Joe Morris

JOE MORRIS

Interview Free Association / WZBC Radio
Interview Jazz Weekly . com

Joe Morris

Photo © Mephisto

Joe Morris is one of the rare ones. A player who sets up great challenges for himself, and proceeds to meet them head on with resounding success. He plays the guitar like no one else; for comparative description, it's actually easier to refer to a horn player like Jimmy Lyons or Eric Dolphy than any other guitarist in the history of the instrument's existence. To be honest, the fretboard leaps unleashed to actualize the phrasing in his music often times seem superhuman.

For the last 30 years and over the course of over 25 albums recorded since the early 80's, Morris has been creating a body of work that stands and walks with giants. It is his first-hand awareness of music's ability to transform a listener's mental state outside of the here and now, that has driven him to reach levels of virtuosity and a breadth of expression on guitar which are presently unsurpassed. The silk in the web he weaves is of the absolute finest grade. The web of music itself however, it's intricacies and continually revealing patterns, prompts true awe.

In early 2001, Morris picked up the acoustic bass and began playing this instrument as well (see second line of first paragraph above). In 2002, he revived his Riti records label, and has already issued a stunning series of limited edition albums featuring both his most recent group work on guitar and acoustic bass. -SJ

Discography
2003 Likewise: Stone House Rob Brown / Joe Morris / Luther Gray Riti
2003 Eloping With The Sun: William Parker / Joe Morris / Hamid Drake Riti
2002 Age Of Everything: Trio (w/ Timo Shanko, Luther Gray) Riti
2001 Singularity AUM Fidelity
2001 Right Now: Joe Maneri / Joe Morris / Mat Maneri hatOLOGY
2001 Pain Pin : Eugene Chadbourne / Joe Morris / Mark Dresser / Susie Ibarra Avant
2001 Voices Lowered: Steve Latner / Joe Maneri / Joe Morris Leo
2000 Soul Search : Joe Morris+Mat Maneri AUM Fidelity
2000 Joe Morris Quartet at the Old Office (w/ Mat Maneri, Chris Lightcap, Gerald Cleaver). K.F.
1999 Deep Telling : DKV Trio with Joe Morris ..Okkadisk
1999 Underthru : Quartet (w/ Mat Maneri, Chris Lightcap, Gerald Cleaver) ..Omnibone
1999 Many Rings : (w/ Karen Borca, Rob Brown, Andrea Parkins)...Knitting Factory
1998 A Cloud Of Black Birds : Quartet (w/Mat Maneri,Chris Lightcap,Jerome Deupree) AUM Fidelity
1998 Racket Club : (w/Jim Hobbs,Steve Norton,Nate McBride,Jerome Deupree,Curt Newton)...At
1998 Like Rays : Joe Morris/Ken Vandermark/Hans Poppel ..Knitting Factory
1997 Antennae : Trio (w/ Nate McBride, Jerome Deupree) AUM Fidelity
1997 Invisible Weave : Joe Morris/ William Parker No More Records
1997 Thesis : Matthew Shipp Duo with Joe Morris ..HatArt
1997 Strings : Ivo Perelman with Joe Morris ..Leo
1997 You Be Me : Quartet (w/ Mat Maneri, Nate McBride, Curt Newton)..Soul Note
1996 Registered Firm : Hession/Wilkinson/Fell/Morris .Incus
1996 Elsewhere : Ensemble (w/ Matthew Shipp, William Parker, Whit Dickey) Homestead
1996 No Vertigo : Solo .Leo
1996 Three Men Walking : Joe Maneri/Joe Morris/Mat Maneri..ECM
1995 Illuminate : Joe Morris/Rob Brown Quartet (w/ William Parker, Jackson Krall).. Leo
1994 Symbolic Gesture : Trio (w/ Nate McBride, Curt Newton) ..Soul Note
1992 Youniverse : Rob Brown/Whit Dickey/Joe Morris ..Riti
1991 Flip and Spike : Trio (w/ Sebastian Steinberg, Jerry Deupree) ..Riti
1990 Sweatshop : Trio (w/ S. Steinberg, J. Deupree) ..Riti
1986 Human Rites : Trio (w/S. Steinberg, J. Deupree & Thurman Barker).. Riti LP
1983 Wraparound : Trio (w/ Sebastian Steinberg, Laurence Cook).. Riti LP

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