Joe Morris (guitarist)
Encyclopedia
Joe Morris is an American
jazz
guitarist
. In addition to leading his own groups, he has recorded with William Parker
, Whit Dickey
, Rob Brown
, Joe Maneri
and others. Much of his output has been on his own record label, Riti.
Morris was born in New Haven, Connecticut
, United States
; an important early mentor and playing partner was the legendary but little-recorded pianist Lowell Davidson
. Morris is perhaps the most significant guitarist to play free jazz
since Sonny Sharrock
. Morris has stated that his flowing single-note technique was inspired more by traditional African musics, and by saxophone
players like Eric Dolphy
and Jimmy Lyons
, than by other guitarists. He does not use distortion or effects, preferring a "clean" sound, but has made occasional use of a serrated pick to "bow
" the strings of his guitar, creating an otherworldly, harmonic-rich sound. He also plays banjo
and banjo-uke
, and in recent years has increasingly focused on playing bass.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. In addition to leading his own groups, he has recorded with William Parker
William Parker (musician)
William Parker is an American free jazz double bassist, poet and composer.-Biography:Parker was not formally trained as a classical player, though he did study with Jimmy Garrison, Richard Davis, and Wilbur Ware and learned the tradition. Parker is one of few jazz bassists who regularly plays arco...
, Whit Dickey
Whit Dickey
Whit Dickey is a free jazz drummer. He has recorded albums as a bandleader, or with David S. Ware, Matthew Shipp and others.- Notes :...
, Rob Brown
Rob Brown
Rob Brown may refer to:* Rob Brown , member of the UK electronic band, Autechre* Rob Brown , National Hockey League player* Rob Brown , Finding Forrester* Rob Brown , reporter and anchor for CTV News-See also:...
, Joe Maneri
Joe Maneri
Joseph Gabriel Esther "Joe" Maneri , was an American jazz composer, saxophone and clarinet player. Violinist Mat Maneri is his son....
and others. Much of his output has been on his own record label, Riti.
Morris was born in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; an important early mentor and playing partner was the legendary but little-recorded pianist Lowell Davidson
Lowell Davidson
Lowell Davidson was a jazz pianist from Boston, Massachusetts. After studying biochemistry at Harvard University, he moved to New York and played with Ornette Coleman who urged the ESP Disk record label to record and release an album featuring Davidson with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Milford...
. Morris is perhaps the most significant guitarist to play free jazz
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
since Sonny Sharrock
Sonny Sharrock
Warren Harding "Sonny" Sharrock was an American jazz guitarist. He was once married to singer Linda Sharrock, with whom he sometimes recorded and performed....
. Morris has stated that his flowing single-note technique was inspired more by traditional African musics, and by saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
players like Eric Dolphy
Eric Dolphy
Eric Allan Dolphy was an American jazz alto saxophonist, flutist, and bass clarinetist. On a few occasions he also played the clarinet and baritone saxophone. Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gain prominence in the 1960s...
and Jimmy Lyons
Jimmy Lyons
Jimmy Lyons was an alto saxophone player. He is best known for his long tenure in the Cecil Taylor Unit.-Biography:...
, than by other guitarists. He does not use distortion or effects, preferring a "clean" sound, but has made occasional use of a serrated pick to "bow
Bow (music)
In music, a bow is moved across some part of a musical instrument, causing vibration which the instrument emits as sound. The vast majority of bows are used with string instruments, although some bows are used with musical saws and other bowed idiophones....
" the strings of his guitar, creating an otherworldly, harmonic-rich sound. He also plays banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
and banjo-uke
Banjolele
The banjolele is a four-stringed musical instrument with a small banjo-type body and a fretted ukulele neck. "Banjolele," sometimes also spelled "banjelele" or "banjulele" is a generic nickname given to the instrument, which was derived from the "banjulele-banjo", introduced by Alvin D...
, and in recent years has increasingly focused on playing bass.
As leader/co-leader
- Wraparound (Riti, 1983)
- Human Rites (Riti, 1987)
- Sweatshop (Riti, 1988–90)
- Flip & Spike (Riti, 1992)
- Symbolic Gesture (Soul Note, 1993)
- Racket Club (About Time, 1993)
- Illuminate (Leo, 1993)
- No Vertigo (Leo, 1995)
- You Be Me (Soul Note, 1995)
- Elsewhere (Homestead, 1996)
- Like Rays (Knitting Factory, 1996)
- Invisible Weave (No More, 1997)
- Antennae (AUM Fidelity, 1997)
- Deep Telling (Okkadisk, 1998)
- A Cloud of Black Birds (AUM Fidelity, 1998)
- Many Rings (Knitting Factory, 1999)
- Underthru (OmniTone, 1999)
- Soul Search (AUM Fidelity, 1999)
- At the Old Office (Knitting Factory, 1999)
- Singularity (AUM Fidelity, 2000)
- Age of Everything (Riti, 2002)
- Beautiful Existence (Clean Feed, 2004)
As sideman
With Joe ManeriJoe Maneri
Joseph Gabriel Esther "Joe" Maneri , was an American jazz composer, saxophone and clarinet player. Violinist Mat Maneri is his son....
- Three Men WalkingThree Men WalkingThree Men Walking is an album by American composer, composer, saxophone and clarinet player Joe Maneri with guitarst Joe Morris and violinist Mat Maneri recorded in 1995 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:...
with Mat Maneri (ECM, 1995) - Out Right Now with Mat Maneri (hatOLOGY, 1996)