Isaiah Morgan

Isaiah “Ike” Morgan (1897-1966) was a jazz trumpeter from Plaquemines parish who formed the Young Morgan Band in New Orleans in 1922. In 1925 his older brother Sam Morgan took over the band, which led to recordings for the Columbia label in New Orleans in 1927. This band is widely acknowledged as the first jazz band to record hymns in dance tempo, but as Ike Morgan made clear in his Tulane interview, the idea was forced upon the band over their objections by officials from the record company. After Sam’s death in 1936, Ike Morgan continued to lead bands in the Biloxi area until his retirement in 1956.