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Joseph Francis Michael Morris (born September 13, 1955) is an American jazz guitarist, bassist, composer, and educator.
Joe Morris | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Joseph Francis Michael Morris |
| Born | September 13, 1955 New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, avant-garde, free jazz, free improvisation |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, educator |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Labels | Riti, Aum Fidelity, Leo, Soul Note, Knitting Factory, Clean Feed, ESP, Hathut, RogueArt |
| Website | www |
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]
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]
Morris cites as influences Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Lyons, 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]
As leader/co-leader
| Release year | Title | Label | Personnel/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Wraparound | Riti | Trio with Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Laurence Cook (drums) |
| 1987 | Human Rites | Riti | Trio with Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Thurman Barker (drums) |
| 1990 | Sweatshop | Riti | Trio with Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Jerome Deupree (drums) |
| 1992 | Flip and Spike | Riti | Trio 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) |
| 1995 | No Vertigo | Leo | |
| 1996 | Elsewhere | Homestead | Quartet with Matthew Shipp (piano), William Parker (bass), Whit Dickey (drums) |
| 1997 | You Be Me | Soul Note | Quartet with Mat Maneri (violin), Nate McBride (bass), Curt Newton (drums) |
| 1997 | Invisible Weave | No More | Duo with William Parker (bass) |
| 1997 | Antennae | AUM Fidelity | Trio with Nate McBride (bass), Jerome Deupree (drums) |
| 1998 | Racket Club | About Time | Sextet 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 Fidelity | Quartet 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 Factory | Quartet with Karen Borca (bassoon), Rob Brown (alto sax, flute), Andrea Parkins (accordion, sampler) |
| 1999 | Underthru | OmniTone | Quartet with Mat Maneri (violin), Chris Lightcap (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums) |
| 2000 | Soul Search | AUM Fidelity | Duo with Mat Maneri (electric violin) |
| 2000 | At the Old Office | Knitting Factory | Quartet with Mat Maneri (violin), Chris Lightcap (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums) |
| 2001 | Singularity | AUM Fidelity | Solo guitar |
| 2002 | Age of Everything | Riti | Trio with Timo Shanko (bass), Luther Gray (drums) |
| 2003 | Likewise | Riti | As 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 Feed | Free improvisation trio with Ken Vandermark (tenor sax), Luther Gray (drums) |
| 2008 | High Definition | hatOLOGY | As the band Bass Quartet, with Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet, trumpet, flugelhorn), Allan Chase (saxophones), Luther Gray (drums) |
| 2008 | Elm City Duets | Clean Feed | Duo with Barre Phillips (bass) |
| 2009 | MVP LSD | Riti | Trio with John Voigt (bass), Tom Plsek (trombone) |
| 2009 | Wildlife | AUM Fidelity | Trio with Petr Cancura (saxophones), Luther Gray (drums) |
| 2009 | The Necessary and the Possible | Victo | Free 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 Fidelity | Quartet with Jim Hobbs (alto sax), Timo Shanko (bass), Luther Gray (drums) |
| 2010 | Tooth And Nail | Clean Feed | Duo with Nate Wooley (trumpet) |
| 2010 | Creatures | Not Two | Duo with Luther Gray (drums) |
| 2010 | Camera | ESP-Disk | Quartet with Luther Gray (drums), Katt Hernandez (violin), Junko Fujiwara Simons (cello) |
| 2010 | Sensor | No Business | Solo bass (LP only) |
| 2010 | Night Logic | RogueArt | Trio with Marshall Allen (alto sax, flute, EVI), Matthew Shipp (piano) |
| 2011 | Traits | Riti | As the band Wildlife; quartet with Luther Gray (drums), Petr Cancura (tenor sax), Jim Hobbs (alto sax) |
| 2011 | Ambrosia | Riti | Duo with Agustí Fernández (piano) |
| 2011 | XYX | Northern Spy | As the band The Spanish Donkey; trio with Jamie Saft (keyboards), Mike Pride (drums) |
| 2012 | Graffiti in Two Parts | RogueArt | Quartet with Lowell Davidson (drums, bass), Malcolm Goldstein (violin), Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris (cornet). Recorded in 1985 |
| 2012 | Altitude | AUM Fidelity | Trio with William Parker (bass, sintir), Gerald Cleaver (drums) |
| 2012 | From the Discrete to the Particular | Relative Pitch | Free improvisation trio with Agustí Fernández (piano), Nate Wooley (trumpet) |
