Butch Morris

Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris (February 10, 1947 - January 29, 2013) was an American jazz cornetist, composer and conductor.

Biography

Morris was born in Long Beach, California. Before beginning his musical career, he served in the US forces in the Vietnam War. Morris came to attention with saxophonist David Murray's groups in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Morris's brother, double bassist Wilber Morris, sometimes performed and recorded with Murray during this period. Morris led a group called Orchestra SLANG. The group features Drummer Kenny Wollesen, alto saxophonist Jonathon Haffner, trumpeter Kirk Knuffke and others. He performed and presented regularly as part of the Festival of New Trumpet Music, held annually in New York City. He also played with well-known artist and would be drummer A.R. Penck in 1990.

Morris is the originator of Conduction (a term knowingly borrowed from physics): a type of structured free improvisation where Morris directs and conducts an improvising ensemble with a series of hand and baton gestures. These conductions have received generally positive reviews, and are often considered quite unique, not quite fitting into any one musical genre: critic Thom Jurek has written, "There are no records like Butch Morris' conduction sides, nor could there be, though he wishes there were." and Ed Hazell writes, "At his best, Morris can shake players out of their old habits, or place a microscope on one aspect of a musician's artistry and build an orchestral fantasia around it."

Morris died of lung cancer on January 29, 2013 at the age of 65.

Discography

As leader

• In Touch But Out Of Reach (Kharma Records, 1978)
• 3+2=XXXX (Dimensional Sound Studio 1, 1983)
• New York City Artist's Collective: Play Butch Morris (NYCAC, 1984)
• Trios (Dossier, 1986)
• Current Trends in Racism in Modern America (Sound Aspects, 1986)
• Homeing (Sound Aspects, 1988)
• Mass-X-Communication (FMP, 1991)
• Dust To Dust (New World, 1991)
• When the Sun is Out You Don't See Stars (FMP, 1993)
• Testament (New World, 1995)
• Conduction (series) (New World, 1996)
• Burning Clouds (FMP, 1996)
• Berlin Skyscraper (FMP, 1998)
• The Rite (Burnt Sugar, 2003)

As sideman

With Wayne Horvitz

• Some Order, Long Understood (Black Saint, 1982)

With Frank Lowe

• Exotic Heartbreak (Soul Note, 1981)

With David Murray

• Vol.1 Penthouse Jazz (1977, Circle)
• Vol.2 Holy Siege On Intrigue (1977, Circle)
• Let the Music Take You (1978)
• Last of the Hipmen (1978)
• David Murray Big Band (1991)

External links

• Butch Morris official site
• Interview with Morris