Moris Tepper, sometimes credited as Jeff Moris Tepper, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and artist.
Tepper first came to prominence in the late 1970s with
Captain Beefheart.
He has also worked with singers
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
,
PJ Harvey,
Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Rowan Hitchcock (born 3 March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. After leading the Soft Boys in the late 1970s and releasing the ...
and
Frank Black
Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. F ...
. He has recorded several solo albums. His album ''Head Off'' (2004) includes a lyrical collaboration with the reclusive Beefheart with the song "Ricochet Man".
Tepper met Beefheart (alias Don Van Vliet) by chance while studying as an art student in Northern California in the mid-1970s. Van Vliet had already started to focus on painting and although they shared this in common it was when Van Vliet learned Tepper knew guitar parts to ''
Trout Mask Replica
''Trout Mask Replica'' is the third studio album by the American band Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, released as a double album on June 16, 1969, by Straight Records. The music was composed by Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) and arrange ...
'' that he became interested in putting together a new band around Tepper's unique guitar sound. This was done later in Los Angeles after Van Vliet and
Frank Zappa had reunited briefly for the ''
Bongo Fury
''Bongo Fury'' is a collaborative album by American artists Frank Zappa and the Mothers, with Captain Beefheart, released in October 1975. The live portions were recorded on May 20 and 21, 1975, at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Te ...
'' tour.
[Chuck Crisafulli, "Busted guitars and spectacular sounds", ''musicplayer.com'', July 30, 2001] The result of the new band led to arguably some of Captain Beefheart's most creative music efforts including albums ''
Shiny Beast'' (1978), ''
Doc at the Radar Station
''Doc at the Radar Station'' is the eleventh studio album by American band Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, released in August 1980 by Virgin Records.
Packaging
The album cover was painted by Don Van Vliet. It was placed at number forty-nine ...
'' (1980) and ''
Ice Cream for Crow'' (1982). Tepper joined
The Magic Band
The Magic Band was the backing band of American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Captain Beefheart between 1967 and 1982. The rotating lineup featured dozens of performers, many of whom became known by nicknames given to them by Beefhe ...
in 1976 and stayed in the band until 1982. He is one of the longest serving (without a break) Magic Band members and the only one to receive production credit for ''
Ice Cream for Crow'' (1982)
[Moris Tepper Discography](_blank)
The Captain Beefheart Radar Station
Tepper's first released solo work beginning with ''Big Enough to Disappear'' (1996) and then ''Moth to Mouth'' (2000) came after having been a sideman for many years. His music has been reviewed as "accessibly avant-garde" and although it may be difficult to shed his sideman cult status he remains inspired.
[John Aizlewood, "'Stingray In The Heart' Review", ''Q Magazine'' 2008] ''Stingray in the Heart'' (2008) was described as an album that never pauses in a familiar territory.
[Antero Garcia]
ALBUM REVIEW: MORIS TEPPER: Moris Tepper Stingray in the Heart Candlebone
L.A. Record, May 29, 2008
Tepper is also a painter and he divides his time between music and painting.
[Polly Higgins, "Storyteller, artist, musician – he does it all", ''Tucson Citizen'', Entertainment, May 19, 2005]
Discography
With Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band
Studio albums
*''
Shiny Beast'' (1978)
*''
Doc at the Radar Station
''Doc at the Radar Station'' is the eleventh studio album by American band Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, released in August 1980 by Virgin Records.
Packaging
The album cover was painted by Don Van Vliet. It was placed at number forty-nine ...
'' (1980)
*''
Ice Cream for Crow'' (1982)
*''
Bat Chain Puller'' (2012)
Live albums
*''
I'm Going to Do What I Wanna Do: Live at My Father's Place 1978'' (2000)
*''Merseytrout: Live in Liverpool 1980'' (2000)
Compilations
*''A Carrot Is As Close As A Rabbit Gets To A Diamond'' (1993 compilation)
*''
Grow Fins: Rarities 1965–1982'' (1999)
*''The Dust Blows Forward'' (1999)
With 17 Pygmies
*''Captured in Ice'' (1985)
*''Welcome'' (1988)
With Gary Lucas
*''Improve The Shining Hour'' (2000 compilation)
With Tom Waits
*''
Franks Wild Years
''Franks Wild Years'' is the tenth studio album by Tom Waits, released 1987 on Island Records. Subtitled "Un Operachi Romantico in Two Acts", the album contains songs written by Waits and collaborators (mainly his wife, Kathleen Brennan) for a ...
'' (1987)
With Frank Black
*''
Teenager of the Year'' (1994)
*''
Dog in the Sand'' (2001)
*''
Black Letter Days'' (2002)
*''
Devil's Workshop
''Devil's Workshop'' is the second of a pair of albums by Frank Black and the Catholics to be simultaneously released on August 20, 2002 (along with '' Black Letter Days''). "His Kingly Cave" was originally recorded for an aborted album project ...
'' (2002)
Solo albums
* ''Big Enough to Disappear'' (1996)
* ''Sundowner'', Eggtooth (1998)
* ''Moth to Mouth'' (2000)
* ''Head Off'' (2004)
* ''Stingray in the Heart'' (2008)
* ''A Singer Named Shotgun Throat'' (2010)
Compilations
*''
Songs in the Key Of Z: The Curious Universe Of Outsider Music'' (2000)
*''Now Hear This!'' 70 (2008)
References
External links
Candlebone.com – Moris Tepper's official siteMoris Tepperat
MySpaceJeff Moris Tepper discographyat
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tepper, Moris
American rock songwriters
American rock singers
American rock guitarists
American blues guitarists
American male guitarists
Slide guitarists
The Magic Band members
20th-century American painters
American male painters
21st-century American painters
Living people
Guitarists from Los Angeles
Year of birth missing (living people)
Singer-songwriters from California