Hall and Morgan

Artist Information

Biography

These 2 self-taught musicians don't look nearly old enough to have over 80 years of performance experience between them. Jim Hall and Cindy Morgan met in 1997, when both of them were Artists-in-Residence at the Ten Pound Fiddle Coffeehouse in East Lansing, Michigan. Their musical bonding was instantaneous, as their individual strengths, vocally and instrumentally, blended into a whole greater than the sum of the parts.

Jim and Cindy have been playing music together for over a decade now, sometimes in bands, but always as a duo, where their versatility (either one of them can sing lead or harmony) allows them the freedom to explore music across many genres, from traditional, old-time and folk music to blues, bluegrass, and contemporary singer-songwriters. They create an intimate and personal sound, emphasizing tight vocal harmonies, strong lyrics, and solid instrumental touches. Between the 2 of them, they play a multitude of acoustic instruments, including guitar (6-string, 12-string, resonator), mandolin, clawhammer banjo, fiddle, harmonica, concertina, and occasionally piano and hand percussion instruments.

Eventually, their musical partnership broadened into the rest of their lives, and in 2000 they were married in the backyard of their 1860's farmhouse, which they share with assorted dogs and cats, and their ever-increasing collection of instruments (47 and counting).

In 2003, they put out their first CD, "The Real Deal," which serves as a sampler of the styles of music they present. In 2008, Cindy recorded a solo CD, "Sea of Dreams," a collection of lullabyes and laments. The pair is working on a new CD, which will feature duets of both traditional and contemporary songs, but in the meantime they have produced an 8 track sampler of traditional tunes, "Traditional Sampler."

Instrumentation

Jim Hall: guitar (6 & 12 string, resonator), fiddle, mandolin, banjo, harmonica
Cindy Morgan: guitar (6 & 12 string), concertina, piano

Discography

CD: "The Real Deal" (15 tracks, 2003) is an eclectic mix, featuring Hall & Morgan.
CD: "Sea of Dreams"(14 tracks, 2008) is a collection of lullabyes & laments, featuring Cindy Morgan.
CD: "Traditional Sampler" (8 tracks, 2012)) is a set of 8 traditional tunes, featuring Hall & Morgan.

Audio

• Angel Band
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• Lullabye of Light
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• Pretty Polly
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• Walls of Time
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Lyrics

• Lullabye of Light

Video

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Press

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Setlist

Our typical set list is tailored to the venue we're at. We play from 1 to 3 sets, of 10 to 12 songs each, for 45-50 minutes per set. While we have a few original songs ("Downtown Sunday Blues," "Lullabye of Light"), we typically have a mixture of traditional & public domain songs ("Blackest Crow," "Hard Times," "Keep on the Sunny Side," "The Old Miner," etc.), fiddle tunes ("Yellow Rose of Texas," "Soldiers Joy," "Big Scioty," "Ragtime Annie," etc.) as well as contemporary songs (Richard Thompson's "Dimming of the Day," Utah Philips' "Faded Roses," Rolling Stones "Dead Flowers", James Taylor's "You Can Close Your Eyes," to name a few) that cross many genres. To date, we have performed over 300 different songs & tunes at our performances.

Basic Requirements

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