Joe Morris (guitarist)

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Joe Morris
Birth nameJoseph Francis Michael Morris
Born (1955-09-13) September 13, 1955 (age 68)
New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Genres Jazz, avant-garde, free jazz, free improvisation
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, educator
Instrument(s)Guitar
LabelsRiti, Aum Fidelity, Leo, Soul Note, Knitting Factory, Clean Feed, ESP, Hathut, RogueArt
Website www.joe-morris.com

Joseph Francis Michael Morris (born September 13, 1955) is an American jazz guitarist, bassist, composer, and educator.

Contents

Early life

Morris was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on September 13, 1955. [1] He switched from trumpet to guitar at the age of fourteen. [1] He was self-taught. [2] His interest in jazz began two years later, after attending a John McLaughlin concert and listening to John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Pharoah Sanders recordings. [1]

Later life and career

Morris moved to Boston in 1975, "where his unique approach was not initially accepted in the then-prevalent modal jazz scene. Despite this temporary setback, and some time spent playing guitar in Europe, he developed a pivotal collaborative relationship with multi-instrumentalist Lowell Davidson, whose unique sound explorations inspired him to further develop his own original approach to music making". [2] Morris formed his first trio in 1977. [1]

In 1981 Morris formed his own record company, Riti, for his own recordings. [2] He has led a group called Sweatshop, the sextet Racket Club, and quartets featuring, separately, Mat Maneri, Jamie Saft, and Rob Brown. [1]

In 1994 he became the first guitarist to lead his own session for Black Saint/Soul Note, with Symbolic Gesture . [2] He has continued to record extensively for many labels such as Knitting Factory, AUM Fidelity, and Hathut. [2] In addition to leading his own groups, he has recorded and performed with, among others: Matthew Shipp, William Parker, Joe Maneri, and Ivo Perelman. [1] [2]

He has lectured and conducted workshops throughout the US and Europe. [2] He is a former member of the faculty of Tufts University Extension College and is on the faculty at New England Conservatory in the jazz and improvisation department. [3]

Influences and style

Morris cites as influences Cecil Taylor, Eric Dolphy, Leroy Jenkins, Thelonious Monk, Jimi Hendrix, and West African string music. [3] Morris has created his own approach to playing and composing. [2] "He usually incorporates a clean tone of the bebop lineage for his single-note-driven improvisations". [2] He also plays banjolele. [1]

