"Abstract Forest" is a CD release by guitarist and composer Joe Morris on the adventurous label Relative Pitch, presenting a deeply exploratory journey into contemporary improvised music. The album unfolds like a walk through an imaginary forest: dense textures, surprising clearings of melody, and constantly shifting rhythmic undergrowth create a listening experience that rewards attention and repeated plays. Morris' guitar work is marked by a highly personal vocabulary, avoiding clichés in favor of subtle timbral shifts, unusual intervals, and flowing, conversational phrasing with his collaborators. The music often oscillates between hushed, pointillistic passages and more eruptive, abstract sound fields, maintaining a strong sense of focus and direction even in the freest moments. This makes "Abstract Forest" an ideal album for listeners who appreciate modern jazz, free improvisation and boundary-pushing creative music that still retains a sense of structure and emotional narrative.
Relative Pitch Records is known as a dedicated home for exploratory jazz and improvised music, consistently spotlighting artists who expand the language of their instruments and the tradition as a whole. The label stands for carefully curated releases, strong artistic integrity, and high production values that capture the nuance and dynamic range of acoustic performance. With "Abstract Forest," Relative Pitch once again demonstrates its role as an important platform for forward-thinking musicians, offering a catalog that appeals to adventurous listeners and collectors alike.
Joe Morris is widely regarded as one of the most distinctive guitar voices in modern improvisation. Active since the late 1970s, he has developed a unique approach that bypasses conventional jazz-guitar idioms in favor of a lean, linear and highly inventive style. Over the years he has collaborated with many leading figures of contemporary jazz and improvised music and has released numerous albums as leader and sideman on respected independent labels. In addition to his work as a performer, Morris is known as an educator and writer on improvisation, contributing significantly to the discourse around creative music. His longstanding presence on the international scene and his consistently innovative output have earned him a reputation as a key figure in the development of avant-garde jazz guitar.
"Abstract Forest" thus stands as a compelling statement from an artist at the height of his powers and a label fully committed to documenting the most original voices in today's improvised music landscape, making this CD a noteworthy addition to any collection focused on contemporary jazz and experimental sounds.
Modern
32.361
- AcidJazz/DanceJazz 107- Avantgarde/Free 983- Bebop 109- Bossa Nova 340- Cool 75- Hard Bop 155- Jazz Rock/Fusion 748- Latin Jazz 998- Other Modern Jazz 27.381- PopJazz/SmoothJazz 795- World-&Ethno-Ja. 447
