JOE MORRIS
Singularity
AUM Fidelity
AUM 018


So you're a virtuoso guitarist who has recorded and performed under the most challenging of circumstances. You have an acclaimed solo record on electric guitar, mandolin and banjouke. You are heralded for your technical proficiency with your instrument. You have made the daunting prospect of improvising with Mat and Joe Maneri seem like a day in the park. The next logical step is to record a solo session exclusively with acoustic guitar, a prospect which many believe is a guitarist's only true measure of competence.

On Singularity, and for the first time in his eighteen-year recording career, Joe Morris strips down with steel string acoustic guitar to show us what he's really made of. It is a welcome chapter in modern composition, both written and improvised. Those who have wondered just how far Morris's skills reach should acquire this new release posthaste. Morris challenges himself and he challenges his listeners, as is evident in the sheer weight of the new record. Frankly, there is much to ingest over a comparatively meager forty-five minutes of music. However, the playing here, while not immediately accessible, is completely original and begs for consideration.

The fact is, nobody plays like Joe Morris, and this record provides an excellent opportunity for newcomers to dive headfirst into his craft. On Singularity, he characteristically infuses atonal properties into his compositions as the mercurial planes of delivery. A frequent tactic is the establishment of single scalar patterns, followed by a whirl into improvisational tangents, harboring one, maybe two notes of the previous scale as breadcrumbs for the new soil. While Morris is renowned for his hyper-dexterous single-note soloing, this occasion sees the guitarist using a variety of chords, some used for rhythm, others for emphasis and color. Scrutiny is beneficial; exotic patterns resurface throughout, allowing us, the observers, to nod our heads as if at the sudden comprehension of a foreign gesture. Morris' understanding of his own language is notable in itself; it is remarkable how he can first take a carbon copy of classical melody, shred it, and then refuse the fragments into his own cleverly patterned, sonic mosaic. The obvious aspect that sets Singularity apart from Morris' previous ventures is the use of acoustic guitar. All of the aforementioned qualities in his playing are revealed to us in unequivocal clarity. We can hear skin chafing in slides against the twined grain of steel strings. Audible rests between phrases are carefully considered in the way that a tactically placed breath will either build or destroy a runner's endurance. Morris mocks the smooth tonality that often comes so easily with electric guitar; his fingering is solid and precise on the more difficult acoustic strings. Beyond anything else are the recurring, rejuvenated and resequenced fingering patterns; these are sounds that will appeal to the mind for further reflection, even after the goosebumps fade.

To aid in our inspection, the tracks (earthly titled) are concise; the music is heartfelt. Sealing the occasion, Singularity was beautifully captured by the jocks at the AUM Fidelity label. Solo guitar enthusiasts and audiophiles alike should rejoice at this charming release.


Alan Jones


Track Listing: Light; Gravity; Creature; Shape; Atmosphere; Sense; Liquid; Dimension; Flight; Rock


Personnel: Joe Morris, steel string acoustic guitar