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Lawrence D. “Butch” Morris: Possible Universe (Conduction 192)
ByHis Conductions were immediate improvisations, but as with all great improvisations, there was an inherent structure. One built upon the DNA of the artist. For Butch Morris, his improvisation was an entire ensemble or orchestra. Through signals, gestures, and symbols, he could will an ensemble to create a new, whole composition, live on stage. This macrocosm of music was created from nothing, or, more likely, the decades of experience Morris and his players brought to the performance.
This Conduction was a performance in 2010 at the Sant'Anna Arresi Jazz Festival in Sardinia. It was number 192 of a total 199 conductions he created from 1985 until his death. While he has worked with classical ensembles, traditional Korean musicians, dancers, actors and turntable artists, the recordings that were released with jazz musicians always seem to gel more than others. The Sant'Anna Arresi concert had a stellar cast with fifteen musicians. There were the saxophonists, Americans

David Murray
saxophone, tenorb.1955

Greg Ward
saxophone
Evan Parker
saxophone, sopranob.1944

Harrison Bankhead
bass, acoustic
Jean-Paul Bourelly
guitarb.1960

Chad Taylor
drumsb.1973

Alan Silva
bass, acousticb.1939
The music was more 'musical' than free jazz and even tread on the philharmonic with Silva painting an orchestral pastiche on "Possible Universe... Part Eight." Morris was open to myriad musics. He paints gorgeous landscapes with brass fills, soaring crescendos, bubbling new musics, blues fragments, and glimpses of Ellingtonian jazz. "Possible Universe... Part Five" could easily be mistaken for an

Oliver Nelson
saxophone1932 - 1975
Track Listing
Possible Universe... Part One; Possible Universe... Part Two; Possible Universe... Part Three; Possible Universe... Part Four; Possible Universe... Part Five; Possible Universe... Part Six; Possible Universe... Part Secen; Possible Universe... Part Eight.
Personnel
Lawrence "Butch" Morris
cornetLawrence D. “Butch” Morris: conductor; David Murray: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Evan Parker: tenor saxophone; Pasquale Innarella: alto saxophone; Greg Ward: alto saxophone; Joe Bowie: trombone; Tony Cattano: trombone; Meg Montgomery: electro trumpet; Ricardo Pittau: trumpet; Jean-Paul Bourelly: guitar; On Ka'a Davis: guitar; Hamid Drake: percussion; Chad Taylor: drums, vibraphone; Harrison Bankhead: double bass; Silvia Bolognesi: double bass; Alan Silva: synthesizer.
Album information
Title: Possible Universe (Conduction 192) | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Nu Bop
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