2020 – Vizztone
By Phillip Smith; May 2, 2020
I’ve been a fan of Tyler Morris
since reviewing his 2018 album Next in Line. He
continues to push the envelope when it comes to mastery of guitar, and his latest
release Living in the Shadows is testament to that fact. Backing Morris
on this album is bassist Terry Dry,
drummer Matthew Robert Johnson,
and Lewis Stephens on Hammond B3 and
Wurlitzer piano. Produced by Mike Zito, this fourth release from Morris also features a remarkable guest list comprised of Ronnie Earl, Joe Louis Walker,
and Amanda Fish.
Morris
pours out some magnificent blues with a terrific cover of Don Nix’s “Everybody
Wants to go to Heaven”. Zito and Walker
both take the mike on “Polk Salad Annie” while Stephens lays
down the rich sounds of B3. Morris absolutely sizzles on guitar. The notes weightlessly float through the air
with “Temptation”, a beautifully executed original. Amanda Fish,
whose music I adore, is guest singer on “Better Than You”. This riveting Suzi Quatro-esque
blues-rocker was penned by Zito
and co-founder of Gulf Coast Records, Guy Hale. With “Young Man Blues”, Morris pays homage to the artists and musicians who gave
him inspiration over the years. Ronnie Earl provides additional guitar on the song, and it
sounds great. Morris infuses a tremendously infectious riff fortified
with stellar licks on “Taken From Me”.
This one has a way of coaxing me to turn the volume up. The record ends with the heavy, rocking blues
of “I’m on to You”, another smokin’ original.
Hearing him rip it up on guitar is a sheer delight.
Living in the Shadows is
a rock-solid album loaded with blazing guitar performances. Morris’
playing is downright amazing. Thanks to younger blues artists like him, the
Blues will be around for quite a while longer.
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