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Release yearTitleLabelPersonnel/Notes
1983WraparoundRitiTrio with Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Laurence Cook (drums)
1987Human RitesRitiTrio with Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Thurman Barker (drums)
1990 Sweatshop RitiTrio with Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Jerome Deupree (drums)
1992 Flip and Spike RitiTrio with Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Jerome Deupree (drums)
1994 Symbolic Gesture Soul Note Trio with Nate McBride (bass), Curt Newton (drums)
1995 Illuminate Leo Quartet, co-led with Rob Brown (alto sax), William Parker (bass), Jackson Krall (drums)
1995No VertigoLeo
1996 Elsewhere HomesteadQuartet with Matthew Shipp (piano), William Parker (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)
1997 You Be Me Soul NoteQuartet with Mat Maneri (violin), Nate McBride (bass), Curt Newton (drums)
1997 Invisible Weave No MoreDuo with William Parker (bass)
1997 Antennae AUM Fidelity Trio with Nate McBride (bass), Jerome Deupree (drums)
1998 Racket Club About TimeSextet with Jim Hobbs (alto sax), Steve Norton (baritone sax), Nate McBride (electric bass), Jerome Deupree, Curt Newton (drums)
1998 Like Rays Knitting Factory Free improvisation trio with Ken Vandermark (clarinet), Hans Poppel (piano)
1998 A Cloud of Black Birds AUM FidelityQuartet with Chris Lightcap (bass), Mat Maneri (violin), Jerome Deupree (drums)
1999 Deep Telling Okka Disk With the DKV Trio: Hamid Drake (drums), Kent Kessler (bass), Ken Vandermark (tenor sax)
1999 Many Rings Knitting FactoryQuartet with Karen Borca (bassoon), Rob Brown (alto sax, flute), Andrea Parkins (accordion, sampler)
1999 Underthru OmniToneQuartet with Mat Maneri (violin), Chris Lightcap (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums)
2000 Soul Search AUM FidelityDuo with Mat Maneri (electric violin)
2000 At the Old Office Knitting FactoryQuartet with Mat Maneri (violin), Chris Lightcap (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums)
2001 Singularity AUM FidelitySolo guitar
2002 Age of Everything RitiTrio with Timo Shanko (bass), Luther Gray (drums)
2003 Likewise RitiAs part of the band Stone House; trio with Luther Gray (drums), Rob Brown (alto sax, flute)
2005 Beautiful Existence Clean Feed Quartet with Jim Hobbs (alto sax), Timo Shanko (bass), Luther Gray (drums)
2007 Rebus Clean FeedFree improvisation trio with Ken Vandermark (tenor sax), Luther Gray (drums)
2008 High Definition hatOLOGYAs the band Bass Quartet, with Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet, trumpet, flugelhorn), Allan Chase (saxophones), Luther Gray (drums)
2008Elm City DuetsClean FeedDuo with Barre Phillips (bass)
2009 MVP LSD RitiTrio with John Voigt (bass), Tom Plsek (trombone)
2009 Wildlife AUM FidelityTrio with Petr Cancura (saxophones), Luther Gray (drums)
2009The Necessary and the PossibleVictoFree improvisation trio with Simon H. Fell (bass), Alex Ward (clarinet)
2009 Colorfield ESP-Disk Trio with Steve Lantner (piano), Luther Gray (drums)
2009 Today on Earth AUM FidelityQuartet with Jim Hobbs (alto sax), Timo Shanko (bass), Luther Gray (drums)
2010Tooth And NailClean FeedDuo with Nate Wooley (trumpet)
2010CreaturesNot TwoDuo with Luther Gray (drums)
2010 Camera ESP-DiskQuartet with Luther Gray (drums), Katt Hernandez (violin), Junko Fujiwara Simons (cello)
2010SensorNo BusinessSolo bass (LP only)
2010 Night Logic RogueArt Trio with Marshall Allen (alto sax, flute, EVI), Matthew Shipp (piano)
2011 Traits RitiAs the band Wildlife; quartet with Luther Gray (drums), Petr Cancura (tenor sax), Jim Hobbs (alto sax)
2011AmbrosiaRitiDuo with Agustí Fernández (piano)
2011XYXNorthern SpyAs the band The Spanish Donkey; trio with Jamie Saft (keyboards), Mike Pride (drums)
2012 Graffiti in Two Parts RogueArtQuartet with Lowell Davidson (drums, bass), Malcolm Goldstein (violin), Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris (cornet). Recorded in 1985
2012 Altitude AUM FidelityTrio with William Parker (bass, sintir), Gerald Cleaver (drums)
2012From the Discrete to the ParticularRelative PitchFree improvisation trio with Agustí Fernández (piano), Nate Wooley (trumpet)
2013Black AcesRareNoiseAs the band Slobber Pup; quartet with Jamie Saft (keyboards), Trevor Dunn (bass), Balázs Pándi (drums)
2014 Balance Clean FeedQuartet with Mat Maneri (viola), Chris Lightcap (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums)
2014 Red Hill RareNoiseQuartet with Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet), Jamie Saft (piano, electric piano), Balázs Pándi (drums)
2014StormsGlacial ErraticDuo with Chris Cretella (acoustic guitar)
2014Mess HallhatOLOGYTrio with Jerome Deupree (drums), Steve Lantner (electronic keyboard)
2015Ninth SquareClean FeedFree improvisation trio with Evan Parker (saxophones), Nate Wooley (trumpet)
2015RaoulRareNoiseAs the band The Spanish Donkey; trio with Jamie Saft (keyboards), Mike Pride (drums)
2015TiconderogaClean FeedQuartet with Joe McPhee (saxophones), Jamie Saft (piano), Charles Downs (drums)
2015Pole AxeRareNoiseAs the band Slobber Pup; quartet with Jamie Saft (keyboards), Mats Gustafsson (tenor sax), Balázs Pándi (drums)
2015Solos Bimhuis Relative Pitch Solo guitar
2016Shock AxisRelative PitchTrio with Chris Cretella (electric bass), Dave Parmelee (drums)
2018 Geometry of Caves Relative PitchQuartet with Tomeka Reid (cello), Kyoko Kitamura (voice), Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet, trumpet)
2019 Geometry of Distance Relative PitchQuartet with Tomeka Reid (cello), Kyoko Kitamura (voice), Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet, trumpet)

