{"id":1269,"date":"2013-02-09T11:36:15","date_gmt":"2013-02-09T16:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/?p=1269"},"modified":"2013-02-09T11:36:15","modified_gmt":"2013-02-09T16:36:15","slug":"words-and-images-for-butch-morris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2013\/02\/words-and-images-for-butch-morris.html","title":{"rendered":"Words and images for Butch Morris"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photos of celebrants of composer-conductor Lawrence Douglas “Butch” Morris<\/a> at a memorial held in Angel Orensanz, a renovated former-synogag in the East Village, by S\u00c3\u00a1nta Istv\u00c3\u00a1n Csaba. Writings for and about Butch by Steve Dalachinsky<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[slideshow_deploy id=’1263′]<\/p>\n

Conduction # Infinity (Out of Reach but Never Out of Touch)<\/p>\n

1.<\/p>\n

Butch: his mischievous smile > stern look > open laugh > dapper apparel ><\/p>\n

a real dandy > like back in the days when > his midrange slightly twanged voice ><\/p>\n

everything I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll say is clich\u00c3\u00a9d pompous emotional > rubbed in ashes at times > such elaborate performance we produce sometimes for no one > the wind > trees > the rushing water > walking on hot coals to emit a portrait of pain > among the last & first budding flowers & weeds > his baton \/ those lighter than air dancing shoes > gentlemanliness > his overall attire that gruff little me admired so much > his NEATNESS > those dancing shoes those dancing shoes > that held him firmly in place > he passed the way neighborhoods pass yet always sustain their quality > personality > somewhere in the brick > the way seasons pass & are replaced always by hosts of new\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0hustlers > new lovers> & he one of the last of the real of the real > a unique lover of the unique & loved by all > the unique & mundane alike > come again next fall > winter > spring > summer > come again in storm & dust > those dancing shoes that I wanted so much > last of the real of the real > dancing on indifferent waters . . .<\/p>\n

2.<\/p>\n

it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s warm grey > a partial of a bridge floats between 2 buildings > bare trees blanket the river > a lifetime\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s profound effect inspires the music\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s language > qualities > progress ><\/p>\n

shared experiences on & off the bandstand > intelligence > compassion > passion > courage > contact > appreciation > special > gifted > interpersonal > shrewd > sharp always zeros in on feelings & strengths > brought out the best in all > presence > worked with nurturing > worked til the end > gave as he danced in those special shoes > baton wave(r)ing >\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0all for the flight the stage the flow the all the legacy for the future to be taken > remarkably dignified > professional > though sometimes lost his cool > always taught with his presence > treated all as equals > a prime element of conduction > open direct validation > hey I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m with the band I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d feel sometimes > those dancing shoes that held him in place rooted to the NOW > truly always in the instance > makes you get it > get what he gets > the essence of the process > challenging > demanding > draining > gotta get it right > you knew when he knew he got it right > that smile the body relaxing > though he never felt secure > gave more than enough > but when he felt he failed or that he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t go far enough you saw it on his face & when he succeeded you saw it on his face > that smile > the baton relaxing > worked with every type of person > instrument in completely unique ways developed a new concept of world music taking it far beyond that simple term > far beyond the world creating a world of worlds > a clinician bridging 2 worlds 3 worlds endless worlds > how he made the musicians & instruments react\/interact > musician & instrument becoming one > helped folks connect with their inner voice > understand & tap into their strengths > mixing their personal languages with his > travelling around the world like running up & down stairs > room heart mind journey commitment > the work always first > well maybe not always ><\/p>\n

nothing can stop this force even up to the end > radiates > a special relationship with everyone > heartbreaker with the skill to be a real human being > & so CHARMING ><\/p>\n

a charmer a lover > the more one let one self go the more one understood the concept he put forth both audience & orchestra > world traveler dandy handled his illness\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0positively privately maturely > a mature guy this Butch > a child a dandy a flirt > the band became his family as did his friends & his audience > we all became his lovers of sorts > this perfectionist who rehearsed performed demanded > he left me his extra food coupons in Marseilles & a drawer full of vitamins too > & when I finally got the process his concept what conduction was wow I was up there with him expecting laughing scowling relaxing tensing up getting frustrated or getting HIGH > he was a one of a kind > his contributions will live on > he will & does have imitators but not duplicators > disciples even > filled with exploration > fiery dancey > shoes I want those shoes that dignified presence on the dance floor > as I said he was a hard task master but when he got the results he wanted everyone knew it everyone felt it everyone got it > transcendent > like dancing on different waters > bridging > expanding > building > a life partially hidden by the seasons > like dancing on different waters > last of the real of the real > spirit genius > genuine > scraping the sky with his wand > wandering into the void a partial of a bridge suspended between 2 buildings sunset a lifetime blanketed by a river of trees . \u00c2\u00a0. \u00c2\u00a0.<\/p>\n

