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

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concert and listening to John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and

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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

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, 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,

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, 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

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, AUM Fidelity, and

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. 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

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in the jazz and improvisation department.Joe Morris
at

Influences and style

Morris cites as influences

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, Leroy Jenkins, Thelonious Monk,

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, 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

As sideman

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'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Joe 1955 births Living people Avant-garde jazz musicians American jazz guitarists Musicians from New Haven, Connecticut Guitarists from Connecticut American male guitarists 20th-century American guitarists Jazz musicians from Connecticut 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Clean Feed Records artists Leo Records artists AUM Fidelity artists Knitting Factory Records artists Black Saint/Soul Note artists ESP-Disk artists RogueArt artists Okka Disk artists