Chris Morrissey

⬇ contact

bio
shows
music
video
discog
contact

Chris Morrissey is a songwriter, a bassist, a singer, a music director, a leo, an uncle, a lover of most cats and some dogs, a New Yorker, a Minnesotan, a yoga practicer, a wino, a restaurant frequenter, and joke teller/appreciator. As a bassist, he's logged hundreds of thousands of miles touring five continents with Norah Jones, The Jim Campilongo Trio, Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet, Beat Music, Dave King Trucking Company, Sara Bareilles, Chris Thile’s “Live From Here” house band, Margaret Glaspy, Boy George, Ben Kweller, Andrew Bird, Mason Jennings, Gretchen Parlato, Trixie Whitley, Gabriel Kahane, and Amy Helm.

As a music director, he assembled bands, arranged and rehearsed repertoire for tour and TV for Sara Bareilles (on her Album of the Year Grammy nominated “The Blessed Unrest” tours), Sharon Van Etten (Remind Me Tomorrow tours), Trixie Whitley (Porta Bohemica tours), and Elle King (Shake The Spirit tours).

As a composer and band leader, Mr. Morrissey has released five records to high praise: "Impact Winter Formal (2021, Edition Records) "Laughing and Laughing” (2018), "The Morning World" (2009, Sunnyside), "Cannon Falls Forever" (2011, self release) and "North Hero" (2013, Sunnyside). His 6th release "Grey Like The Color" is due out late 2023 on Ground Up Music.

He has been featured in Bass Player Magazine, is a member of the adjunct faculty at The New School For Jazz and Contemporary Music and has received commissions from The Jazz Gallery and The Jazz Coalition. Chris lives between a park and a cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.

David Austin sat with Chris for a sprawling discussion about music, spirit and the bounty of both in Minnesota: www.jazzspeaks.org >>
"Morrissey seems to be casually clearing the way for one potential path for jazz to progress into the future."
-Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader
"An unself-conscious style bender."
-Nate Chinen, New York Times
"Never underestimate the power of the midwest."
-Chris Barton, Los Angeles Times
"Chris Morrissey may be the shape of things to come when it comes to bassists and band-leaders."
-JazzTimes
"Marvelously inventive compositions within a fresh perspective..."
-AllMusic.com