Chase Morrin & IZE
How far has former San Diego piano phenom Chase Morrin come in the past 14 years?
When we first wrote about Morrin in 2010, he was a 16-year-old junior at Canyon Crest Academy High School and led his own jazz trio and a five-man band called Latin Connection. He was also the pianist in the Palomar College 7 O’Clock Jazz Ensemble and in the Ira B. Liss Big Band Jazz Machine, whose members’ median age at the time was 35. For good measure, Morrin played piano at UC San Diego’s world premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Anthony Davis’ opera, “Lilith.”
“Chase is an incredible talent,” Davis said at the time. “I have never had a student his age as accomplished.”
In 2015, Morrin earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science at Harvard, where he minored in neurobiology. In 2016, he earned a master’s in music from the New England Conservatory of Music and wrote and performed his first piano concerto, which was commissioned by the Louisville Orchestra.
Morrin is now a professor at both Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory of Music. He will perform two concerts here this weekend with his borders-leaping trio, IZE, which teams him with Cyprian percussionist George Lernis and Palestinian cellist Naseem Alatrash. They will be joined for both performances by guest Turkish singer Burcu Gulec (Heiraza).
The first, on Saturday evening at the Carlsbad City Library, is billed as “Sounds of Türkiye and the Global Garden” concert. It will mix original compositions with traditional and contemporary Turkish selections and is a benefit performance on behalf of Prokect CATE, which provides aid to children who underwent amputations following Turkey’s devastating 2023 earthquake.
The second, Sunday afternoon at the Encinitas Library, is a free performance by the same musicians. The IZE trio’s new album will be released later this year and features former Wayne Shorter and Chick Corea bassist John Patitucci. 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Carlsbad Library, 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad. $50-$2,500. chasemorrin.com/calendar; 2 p.m. Sunday. Encinitas Library, 540 Cornish Drive, Encinitas. Free. (760) 753-7376; encinitaslibfriends.org/new-events.
Multilingual singer Allison Adams Tucker will perform with an all-star San Diego singer Sunday at Humphreys to celebrate the release of her arresting new album, “Retro Trilogy.”
(Howard Lipin/For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Allison Adams Tucker, with Peter Sprague, Danny Green, Justin Grinnell, Abe Lagrimas Jr., Matt Diabiase and Audrey Fhoxx
Leading San Diego singer Allison Adams Tucker does not lack for talent or initiative.
Her third album, 2016’s “WANDERlust,” found her deftly singing in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian and Japanese, while heading an all-star band that featured such acclaimed artists as saxophonist Chris Potter, drummer Antonio Sanchez and Brazilian guitarist Romero Lumbambo.
During the pandemic shutdown in 2020, Tucker launched a novel livestream series called GARDENSTREAM, in which she alternated between solo voice and ukulele performances; Zoom duets with notable musicians around the world and full-band concerts in various gardens around San Diego, including Balboa Park.
Between January and March 2023, Tucker released three EPs, “1977,” “1988” and “1999.”
Each focuses on music from the decade they were named after and creatively salutes and reinvents music that inspired her growing up. It’s an impressive range of songs and styles, including classics by Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, Prince, The Cure, They Might Be Giants, Massive Attack and more.
All three EPs are featured on Tucker’s latest album, “Retro Trilogy,” which features an all-star New York jazz quartet, plus top San Diego guitarist Peter Sprague.
For her album release concert this weekend, she’ll be joined by Sprague and such standout area musicians as pianist Danny Green, bassist Justin Grinnell, drummer Abe Lagrimas, Jr. and synth xylophonist Matt DiBiase. An added twist, literally and figuratively, will be provided by hula-hoop artist Audrey Fhoxx.
6 p.m. Sunday. Humphreys Backstage Live, 2241 Shelter Island Blvd. $30. ticketmaster.com