One
of Buffalo and Western New York’s true musical gems (genius would just
embarrass him), the Americana/country/rock/folk and blues singer, guitarist and
troubadour Gurf Morlix will perform his only Buffalo-area concert this spring
at 8 PM Saturday, May 9, at the PAUSA Art House, 19 Wadsworth Street near Allen
Street, Buffalo.
Morlix,
originally from Hamburg and legendary for his guitar playing, arranging and
producing (possibly best known for his years working with Lucinda Williams) as
well as solo work, will perform music from his new CD, “Eatin’ at Me,” (Rootball Records) as well as old
favorites. As he has increasingly developed, Morlix will also spin some
interesting and humorous stories, all for $15 admission; doors open at 6 PM.
Gurf was kind enough to take a few questions while on the road earlier
this week and here are a few of his comments:
KJH: Is the new CD, "Eatin' at Me,"
classic/traditional Gurf Morlix, something new or different, or a blend of
sounds?
Morlix: The art of recording is a constantly evolving state,
and I think there are changes with every album I make, whether I am producing
someone else, or making my own album. The songs do have requirements, of
course. If I'm recording a song about some really gritty subject, that calls
for some really lowdown sounds. The songs dictate the sounds. It's not a
conscious effort to "rock harder on this album", or anything like
that.
KJH: You told me you really enjoyed your previous PAUSA Art
House show. What made it such a good experience?
Morlix: I love playing in intimate environments. I love
PAUSA Art House, cuz it's SO personal. I can see everyone's eyes, and I feed on
that energy. I love to be able to talk to everyone who attends, if they want
to.
KJH: You really seem to enjoy your storytelling to the point
of telling more non-song stories during your shows, and the audience appears to
enjoy them. A good sign for storytellers?
Morlix: Storytelling is quite an art. I never really
appreciated it until I started to try to do it. Now I am fairly well fascinated
by listening to master storytellers. I used to not say anything between songs,
preferring to let the listener decide what the evening is about, but once I
started telling stories, I found that everyone responded on a whole other
level.
KJH: You've been working on some more autobiographical and
Buffalo/WNY oriented songs. Are there more on the way? (“Eatin’ at Me” includes
the songs “Dirty Old Buffalo” and “Born in Lackawanna.”)
Morlix: I never know where the songs will come from. I don't
know why all these Buffalo related songs showed up recently, but I am glad they
did. I hope there are more. I'm sure there's enough material in my WNY
experience to mine for the rest of my life. IF the ideas are willing to float
somewhere nearby, where I can reach them.
