JEREMY MORRIS INTERVIEW

ROAD TO PARADISE: With a remarkable seven new albums to his credit in 2024 alone, JEREMY MORRIS has once again reiterated his right to being the logical successor to the late James Brown's title of The Hardest Working Man In Show Businews Editor/Publisher Michael McDowell catches up below (Click on above image to enlarge).

NEW ADVENTURES:

CATCHING UP WITH

JEREMY MORRIS

By Michael McDowell

Many people long for a Brighter Day. But Jeremy Morris sang of it and lives it.

As the logical successor to the late James Brown's title of The Hardest Working Man In Show Business, the Portage, Michigan - based Morris successfully balances an itinerary that staggers the imagination: Pastor, family man, record label president, session musician, producer and musicologist are among the many responsibilities that he nevigates on a daily basis. 

And of course recording artist.

"I released seven albums in 2024", said Morris. 

Those in addition to an impressive catalog that includes more than five dozen releases, dating back to the 1970s. Comprised primarily of original material, Morris' albums reflect a healthy blend of the Gospel, garage and psych rock and prog rock.

Of those, The Future Is The Past is one that is most likely to placate all factions, with such standout titles as The Writing's On The Wall and Brand New Brain. Among his most endearing such projects since his extended cover of the Lemon Pipers' 1967 signature single, Green Tambourine some months ago.

The most recent of the lot is one that also lives up to its title: The Promise.

"Released on the ninth of December", said Morris. 

While of course a tie-in with Christmas was inevitable, The Promise more accurately celebrates the timeless truths of the Gospel via such engaging cuts as Can't Judge A Book, Shake The Dust and the eyebrow-raising The Redemption Of Dirty Mac.

Moreover, Wonderful takes the impact of the Gospel a step further with Morris' occasionally otherworldly delivery. Standout tracks such as You Make It All Work, Sing It Shout It, He's The Light and Jesus Is Brighter make Wonderful a musical overview of the Gospel in their own right. Its ad hoc companion piece, Mystery Of The Seven Stars takes the message to the next level via seven extended tracks that are sure to placate the Prog Rock contingent among the faithful.

Several other related projects have recently also seen the light of day from Morris' JAM label. Foremost among them is the archival Soul Saver.

" '70s recordings", said Morris.

"First time on CD!"

While Morris generally opts for the solo route in his recordings, he does have a number of acclaimed duo and/or group projects to his credit. The latest among them is the twelve-track collection, Footprints.

"With Ken Stringfellow", said Morris. 

The Hollywood native's credits include various projects with the Posies, Big Star, White Flag, Hawk and others. Stringfellow and Morris' studio chemistry is particularly evident in this latest project. 

Perhaps the most acclaimed of Morris' side ventures is his body of work with the Lemon Clocks. Their latest release, New Adventures contains much that will please the demanding garage and psych factions, including Vultures, Atmosphere and Cosmic Happy Helmet.

Most notably, the family man aspect of Morris' curriculum vitae shines particulatly brightly on one of JAM's  first new releases for 2025 by the Overly Polite Tornadoes.

"Mark and Holly Morris", said Morris, in reference to the group's Leave A Space album. Their trademark dreamscape approach avails itself quite succintly in Gravity's Pull, Lighting All The Candles and A Dream Of Golden Spoons.

Most encouragingly for the new year, Morris and the JAM label have stepped outside of the family plan for the debut album by compose and vocalist Jim Sadler.

"An eighty-four year old artist", said Morris.

"(With a) blues flavor. He makes his debut on JAM".

On top of this ongoing whirlwind of activity, Morris has also found the time to host a podcast, in which his musicologist side is showcased via his celebration of various albums from his vast archives. Recently in the spotlight on his podcast have been such classics as The Kink Chronicles compilation by the Kinks and Sugarloaf's 1970 debut album for Liberty. 

In all of it, Morris also finds the time to diligently search for additions to those archives. 

"I saw him at the recent record show in Kalamazoo", said one prominent area vinyl vendor. 

"There you go!", said Morris.

