-11-22
}}</ref>

<ref name="nyt">{{cite news
| title = Turns From Indie Label, Piano Pair and Philip Glass
| first = Anthony
| last = Tommasini
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/arts/music/01reco.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
| newspaper = ]
| publisher =
| date = June 1, 2008
| accessdate = 2011-11-22
}}</ref>

<ref name="discogs">{{cite news
| title = Angers Candy
| first =
| last =
| url = http://www.discogs.com/Blake-Morgan-Angers-Candy/release/2838033
| newspaper =
| publisher = ]
| date =
| accessdate = 2011-11-22
}}</ref>


}} }}


==External links== ==External links==
*{{Official|http://www.enginecompanyrecords.com/blakemorgan/}}
*
* at ]
*
*
*


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. -->
| NAME = Morgan, Blake
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH =
| PLACE OF BIRTH = ]
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Blake}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Blake}}
] ]
] ]
] ]
]

]

]
{{singer-songwriter-stub}}
]

Revision as of 23:42, 25 November 2011

Blake Morgan
Musical artist

Blake Morgan is an American musician, singer-songwriter, music producer, and record label owner based in New York City. After releasing the alternative rock solo album Anger's Candy (1997) on Phil Ramone's N2K Sony/Red label, he began producing music independently and founded the label Engine Company Records in 2002. He helps produce all music released by the label, which has included artists such as James McCartney, Janita, Tyler Bates, Mike Errico, Patti Rothberg, and Terry Manning. His albums Burning Daylight (2005) and Silencer (2006) were positively received.

Early life

Blake Morgan was born and raised in Manhattan. He is the son of American feminist activist and writer Robin Morgan and playwright Kenneth Pitchford. He began playing the piano and going to music school at at five, with the aim of becoming a professional pianist. At age six his interest switched from classical composers such as Mozart and Bartok to The Beatles, after his mother introduced him to Meet The Beatles.

Morgan's first gig was at CBGB's in New York, when older students from his school recruited him to play keyboards in their band. Since he was legally too young for the venue, they used his then short stature to smuggle himself inside the club in a bass drum case. As the show began, Morgan came out of the case to jump on stage and play the synths.

Music career

After college he began to play in various band formations and began pursuing music full time, chiefly alternative rock. He has stated he has been influenced by musicians such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Radiohead, Bjork, Jeff Buckley, Death Cab, Neil Finn, Peter Gabriel, and The Police. In 1996 he released the EP Sneakers.

Anger's Candy (1997)

He signed a seven-record deal with Phil Ramone's N2K Sony/Red label in 1997, and released the solo album Anger's Candy later that year. The ten tracks included Lenny Kravitz performing backup vocals on "Why Don't You See." The track "To Say It's Your Love" was co-written by Nandi Johannes. All other tracks were written and produced by Morgan, and he performed vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, piano, and organ. He toured the United States in support of the album for over a year, sharing stages with musicians such as Joan Jett.

Morgan has stated he quickly became frustrated with being on a corporate label. After the tour was completed he found a loophole in the contract, and despite being the label's most successful artist at the time, he told Ramone he wanted out of the deal.

Engine Company Records

While producing Anger's Candy, he had started helping other local artists and bands produce projects on the side. These on-going projects, as well as frustration with A&R pitches from labels akin to N2K, led Morgan considering his own independent label. He went to bands and artists he was recording at the time, and pitched a label where they would have control over their own material and output.

He launched Engine Company Records in New York City in 2002, and remains President and owner. The associated publishing company is called Big Red Firetruck Music. Similar to Rick Rubin's relationship with American Recordings, Morgan produces the music for the label. Genres have ranged from Emo/Punk, to Alternative Rock, to Classical. He has recorded in locations such as The Hit Factory in New York and Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas.

Among artists and producers that have worked with the label are James McCartney, Lesley Gore, Janita, Tyler Bates, Mike Errico, Patti Rothberg, Terry Manning, and Azam Ali. In summer of 2005 the label landed five albums in the Top 20 simultaneously, including Lesley Gore's Ever Since and Rick Henrickson's Reaching For A Gun. In June 2008, the label released 20th Century Duos for Violin and Cello with works by Zoltan Kodaly, Roger Sessions and Maurice Ravel, which received a glowing review for performance and engineering in The New York Times.

Burning Daylight (2005)

His next solo album, Burning Daylight, was released on Engine Company Records on July 12, 2005. Produced by Grammy Award-winner Phil Nicolo, it reached #1 on eMusic's album charts, holding the number spot for both album, single ("Danger to Wake You"), and artist at the same time. The bonus track of his cover of Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" became the most successful track in the history of the label, and climbed high on iTunes charts.

The album received a positive review and 4/5 stars on Allmusic. The Washington Post wrote "He’s got killer pop-rock instincts . . . a natural when it comes to fashioning sharp melodies and catchy choruses."

In 2006 his song "It's Gone," performed by Lesley Gore, was featured in the final scene and closing credits of the independent film Flannel Pajamas, by Jeff Lipsky. The film, which was lauded by Roger Ebert, was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. On March 18, 2009, the track "Better Angels" from the album was featured in MTV's The Real World: Brooklyn. The Lesley Gore version of "Better Angels" was also featured in the 2005 season premiere of CSI: Miami.

Silencer (2006)

On October 25, 2006, he released the album Silencer' It features Morgan on vocals and piano performing acoustic versions of both new and older material, dating back to 1996. A cover of "No Surprises" by Radiohead was also released as a digital bonus track. The album again received a positive review on AllMusic, which gave it a 3/5 stars and said "These are darkly heartfelt, enigmatic and melodic songs that often bring to mind a mix of the yearning, expansive rock of the Smashing Pumpkins and the soulful AM pop of Todd Rundgren. Meditative and sanguine, these are afterglow torch songs for the alt rock set."

As of 2009, he continues to produce and work on original material for upcoming albums. He is sponsored by Gibson Guitars.

Discography

  • Sneakers EP (1996)
  • Anger's Candy (1997)
  • Burning Daylight (2005)
  • Silencer (2006)

References

  1. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Blake Morgan Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
  2. ^ Tommasini, Anthony (June 1, 2008). "Turns From Indie Label, Piano Pair and Philip Glass". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
  3. ^ Viglione, Joe. "Burning Daylight: Blake Morgan". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
  4. ^ Collar, Matt. "Silencer: Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
  5. ^ "Interview: Blake Morgan". Such Cool Stuff. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
  6. ^ "Featured Record Label Owner: Blake Organ". Unified Manufacturing. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
  7. "Angers Candy". Discogs. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
  8. ^ "Blake Morgan: Home". Engine Company Records. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
  9. "Blake Morgan Rehearsing New Songs". Gibson Lifestyle. December 29, 2009. Retrieved 2011-11-22.

External links

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