TRACK LISTING
1. First Flight 2. The Return 3. Dancing Daughter 4. Benjo 5. One Step Closer to Cool 6. Moonrise 7. O Come, O Come Emmanuel		8. Dance of the Stars 9. Season and Change 10. The Dance 11. There and Back Again 12. The Swimmer 13. Soaring

REVIEWS

Quick, Write This Down

I recall fingerstyle guitarist John Morgan well because his album Stories was one of the first CDs I ever reviewed. I remember I liked it. Now here he is again with a new album called Motionography and I feel the same way.

Motionography translates literally into "written movement". Morgan records in more ways than one the movement of being, tunefully capturing the dynamics of everyday life, the hopscotch little girl smiles, the breathtaking rainbows, the laughing daisies and he celebrates the little miracles, the breakthroughs, and the renewals. John composes and performs all the material and his music has a warm, sentient flow. A little jazzy and a little contemporary and all very emotional.

The Return is a touching reunion of sound and emotion. It is a personal homecoming after time on the road, a great separation or just a day without a smile from her. John's bright finger picking is hopeful with a sense of promise just like the sound from the heels of the red shoes. There's no place like home.

Dancing Daughter is exactly that; a twirling bell-shaped dress hung on bony knees and lots of giggly laughter. It is also ponytails and lipstick and prom night and the first guy that isn’t you with his hand around her waist. And then in the blink of an eye, it is a long, white dress and tears and the Daddy Dance. My how time flies!

Sometimes you think that there is a lack of order. John’s performance of O Emmanuel at first seemed out of place. But on second thought, it is appropriate any time of the season. For it is a song of celebration. I guess sometimes we just need assurance that miracles can happen everyday. John’s crystalline rendering is a keen reminder.

Every now and then time moves so slowly that it is one continuous line in the night sky. And other times it is a blinking, sparkling light that disappears in an instant. Life is like that. What John calls a Dance of the Stars. It’s that Motionography thing. I realized I would rather celebrate the dance of the stars than live in darkness for more than a day. This became a favorite.

Season and Change is a very elaborate ballad and one of John's best. It is full of energy and activity as time and space tug against each other in a harried world. It seems that as you get older, you judge time by the cascade of seasons and phases of the moon and not some quartz crystal guided metal gizmo on your wrist. Seconds, minutes, and hours give way to length of days, temperature and light and darkness.

And lastly, Soaring the final track on the album. This highly charged tune is like a release program for a human being. You get to spread your wings, try them out and then for the first time, climb to lofty height. There's a bonus about altitude. Big things look small and small things almost disappear. And, you are free!

No matter how you disguise it, this is an album in which John musically rejoices in the love of family. With the dangers in the world, all over the world, the love for family is tenuous at best and always gratifying even at its weakest. John reminds us that after all is said and played, we always have family and we remain thankful.

Rating: Very Good
RJ Lannan
New Age Reporter

This acoustic guitarist from central Ohio, in the USA released a new CD called “Motionography”. His earlier releases got critical acclaim by his fans and the press. This new album is about movement, flight, swimming, dancing and motion by participating on imaginary journeys using the acoustic guitar music as a communication spring. The album is much different than John's CD “Stories” which was more a straight forward guitar album. This CD is full of art and motion and emotion, using dancing fingers on sonic canvas in a beautiful scenery full of poetry. The music is meditative and is soothing ones soul with engaged sound palettes full of resonation and rhythmical patterns. Influences from jazz, classical and world music can be heard with top-notch and creative techniques. John creates a captivating chemistry between player and listener in cadenced melodic phrases and melodies. Moving down the fret board you can hear him weave his melodies, from one place to another as well in time, rhythm and articulation. For instance a very remarkable ballad as “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” exists and pursuits one with the enchanting simplicity of creativity. The swinging cadenced jazzy “Dance of The Stars” invites one to dance.“The Return” has a phenomenal balance and structure and “Dancing Daughter is a piece full of groove and deep basses. “Moonrise”, the balancing on strings somewhere in space in a timeless atmosphere. John Morgan has reached one of his peaks delivering this unique CD with a wealth of fascinating poetry and motion in skilled art.
Henk te Veldhuis
Bridge Guitar Reviews

I remember hearing some of John Morgan's early recordings, enjoying the melodies, and thinking, 'these are nice songs, but his playing lacks a certain depth.' Well, with "Motionography," his fourth solo independent CD, Morgan's playing has gained lots of ground, and this is a fine collection of 13 solo acoustic guitar pieces. Perhaps those two visits to Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch have made a difference. His time in each song is rock solid, not floating like some new acoustic music. Morgan likes to paint pictures which really reflect the title, and there is a strong connection on many songs. For example, flowing arpeggios and harmonics grace "Moonrise," and I can picture the beginning of nighttime in the evening sky. "First Flight" appropriately opens the disk, revealing a strong right hand. Many of the songs on the CD reflect an evolving jazz sense -- "Dancing Daughter" weaves in and out of fingerpicked melody lines and rhythmic chords, with a layer of staccato bass grooving the tune, while "One Step Closer to Cool" really swings. "Dance of the Stars" is a joyful, rollicking celebration of the wonder of creation in the heavens. We flow stroke for stroke with "The Swimmer". Some of his best work is on the traditional Christmas carol, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." Here, the longing and hope embedded in the song's lyrics find a voice with his fingers, while his improvisation between verses deepens the mood.
Kirk Albrecht
Minor 7th