Featured Artist: Morgan Turner and IRIS
Morgan Turner is a bassist and composer in Chicago. After ten years of pursuing saxophone professionally and at the collegiate level, she was diagnosed with Temporomandibular Jaw Disorder (TMJ) in Summer of 2020, months before beginning her final year of her undergraduate degree. She was faced with a difficult decision when doctors recommended she either switch professions or switch instruments. Being unable to abandon her passion, she picked up the upright bass and began investing every moment of her spare time into pursuing this new medium of expression. The connection with the instrument was near immediate.
Morgan graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies. During that time, she was able to take primary lessons with Geof Bradfield on saxophone and Marlene Rosenberg on bass once she made the instrument switch, learning a great deal from both. She also had the opportunity to study composition with guitarist Bobby Broom. Since relocating to Chicago after graduation, she has had the opportunity to play at several of her favorite local venues, including Elastic Arts, Fulton Street Collective, The Green Mill, and many more. Morgan has been lucky to share the stage with many of her favorite musicians, including Reggie Thomas, Lenard Simpson, Devin Drobka, Arman Sangalang, Cami Mennitte, and many more.
CIJS Featured Artist IRIS is a contemporary jazz quintet led by Turner. IRIS is comprised of Arman Sangalang, Kirby Fellis, Austyn Menk, Morgan Turner, and Paul Barrilles. The group was born out of five peers’ mutual desire to fuse jazz music’s historic subgenres, such as hard bop and post bop, with a modern aesthetic. Their compositions are a reflection of their musical upbringing, having been influenced by musicians like Mulgrew Miller, Roy Hargrove, Wayne Shorter and Walter Smith III.
IRIS has toured throughout the Midwest performing at venues including Cliff Bells (MI), Merriman’s Playhouse (IN), Jazz Central Studios (MN), Andy’s Jazz Club, The Whistler and Fulton Street Street Collective (IL). In summer 2022, IRIS was one of four groups in the United States selected to participate in the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Academy.
The Quartet can be heard playing regularly around Chicago at venues such as Fulton Street Collective, Elastic Arts, The Green Mill and many more.
