>> Byron Morris
bio: Soul Jazz Records are reissuing the lost classic independent Jazz record, Byron Morris and Unity?s ?Blow Thru Your Mind?, originally released in the USA in 1974. Unity was formed with similar values, aims and objectives to many other spiritually conscious groups at the time, as the name suggests. Uniquely, it managed to match the musical and spiritual searching of John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and Ornette Coleman alongside an equally experimental New York art-music dimension that was brought into the group by vocalist Jay Clayton, who had performed with, amongst many others, Steve Reich. With bassist Milton Suggs having played in Sun Ra?s Arkestra, and Byron Morris having studied with Ornette Coleman and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, it is possible to see the musical path that makes up "Kitty Bey", twelve minutes of musical intensity, that sounds like nothing else ever recorded. Byron Morris first appeared on Soul Jazz Recods earlier ?Universal Sounds Of America? compilation along with music by Sun Ra, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Pharoah Sanders and Steve Reid Originally released on Unity?s own EPI label and distributed by hand, this record has remained an underground classic recording for over 25 years?.
(original sleevenotes) Unity, a historical and philosophical perspective 1972 The beginning, October 1972, Byron Morris, Gerald Wise, and Vincent McEwan, formed a musical organisation for the purpose of exploring various musical options. The overall concept was to create a superior musical environment where members of the organisation could be musically and economically productive. The basic concepts were as follows: to create a family style musical aggregation where our collective and individual musical knowledge and talent could be honed, to provide a stable musical climate where our unique musical offerings could be performed, to create original musical compositions of brass, reeds, stings and percussion instruments, to provide a recorded legacy for wide public dissemination, and to provide a base for economic empowerment along with philosophical and spiritual enrichment. The name Unity was chosen to represent our collective concept for the musical family organisation. The following musicians were chosen to join Byron Morris, Vincent McEwan and Gerald Wise to form the first Unity family: Mike Kull-piano, Frank Clayton-bass, Jay Clayton-vocals, and Abdushahid-drums. During 1973, the group went through various growth cycles, culminating in a recording session on December 30, 1973 at the Minot Sound Studios in White Plains, NY. This session produced the group?s first album ?Blow Thru Your Mind? on EPI Records (EPI-02). The album, released May, 1974, featured the compositions of Gerald Wise, Vincent McEwan, Lenny Martin and Byron Morris.
