Byron Morris

[Guest Bill Barton]

Does anyone happen to know whether saxophonist Byron "The Communicator" Morris is still active in the Washington, DC area? He used to do a show on WPFW-FM but doesn't currently show up on their website as an on-air personality.

A Google search didn't seem to turn up much of anything...

His group Unity made three albums in the 1970s that are favorites of mine: Blow Thru Your Mind, Unity and Vibrations, Themes & Serenades. He also contributed the music for an album by poet Eloise Greenfield released in 1982 on Caedmon called Honey, I Love. All Music also lists a 1998 live set, Japanese and British CD reissues of the '70s material and another live set titled Y2K from 2003.

He conducted one of the last live on-air interviews with Rahsaan Roland Kirk and did a marvelous tribute show to Rah on WPFW shortly after the latter's passing. In the late 1970s when I was at Vermont Public Radio and WNCS-FM I swapped some tapes with him and have a copy of his Rahsaan interview in storage. Eventually I'd like to transfer it to digital format and include it in an in-depth Rahsaan tribute show. Before I do that, though, I'd prefer getting in touch with him.

So, if anyone in the DC area knows how to contact him, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks.

Bright Moments,

Good Vibrations,

Seek & Listen...

[Niko]

Does anyone happen to know whether saxophonist Byron "The Communicator" Morris is still active in the Washington, DC area? He used to do a show on WPFW-FM but doesn't currently show up on their website as an on-air personality.

A Google search didn't seem to turn up much of anything...

His group Unity made three albums in the 1970s that are favorites of mine: Blow Thru Your Mind, Unity and Vibrations, Themes & Serenades. He also contributed the music for an album by poet Eloise Greenfield released in 1982 on Caedmon called Honey, I Love. All Music also lists a 1998 live set, Japanese and British CD reissues of the '70s material and another live set titled Y2K from 2003.

He conducted one of the last live on-air interviews with Rahsaan Roland Kirk and did a marvelous tribute show to Rah on WPFW shortly after the latter's passing. In the late 1970s when I was at Vermont Public Radio and WNCS-FM I swapped some tapes with him and have a copy of his Rahsaan interview in storage. Eventually I'd like to transfer it to digital format and include it in an in-depth Rahsaan tribute show. Before I do that, though, I'd prefer getting in touch with him.

So, if anyone in the DC area knows how to contact him, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks.

Bright Moments,

Good Vibrations,

Seek & Listen...

http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/morris-byron-james-byron

contact info below...

[Guest Bill Barton]

Thanks, Niko!

[Niko]

funny you brought this up just the day where i got Big John Patton's Boogaloo... i see Byron Morris has a CD on cdbaby that includes vincent mcewan

edit out of curiosity: is that "where" i used above proper english, half-proper english or plainly wrong?

Edited February 25, 2008 by Niko

[JSngry]

Those pld Unity sides are cool. He's kinda the "weakest link" in his own bands, but I always got the vibe that he was at least as much about showcasing the talent of others as he was his own on them, so that's cool with me.

Edited February 25, 2008 by JSngry

[clifford_thornton]

Yeah, the only one I've spent any time with (and that still isn't a lot) is Unity, on EPI, with Gerald Wise, Byard Lancaster, Eric Gravatt a.o. Pretty smokin' session, if memory isn't failing me.

[analogak]

i thought cliffordo would throw in a milton suggs plug right there! missed chance!

[clifford_thornton]

Ah, he's on that too? It's been a while.