Indeed, Morris' ability to successfully balance such a vast array of responsibilities on an ongoing basis is reflective of his prioritization of the Gospel which he champions in his music, in the pulpit at Freedom Church in Portage and in the shining example he sets overall. In the words of one of the standout cuts from his Wonderful album, Morris is a sterling example of what happens when one opts to Let Love Flow.

MILO BINDER INTERVIEW

I ASKED THE WORLD: More than three decades after the release of his debut album, composer and vocalist Todd Lawrence, professionally knowns as MILO BINDER has returned with a magnificent collection known as The Unspeakable Milo Binder. Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking Peolple Editor / Publisher Michael McDowell discusses the highlights of this project with Binder and producer Willie Aron   (Click on above image to enlarger).

I THINK I HEARD

HIS NAME BEFORE:

THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN

OF MILO BINDER

By Michael McDowell

Sometimes inspiration takes a while to avail itself.

In the case of the Vancouver, Washington-based composer and vocalist Todd "Milo Binder" Lawrence, that inspiration took more than three decades to bear fruit. Despite the acclaim afforded his 1990 self-titled debut album for Atlas Records, it wasn't until 2024 that Binder's remarkable gift for a turn of phrase was manifest in The Unspeakable Milo Binder for the Heyday Again label.

"The reason I took so long (was) a bunch of life circumstances", said Binder.

"The main ones were the birth of my daugher with a serious disability, making life on the road impossible; and the death of my manager, John Schillaci, not long after the release of the first album."

One fellow visionary who discerned that the time was right was Binder's long time colleague, Willie Aron. As co-founder of Thee Holy Brothers (with Lone Justice alumnus Marvin Etzioni) and the game changing Balancing Act, Aron was instrumental in encouraging Binder to return to the studio.

"Todd Lawrence / Milo Binder has been my best friend since the late 1980s, ever since he and John Schillaci saw the Balancing Act perform at Be Bop Records in the San Fernando Valley", said Aron.

"We had an immediate soul connection that we have maintained for nearly forty years. I was immediately captivated by Todd's incisive, witty, wry, soulful songwriting craft".

As demonstrated in abundance in The Unspeakable Milo Binder, that craft both uplifts and challenges exponentially, in a cerebral / emotional hybrid not unlike that which which characterized the art of such like minded visionaries as Eric Andersen, Dave Van Ronk and perhaps even the Balancing Act itself. 

"The songs are a mix of ones left over from the old days, and things I wrote in the last year or two", said Binder. 

Not surprisingly, Aron came on board as producer for the project. 

"I trusted Willie to manage the sonic landscape", said Binder.

Ultimately, that landscape turned out to be a logical progression from the acoustic settings in which the overall repertoire was developed.

"We kept the personnel small", said Binder.

"Just Willie and me, Victor Krummenacher, Kevin Jarvis and engineer Jeff Peters".

To be certain, players such as Krummenacher were an ideal fit for the proceedings. 

"Victor Krummenacher, bassist for Camper Van Beethoven and the Third Mind - in which I perform as guest keyboardist - completed work on the album in Los Angeles at Kevin Jarvis' Sonic Boom Room", said Aron.

"As a producer, I tried to stay out of the way by eschewing going for a sonic imprint. I added instruments like piano, organ, harpsichord, guitar and percussion as sparingly as possible, and only if they served the songs. 

"You know the record producer Mickie Most? I should start calling myself Mickie Least!"

The resultant album is a triumph on all counts. Binder's lyrical strengths are particularly evident in such attention getting tracks as I Asked The World, Green Coin Purse, You And Your Boyfriend and Our Little War. In turn, such magnificent examples of the subtle intensity pioneered by such pioneers as the late Michael Holliday make their mark in Tipped-Over Night, You Must Break The Heart, Don't Fly Away and I Should Be Your Man.

"I don't know", said Binder.

"I think these are pertinent things. What do I know?"

Aron is quick to put Binder's concerns into perspective.

"After a long period of musical inactivity, Todd started writing again and again and again", he said.

"He had amassed an impressive group of songs. I encouraged him to record."

Indeed, the accolades afforded The Unspeakable Milo Binder in the weeks since its release have both served to underscore Aron's observations and assuage Binder's concerns. To invoke a standout track from that 1990 debut, it has brought Suffering Into Art full circle.