John Christopher Morgan

Right On Time

Independent

John Christopher Morgan was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the greater Detroit area. He was exposed at an early age to the R&B sounds of Motown. His father taught band and both his  older brothers were in bands at an early age. John gravitated to the drums at the age of nine. In 1979 as a sideman he traveled to Europe, and also performed at the Montreaux Jazz Festival  on a bill that included Weather Report and Willie Bobo. Upon his return to the states he joined up with Wayne Kramer and Johnny Thunders. He and the ‘Band Gang War’ opened for The Clash. Morgan returned to Detroit and backed up guitarist Jim McCarty and the Detroit Blues Band, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, Eddie Burns of the John Lee Hooker Band, and others. In 1990 he relocated to Los Angeles and recorded with Robert Lucas, King Ernest, and Lester Butler.

“Right On Time” is Morgan’s solo debut album and includes nine originals written or co-written by him, and four selected covers. The album is produced and engineered by Ralph Carter. Morgan plays drums and sings; special guests include guitarists Albert Lee, Frank Goldwasser  (Mannish Boys), Zach Zunis (Janiva Magness); Martin ‘Nutty Brown’ Gagnon on piano; vocalists  Viva Vinson and Marcella Detroit; and blues harp master RJ Mischo.

The album opens with “Vidalia” co-written by harmonica ace Morgan and bassist Carter with special guest guitarist Albert Lee providing his signature ‘chicken pickin’, on this ode to the  riverboat town in the heart of the Delta as Morgan sings “leaving Louisiana on a northbound  train to Chicago…oh, oh, Vidalia”, as the infectuious groove reminds me of “Six Days On The  Road”. On “Bad Is Bad”, a cover of a 1983 Huey Lewis song turned into a fabulous shuffle,  Mischo plays harmonica as we get to hear Morgan sing the lyric “I went downtown to have a  good time…sometimes bad is bad, this old blues is the best I ever had…I love you baby but,  sometimes bad is bad”.

“Trouble Is My Business” written by Morgan features a surf-like sound as he sings “when you  see me comin’ down the street…trouble is my business”. “Last Heartbeat”, another song from Morgan features him as he chimes “once I was a lonely drifter…then you looked my way, I’m gonna love you, until my last heartbeat” with the backing vocalists and horns. “San  Buenaventura”, co-written by Morgan with Marcy Levy, reminds me of evocative surf-rock  from The Ventures as Morgan sings.

“Ain’t We All In It Together” written by Morgan features guitarist Zunis, and vocalist Vinson on a narrative “the sun shines so brightly in the sky before it turns to black”. On a cover of  1997’s “Black Bag Blues” a tribute to California blues men, vocalist King Ernest, and harp  ace Lester Butler, guitarist Zunis is featured as he also played on the original version, as  Mischo once again plays harmonica, as Morgan chants “go where you go…come around, come around at night”.

My favorite “The Jeweler’s Daughter” written by Morgan, Carter and vocalist Wood “baby,  why are you so mean, I went down to the jeweler to keep your love for me, she put the  ring on her finger it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen”, only for her to criticize  it. “Done Got Over It” is a cover of a 1970 song from Guitar Slim as Morgan cries “well  the first time I met you…I thought I love you, but now I see you with another man, I done  got over it, I done got over your lies”.

“Jumpin’ With Leon” is co-written by Morgan and Goldwasser, and features the horns and  some fabulous guitar from Goldwasser on this rollicking instrumental. “Black Bottom Blues” written by Morgan, once again with harpist Mischo, features Morgan as he mourns the  loss of his heroes. “Let The Kids Dance” is a cover of a 1982 Bo Diddley standard “let the  kids dance, because they only got one more chance…grandma told grandpa let the kids dance ’cause they only got one more chance”, with some great piano from ‘Nutty Brown’. On the closer, the title track “Right On Time” written by Morgan, he croons “my love is just like a train comin’ down the track, my love is right on time…like a train comin’ down the  track, my love is right on time”.

Morgan now makes Ventura, California his home with his wife and two sons. Morgan has a  knack for songwriting that makes his songs seem older than they actually are, perhaps friendlier, or familiar. You may feel that you heard some of these songs before. It’s a special talent. John Christopher Morgan is here to stay.

Richard Ludmerer

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