As sideman

Release yearLeaderTitleLabel
1992 Rob Brown Youniverse Riti
2023Jeff PlatzSun Spells Setola di Maiale
2005Rob Brown Radiant Pools RogueArt
2009Petr CancuraFine ObjectsNot Two
2000 Whit Dickey Big Top Wobbly Rail
2002Whit Dickey Prophet Moon Riti
2004Whit Dickey Coalescence Clean Feed
2005Whit Dickey In a Heartbeat Clean Feed
2006Whit Dickey Sacred Ground Clean Feed
2008 Hamid Drake Blissful RogueArt
2009 Flow TrioRejuvenation ESP-Disk
2011 Flow TrioSet Theory, Live at the Stone Ayler
2006 Dennis Gonzalez No Photograph AvailableClean Feed
2009Dennis GonzalezSongs of Early AutumnNo Business
2011 Ingebrigt Håker Flaten Now IsClean Feed
2010Stephen HaynesParrhesiaEngine
2015Stephen HaynesPomegranateNew Atlantis
2008Jim HobbsThe Story of MankindNot Two
2011Noah KaplanDescendantshatOLOGY
2017Noah KaplanCluster SwervehatOLOGY
2000Steve LantnerVoices LoweredLeo
2004Steve LantnerSaying SoRiti
2005Steve LantnerBlue YonderSkycap
2006Steve LantnerParadise RoadSkycap
2007Steve LantnerWhat You Can ThrowhatOLOGY
2008Steve LantnerGiven – Live in MunsterhatOLOGY
2004Daniel LevinDon't Go it AloneRiti
2006Daniel LevinSome TreeshatOLOGY
2007Daniel LevinBlurryhatOLOGY
1995 Joe Maneri Three Men Walking ECM
1996Joe Maneri Out Right Now hatOLOGY
2002 William Parker Eloping with the Sun Riti
2007William Parker Double Sunrise Over Neptune AUM Fidelity
2016William ParkerCounteract This Turmoil Like Trees And BirdsRogueArt
1997 Ivo Perelman StringsLeo
2011Ivo PerelmanThe Hour of the StarLeo
2012Ivo PerelmanFamily TiesLeo
2012Ivo PerelmanLiving JellyLeo
2013Ivo PerelmanOneRareNoise
2015Ivo PerelmanCounterpointLeo
2016Ivo PerelmanBlueLeo
2016Ivo PerelmanBreaking PointLeo
2016Ivo PerelmanThe Art Of The Improv Trio Volume 5Leo
2016Ivo PerelmanThe Art Of The Improv Trio Volume 6Leo
1997 Matthew Shipp Thesis hatOLOGY
2007Matthew Shipp Piano Vortex Thirsty Ear
2008Matthew Shipp Right Hemisphere RogueArt
2008Matthew Shipp Cosmic Suite Not Two
2009Matthew Shipp Harmonic Disorder Thirsty Ear
2010Matthew ShippBroken PartialsNot Two
2009 David S. Ware Shakti AUM Fidelity

Books

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kennedy, Gary W. (2003), Morris, Joe(ii), Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J645000
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 McCloy, Wilson. "Joe Morris: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Joe Morris at New England Conservatory