— Steve Dalachinsky, c 2013<\/p>\n

howardmandel.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photos of celebrants of composer-conductor Lawrence Douglas “Butch” Morris at a memorial held in Angel Orensanz, a renovated former-synogag in the East Village, by S\u00c3\u00a1nta Istv\u00c3\u00a1n Csaba. Writings for and about Butch by Steve Dalachinsky. [slideshow_deploy id=’1263′] Conduction # Infinity (Out of Reach but Never Out of Touch) 1. Butch: his mischievous smile > stern […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1269","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-main","7":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1i3CL-kt","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1202,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2013\/01\/butch-morris-musical-artist-and-friend-mourned-widely.html","url_meta":{"origin":1269,"position":0},"title":"Butch Morris, musical artist and friend, mourned widely","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"January 31, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Lawrence Douglas \"Butch\" Morris, one of the most brilliant and musically generous of artists who emerged from New York's East Village in the 1980s as an experimental cornetist, composer of melodies and settings, and instigator of the burgeoning act of Conduction (a term he copyrighted), died January 29 of cancer\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "main"","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"poster_italy_actual size","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/poster_italy_actual-size-208x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1504,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2014\/01\/henry-threadgills-tribute-to-butch-morris-winterjazz-fest-10.html","url_meta":{"origin":1269,"position":1},"title":"Henry Threadgill’s tribute to Butch Morris @ WinterJazz Fest 10","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"January 12, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Composer-reedist Henry Threadgill created a stunning tribute at WinterJazz Fest 10 in New York City last night to honor his great friend Lawrence Douglas \"Butch\" Morris, who died just short of his 66th birthday on January 29, 2013. The nearly hour-long piece had two movements -- a long, complex, multi-layered\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "main"","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"butch and henry","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/butch-and-henry.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1208,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2013\/02\/current-trends-in-racism-in-modern-america-a-work-in-progress-by-butch-morris.html","url_meta":{"origin":1269,"position":2},"title":"Current Trends in Racism in Modern America, A Work in Progress by Butch Morris","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"February 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"My maybe unpublished 25th anniversary liner notes for Conduction #1, Current Trends in Racism in Modern America, A Work in Progress, by the late Butch Morris with all-star improvisers, recorded 28 years ago today (Feb 1, 2013) and sonically as relevant as ever.\u00c2\u00a0 [The cast is: Frank Lowe, tenor sax;\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "main"","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"big current trends","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/big-current-trends.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":76,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2008\/02\/butch_morris_jazz_conductor.html","url_meta":{"origin":1269,"position":3},"title":"Butch Morris, jazz conductor","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"February 25, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"(slightly corrected version)Conductor of improvisation Lawrence Douglas \"Butch\" Morris is an East Village charmer, now-too-infrequent cornetist and internationally-known instigator of large ensemble music made spontaneously in real time by free-from-convention individuals. During a radio interview for the NPR show News & Notes, Butch identifies himself as a jazz musician not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "main"","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1222,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2013\/02\/tates-notes-to-morris-conduction-1-lost-heres-his-vibe-article.html","url_meta":{"origin":1269,"position":4},"title":"Tate’s notes to Morris Conduction #1 lost, here’s his Vibe article","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"February 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Greg Tate, author-essayist as well as guitarist-leader of the Butch Morris \"conductioned\" band Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber,n looked for his evidently unpublished liner notes to the planned 25th anniversary reissue on CD of Morris' Conduction #1, Racism in Modern America, a work in Progress. He couldn't find them. Tate\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "main"","block_context":{"text":"main","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/category\/main"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2215,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2017\/04\/butch-morriss-workbook-for-spontaneous-composition-published.html","url_meta":{"origin":1269,"position":5},"title":"Butch Morris’s workbook for spontaneous composition published","author":"Howard Mandel","date":"April 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The deathbed wish of composer-cornetist Lawrence Douglas \"Butch\" Morris (1947-2013) was that his detailed documentation of Conduction\u00c2\u00ae, the method he devised to enable\u00c2\u00a0spontaneous composition for ensembles of literally any type employing codified hand-signals, be published in hardcover. This has come to pass. On April 24 and May 1, events in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"\"The Original LA Dawgs\" \"Current Trends in Racism in Modern America\"","block_context":{"text":"\"The Original LA Dawgs\" \"Current Trends in Racism in Modern America","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/tag\/the-original-la-dawgs-current-trends-in-racism-in-modern-america"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/book-ButchMorris_Cover.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/book-ButchMorris_Cover.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/book-ButchMorris_Cover.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/book-ButchMorris_Cover.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1269"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1269\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}