Legendary jazz saxophone player Frank Morgan was honored for a second time at San Quentin State Prison. Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story, a documentary film, was shown in the prison’s Protestant Chapel in April.
In 2012, jazz icons paid tribute to Morgan in a live performance to a packed audience of inmates, staff, and outside guests. Sound of Redemption is the fruit of that evening when Mark Gross, saxophone, George Cables, piano, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, drums, Ron Carter, bass, Grace Kelly, saxophone, and Delfeayo Marsalis, trombone, made history here.
The film captures the performance and portrays Morgan’s life, from his childhood struggles to being on his way to musical stardom when he became addicted to heroin.
Morgan spent the next 30 years in and out of prison, vainly searching for a repeat of that first high.
“It was as if someone else had control of my life other than myself. And I was naïve enough to believe I was having a good time,’” Delfeayo Marsalis says in the film, quoting Morgan on his use of heroin.
The film’s director, N.C. Heikin, and executive producers James Egan and Michael Connelly, came to San Quentin to show the film and to document the inmates’ reactions.
Heikin videotaped inmates and asked them questions about The Frank Morgan Story. She wanted to know if they had attended the 2012 taping of the tribute concert.
“I found it very intense and enjoyable,” said Paul Oliver. “I didn’t know it was that powerful.”
Oliver, who plays drums, attended the original filming of the 2012 concert. “When I play I’m actually not here. It’s my tunnel out of here,” said Oliver. “I could relate to him (Morgan) making mistakes.”
Approximately 75 inmates attended the film presentation. While its message may have been powerful for those who attended the screening, many others missed it, in spite of the event fliers posted in the prison cell blocks.
“A lot of men enjoyed the show,” said Lt. Sam Robinson, the prison’s Public Information Officer. “There wasn’t that great of an interest (generally), which was striking.”
Lt. Robinson said San Quentin hopes to be able show Sound of Redemption on the prison’s closed circuit television station. Currently the film is released for viewing at film festivals.
“I met him (Morgan) in 1979 or 1980,” said Ar-Raheem Malik, an inmate who recently was found suitable for parole after more than 35 years of incarceration. “I thought the movie was good. The main reason was he talked about the tragic life from using heroin. People can learn from the movie because heroin took him down a dark path.”
“You can only try to kill yourself on a daily basis for so long; eventually you’re going to succeed,” said an anonymous voice in the film.
Ed Reed, a former inmate and friend of Frank Morgan, attended the screening and said, “There was no yesterday and no tomorrow,” when he used heroin. “We were all doing life on the installment plan.” Reed is a recovering addict. He now does drug counseling.
“I know he (Morgan) went through a lot of adversity, but he overcame it through his music,” said Lee James, an inmate who viewed the film. “I’m a jazz fanatic so I know all about him.”
Arnulfo Garcia contributed to this article.
