James Morgan is a guitarist based in San Diego, CA. and was a nominee for Best Jazz Album of the Year by the San Diego Music Awards for four of his last five albums, and his album A Soul in Time, was on the ballot for the 67th 2025 Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album of The Year. All five of Morgan’s albums released on Guitar One Records, have debuted in the top 100 smooth jazz, jazz and rock charts five years in a row.

The 2023 ten song album release Groovin Smooth, was Morgan’s fourth album release in four years under the Ghost Jazz Trio brand, he created in 2017. The album features guitarist, composer, producer and recording artist James Morgan. On the Groovin Smooth release, James is joined by guitarist, producer and educator Dean Brown, who co-wrote many of the songs and plays guitar, keys, synth and percussion on the album. All the songs on the album were produced and arranged by Dean Brown and James Morgan. Joining James and Dean on the album, are bassist and recording artist Nathan Brown, who has performed and recorded with such notables as Bob James, Earl Klugh, Coco Montoya, Eric Marienthal to name a few. Other personnel on the album are pianist Chase Pado and drummer Tres Hodgens.
The album was recorded by Grammy winner engineer Alan Sanderson at Pacific Beat Recording Studio in San Diego, CA.  

James Morgan grew up in northern California, and as a teen started listening to Return to Forever, John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew, inspiring him to take up the guitar in the 1970s. In the late seventies James was fortunate enough to take guitar lessons from legendary guitarist Bill Connors of Return to Forever fame. He lived in Santa Cruz, CA and drove to Half Moon Bay weekly to take lessons whereby he formed a close friendship with Bill. James went on to become a bandleader the following decades, writing his own compositions whilst forming various jazz Fusion bands along the way. His jazz fusion band Dialog Project achieved quick acclaim in 2013 being nominated for best jazz album for ‘Artistry of Jazz Fusion’ and opened for such acts as Allan Holdsworth, Dokken, bassist Stu Hamm and others.

In 2017 James founded The Ghost Jazz Trio band, creating his own genre of jazz music, he calls “West Coast Contemporary Jazz” that is both relaxing and interesting. The 2020 debut album Invisible Time, was a complex and synergetic production that achieved critical acclaim and outstanding success in a short period of time, culminating in being nominated for ‘Best Jazz Album of The Year.
The second album “On the Level” is an eclectic and spirited journey, including elements of vibrant R&B, Smooth Jazz, Funk and Jazz Swing with some complex and intricate jazz arrangements which demands attention, peaks your interest in this San Diego based guitarist, James Morgan. His 2022 album ‘Dreams Above’ is an album that Morgan had envisioned to record for many years, with the concept to combine Jazz and classical symphonic strings in a smooth jazz format.

The 2023 album release ‘Groovin Smooth’ features the natural wood sound of Morgan’s Pat Metheny PM2 signature jazz guitar. Little or no effects were used recording the guitar, to showcase the natural sound and beauty of the wood.
James Morgan’s 2024 release on Guitar One Records is titled, Morgan/Husband/Feraud A Soul in Time, and is a departure from the smooth grooves of his previous four albums. James, playing his solid body Ibanez, teamed up with guitarist Dean Brown as co-producer, to record a jazz rock album with the 1970s jazz fusion vibe. On this five song EP, James is joined by Gary Husband on drums and keyboards, Hadrien Feraud on bass, Eric Marienthal on sax and Joey De Leon on percussion. All the songs were composed by James Morgan. The album went to number one on the rock and jazz charts and was on the ballot for the 67th 2025 Grammy Awards. Follow James Morgan Jazz online for upcoming releases in 2025 and beyond.