Joseph Francis Michael Morris (born September 13, 1955) is an American jazz guitarist, bassist, composer, and educator.
Early life Morris was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on September 13, 1955. He switched from trumpet to guitar at the age of fourteen. He was self-taught. 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.
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". Morris formed his first trio in 1977.
In 1981 Morris formed his own record company, Riti, for his own recordings. He has led a group called Sweatshop, the sextet Racket Club, and quartets featuring, separately, Mat Maneri, Jamie Saft, and Rob Brown.
In 1994 he became the first guitarist to lead his own session for Black Saint/Soul Note, with Symbolic Gesture. He has continued to record extensively for many labels such as Knitting Factory, AUM Fidelity, and Hathut. In addition to leading his own groups, he has recorded and performed with, among others: Matthew Shipp, William Parker, Joe Maneri, and Ivo Perelman.
He has lectured and conducted workshops throughout the US and Europe. 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.Joe Morris at New England Conservatory
Influences and style Morris cites as influences Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Lyons, Eric Dolphy, Leroy Jenkins, Thelonious Monk, Jimi Hendrix, and West African string music. Morris has created his own approach to playing and composing. "He usually incorporates a clean tone of the bebop lineage for his single-note-driven improvisations". He also plays banjolele.
Discography
As leader/co-leader Release yearTitleLabelPersonnel/Notes1983WraparoundRitiTrio with Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Laurence Cook (drums)1987Human RitesRitiTrio with Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Thurman Barker (drums)1990SweatshopRitiTrio with Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Jerome Deupree (drums)1992Flip and SpikeRitiTrio with Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Jerome Deupree (drums)1994Symbolic GestureSoul NoteTrio with Nate McBride (bass), Curt Newton (drums)1995IlluminateLeoQuartet, co-led with Rob Brown (alto sax), William Parker (bass), Jackson Krall (drums)1995No VertigoLeo1996ElsewhereHomesteadQuartet with Matthew Shipp (piano), William Parker (bass), Whit Dickey (drums)1997You Be MeSoul NoteQuartet with Mat Maneri (violin), Nate McBride (bass), Curt Newton (drums)1997Invisible WeaveNo MoreDuo with William Parker (bass)1997AntennaeAUM FidelityTrio with Nate McBride (bass), Jerome Deupree (drums)1998Racket ClubAbout TimeSextet with Jim Hobbs (alto sax), Steve Norton (baritone sax), Nate McBride (electric bass), Jerome Deupree, Curt Newton (drums)1998Like RaysKnitting FactoryFree improvisation trio with Ken Vandermark (clarinet), Hans Poppel (piano)1998A Cloud of Black BirdsAUM FidelityQuartet with Chris Lightcap (bass), Mat Maneri (violin), Jerome Deupree (drums)1999Deep TellingOkka DiskWith the DKV Trio: Hamid Drake (drums), Kent Kessler (bass), Ken Vandermark (tenor sax)1999Many RingsKnitting FactoryQuartet with Karen Borca (bassoon), Rob Brown (alto sax, flute), Andrea Parkins (accordion, sampler)1999UnderthruOmniToneQuartet with Mat Maneri (violin), Chris Lightcap (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums)2000Soul SearchAUM FidelityDuo with Mat Maneri (electric violin)2000At the Old OfficeKnitting FactoryQuartet with Mat Maneri (violin), Chris Lightcap (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums)2001SingularityAUM FidelitySolo guitar2002Age of EverythingRitiTrio with Timo Shanko (bass), Luther Gray (drums)2003LikewiseRitiAs part of the band Stone House; trio with Luther Gray (drums), Rob Brown (alto sax, flute) 2005Beautiful ExistenceClean FeedQuartet with Jim Hobbs (alto sax), Timo Shanko (bass), Luther Gray (drums)2007RebusClean