| 2013 | Black Aces | RareNoise | As the band Slobber Pup; quartet with Jamie Saft (keyboards), Trevor Dunn (bass), Balázs Pándi (drums) |
| 2014 | Balance | Clean Feed | Quartet with Mat Maneri (viola), Chris Lightcap (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums) |
| 2014 | Red Hill | RareNoise | Quartet with Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet), Jamie Saft (piano, electric piano), Balázs Pándi (drums) |
| 2014 | Storms | Glacial Erratic | Duo with Chris Cretella (acoustic guitar) |
| 2014 | Mess Hall | hatOLOGY | Trio with Jerome Deupree (drums), Steve Lantner (electronic keyboard) |
| 2015 | Ninth Square | Clean Feed | Free improvisation trio with Evan Parker (saxophones), Nate Wooley (trumpet) |
| 2015 | Raoul | RareNoise | As the band The Spanish Donkey; trio with Jamie Saft (keyboards), Mike Pride (drums) |
| 2015 | Ticonderoga | Clean Feed | Quartet with Joe McPhee (saxophones), Jamie Saft (piano), Charles Downs (drums) |
| 2015 | Pole Axe | RareNoise | As the band Slobber Pup; quartet with Jamie Saft (keyboards), Mats Gustafsson (tenor sax), Balázs Pándi (drums) |
| 2015 | Solos Bimhuis | Relative Pitch | Solo guitar |
| 2016 | Shock Axis | Relative Pitch | Trio with Chris Cretella (electric bass), Dave Parmelee (drums) |
| 2018 | Geometry of Caves | Relative Pitch | Quartet with Tomeka Reid (cello), Kyoko Kitamura (voice), Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet, trumpet) |
| 2019 | Geometry of Distance | Relative Pitch | Quartet with Tomeka Reid (cello), Kyoko Kitamura (voice), Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet, trumpet) |
As sideman
| Release year | Leader | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Rob Brown | Youniverse | Riti |
| 2023 | Jeff Platz | Sun Spells | Setola di Maiale |
| 2005 | Rob Brown | Radiant Pools | RogueArt |
| 2009 | Petr Cancura | Fine Objects | Not Two |
| 2000 | Whit Dickey | Big Top | Wobbly Rail |
| 2002 | Whit Dickey | Prophet Moon | Riti |
| 2004 | Whit Dickey | Coalescence | Clean Feed |
| 2005 | Whit Dickey | In a Heartbeat | Clean Feed |
| 2006 | Whit Dickey | Sacred Ground | Clean Feed |
| 2008 | Hamid Drake | Blissful | RogueArt |
| 2009 | Flow Trio | Rejuvenation | ESP-Disk |
| 2011 | Flow Trio | Set Theory, Live at the Stone | Ayler |
| 2006 | Dennis Gonzalez | No Photograph Available | Clean Feed |
| 2009 | Dennis Gonzalez | Songs of Early Autumn | No Business |
| 2011 | Ingebrigt Håker Flaten | Now Is | Clean Feed |
| 2010 | Stephen Haynes | Parrhesia | Engine |
| 2015 | Stephen Haynes | Pomegranate | New Atlantis |
| 2008 | Jim Hobbs | The Story of Mankind | Not Two |
| 2011 | Noah Kaplan | Descendants | hatOLOGY |
| 2017 | Noah Kaplan | Cluster Swerve | hatOLOGY |
| 2000 | Steve Lantner | Voices Lowered | Leo |
| 2004 | Steve Lantner | Saying So | Riti |
| 2005 | Steve Lantner | Blue Yonder | Skycap |
| 2006 | Steve Lantner | Paradise Road | Skycap |
| 2007 | Steve Lantner | What You Can Throw | hatOLOGY |
| 2008 | Steve Lantner | Given – Live in Munster | hatOLOGY |
| 2004 | Daniel Levin | Don't Go it Alone | Riti |
| 2006 | Daniel Levin | Some Trees | hatOLOGY |
| 2007 | Daniel Levin | Blurry | hatOLOGY |
| 1995 | Joe Maneri | Three Men Walking | ECM |
| 1996 | Joe Maneri | Out Right Now | hatOLOGY |
| 2002 | William Parker | Eloping with the Sun | Riti |
| 2007 | William Parker | Double Sunrise Over Neptune | AUM Fidelity |
| 2016 | William Parker | Counteract This Turmoil Like Trees And Birds | RogueArt |
| 1997 | Ivo Perelman | Strings | Leo |
| 2011 | Ivo Perelman | The Hour of the Star | Leo |
| 2012 | Ivo Perelman | Family Ties | Leo |
| 2012 | Ivo Perelman | Living Jelly | Leo |
| 2013 | Ivo Perelman | One | RareNoise |
| 2015 | Ivo Perelman | Counterpoint | Leo |
| 2016 | Ivo Perelman | Blue | Leo |
| 2016 | Ivo Perelman | Breaking Point | Leo |
| 2016 | Ivo Perelman | The Art Of The Improv Trio Volume 5 | Leo |
| 2016 | Ivo Perelman | The Art Of The Improv Trio Volume 6 | Leo |
| 1997 | Matthew Shipp | Thesis | hatOLOGY |
| 2007 | Matthew Shipp | Piano Vortex | Thirsty Ear |
| 2008 | Matthew Shipp | Right Hemisphere | RogueArt |
| 2008 | Matthew Shipp | Cosmic Suite | Not Two |
| 2009 | Matthew Shipp | Harmonic Disorder | Thirsty Ear |
| 2010 | Matthew Shipp | Broken Partials | Not Two |
| 2009 | David S. Ware | Shakti | AUM Fidelity |
- Morris, Joe. Perpetual Frontier / The Properties of Free Music. Riti Publishing, 2012.
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