After taking lessons on trumpet, Joe Morris redirected his attention to the guitar at the age of 14. Largely self-taught, and modeling himself initially upon Jimi Hendrix, he was soon playing professional gigs. From his mid-teens he explored free jazz and, after relocating to Boston in 1975, he was involved in the formation of the Boston Improvisers Group (BIG). The following year he formed his own recording company, Riti. Along with BIG, Morris regularly led his own trio, Sweatshop, and quartet, Racket Club. His growing status in contemporary music was recognized with the release of Symbolic Gesture, for Soul Note Records. In the late '90s, Morris formed a lasting partnership with Mat Maneri, and taught at Harvard and the Berklee College of Music, releasing albums regularly. ~ Rovi Staff