FeedFree improvisation trio with Ken Vandermark (tenor sax), Luther Gray (drums)2008High DefinitionhatOLOGYAs 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)2009MVP LSDRitiTrio with John Voigt (bass), Tom Plsek (trombone)2009WildlifeAUM FidelityTrio with Petr Cancura (saxophones), Luther Gray (drums)2009The Necessary and the PossibleVictoFree improvisation trio with Simon H. Fell (bass), Alex Ward (clarinet)2009ColorfieldESP-DiskTrio with Steve Lantner (piano), Luther Gray (drums)2009Today on EarthAUM FidelityQuartet with Jim Hobbs (alto sax), Timo Shanko (bass), Luther Gray (drums)2010Tooth And NailClean FeedDuo with Nate Wooley (trumpet)2010Creatures Not TwoDuo with Luther Gray (drums)2010CameraESP-DiskQuartet with Luther Gray (drums), Katt Hernandez (violin), Junko Fujiwara Simons (cello)2010Sensor No BusinessSolo bass (LP only)2010Night LogicRogueArtTrio with Marshall Allen (alto sax, flute, EVI), Matthew Shipp (piano)2011TraitsRitiAs 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 PartsRogueArtQuartet with Lowell Davidson (drums, bass), Malcolm Goldstein (violin), Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris (cornet). Recorded in 19852012 AltitudeAUM FidelityTrio with William Parker (bass, sintir), Gerald Cleaver (drums)2012 From 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 BalanceClean FeedQuartet with Mat Maneri (viola), Chris Lightcap (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums)2014 Red HillRareNoiseQuartet with Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet), Jamie Saft (piano, electric piano), Balázs Pándi (drums)2014 StormsGlacial ErraticDuo with Chris Cretella (acoustic guitar)2014 Mess HallhatOLOGYTrio with Jerome Deupree (drums), Steve Lantner (electronic keyboard)2015 Ninth 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)2015 Solos BimhuisRelative PitchSolo guitar2016 Shock AxisRelative PitchTrio with Chris Cretella (electric bass), Dave Parmelee (drums)2018 Geometry of CavesRelative PitchQuartet with Tomeka Reid (cello), Kyoko Kitamura (voice), Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet, trumpet)2019Geometry of DistanceRelative PitchQuartet with Tomeka Reid (cello), Kyoko Kitamura (voice), Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet, trumpet)
As sideman Release yearLeaderTitleLabel1992YouniverseRiti2023Sun SpellsSetola di Maiale2005Radiant PoolsRogueArt2009Fine Objects Not Two2000Big TopWobbly Rail2002Prophet MoonRiti2004CoalescenceClean Feed2005In a HeartbeatClean Feed2006Sacred GroundClean Feed2008BlissfulRogueArt2009RejuvenationESP-Disk2011Set Theory, Live at the StoneAyler2006No Photograph AvailableClean Feed2009Songs of Early AutumnNo Business2011Now IsClean Feed2010ParrhesiaEngine2015PomegranateNew Atlantis2008The Story of MankindNot Two2011DescendantshatOLOGY2017Cluster SwervehatOLOGY2000Voices LoweredLeo2004Saying SoRiti2005Blue YonderSkycap2006Paradise RoadSkycap2007What You Can ThrowhatOLOGY2008Given – Live in MunsterhatOLOGY2004Don't Go it AloneRiti2006Some TreeshatOLOGY2007BlurryhatOLOGY1995Three Men WalkingECM1996Out Right NowhatOLOGY2002Eloping with the SunRiti2007Double Sunrise Over NeptuneAUM Fidelity2016Counteract This Turmoil Like Trees And BirdsRogueArt1997StringsLeo2011The Hour of the StarLeo2012Family TiesLeo2012Living JellyLeo2013OneRareNoise2015CounterpointLeo2016BlueLeo2016Breaking PointLeo2016The Art Of The Improv Trio Volume 5Leo2016The Art Of The Improv Trio Volume 6Leo1997Thesis hatOLOGY2007Piano VortexThirsty Ear2008Right Hemisphere RogueArt2008Cosmic SuiteNot Two2009Harmonic DisorderThirsty Ear2010Broken PartialsNot Two2009Shakti AUM Fidelity
Books Morris, Joe. Perpetual Frontier / The Properties of Free Music. Riti Publishing, 2012.
References
External links Official site A Fireside Chat With Joe Morris at All About Jazz Interview: Joe Morris by Phil Freeman at Burning Ambulance