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Sarah Morrow

About Me

”Sarah Morrow, trombonist, holds the distinction of having been the first female instrumentalist to tour with Ray Charles, but the emphasis there should really be placed on instrumentalist rather than female, because she's an impressively strong and soulful player, regardless of gender.” -- Shaun Dale, Jazz Review.Com

From Pickerington, Ohio, Ms. Morrow began playing trombone at age 12 in her school band. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications at Ohio University and working in arts administration for two years, she decided to return to her first love, music. Specifically, jazz.

Since then, Ms. Morrow has received international recognition and critical acclaim performing and touring with her own quintet and as a sideman with many great artists. She has recorded 2 solo albums, on the French label RDC Records distributed by BMG in France.

Discovered by Ray Charles, Ms. Morrow is the first female instrumentalist to become a member of his orchestra. She toured with the legendary pianist and singer from November 1995 through May 1997 and left the group to join Foley, Miles Davis' lead bass player, in Europe as part of a three horn section playing funk.

After this, she returned to Europe to tour with Grammy award-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater in her big band, and later with tenor saxophonist David Murray in his Octet's tribute to John Coltrane. Sarah has also toured with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and has performed with saxophonist Ricky Ford's big band, the Quartet of Diana Krall's bassist Pierre Boussaguet, and with the Quartet of award winning French vocalist Anne Ducros.

Sarah Morrow has taken Europe by storm. With the release of her first album in 1999, Greenlight, (distributed in the USA on Summit Records)-featuring Antoine Roney (tenor sax), Jaz Sawyer (drums), Ugonna Ukegwo (bass), Kazi Oliver (percussion) and James Hurt (piano) - won critical acclaim and launched her career as a prominent soloist, bandleader, and composer /arranger. Ms. Morrow's quintet has received rave reviews for their performance at numerous jazz festivals, including the Nice Jazz Festival, Paris JVC Jazz Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival in Madarao Japan, Marciac Jazz Festival, the Strasbourg Music Festival, Nancy Jazz Pulsations France, Italy for the Brass Group, and the illustrious Caja Espana Otono Jazz in 7 cities in Spain, to name a few. Special guests Jacky Terrasson (piano), Scott Amendola (drums), Ricky Ford (tenor sax), Pierre Boussaguet (bass), and Denys Baptiste (saxophone) have been among the artists to perform under Sarah's leadership. In addition, the Sarah Morrow Quintet has opened for jazz luminaries Chick Corea, Ray Barretto, Kenny Garrett and Dee Dee Bridgewater.

Ms. Morrow was chosen for the prominent “Rising Star Tour” in Germany, Switzerland and Austria in the Fall of 2001. This tour with her own Quintet culminated in the recording of Ms. Morrow's second album for RDC Records, Standards and Other Stories (distributed in the USA by North Country Distributors) featuring guest artists David Murray, Anne Ducros, Clarence Seay, Victor Atkins and Jesse Davis. It was released under BMG France in 2002 and in Europe and Japan, where again, having received amazing reviews, has given Ms. Morrow yet a greater reputation throughout more of the world.

Standards and Other Stories is a journey through different moods and atmospheres. To the opening solo piece to the ending Septet, Sarah takes you in her world of diversity. This exceptional CD is a blend of beautifully arranged Standards by Sarah- like the intelligent, clashing blend of be-bop heads on “Anthropology” to the meter changes of “A Night in Tunisia”; like her dreamy interpretation of “Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me” to the intricate “Moanin” of Charles Mingus, where Clarence Seay plays the devoted part of baritone player Pepper Adams and David Murray plays his powerful solo that was once devoted to Jackie Mc Lean.

Creative originals like “Leaving Home” shows a Swing/Latin feel which will make you want to move your feet with the rhythm, and the heartbreaking, poetic ballad “It's Getting Late Now” written (words and music by Sarah) for her dad.

Such talents have given Ms. Morrow unprecedented press access. Among her many radio and TV broadcasts, Sarah was a guest on the 2003 Django D'Or Music Awards televised on Mezzo; the JazzM6 channel