Cahalen Morrison & Eli West

The sessions, which are being filmed at The Smokebrush Gallery and broadcast nightly on PPLD channel 17 at 6 p.m., and on KRCC-FM 91.5 Monday through Friday at 11:55 a.m. and 8 p.m., are well-produced and intimate (i.e. artsy-fartsy) and provide an amazing window into the Springs music scene — which I believe will make far "bigger" scenes totally jealous. Thus far, they have featured the likes of Eyes Caught Fire, Poésis, Ashley Raines, and Cahalen David Morrison (whom I had never heard before, and am a big fan of now). - Colorado Springs Independent

Cahalen David Morrison - subcontinent - folk, americana, blues ... finding this cd, released in mid-May, was a joy. Count it as not only one of my favorite folk/americana records of 2008, but as one of my favorite all around releases from Colorado in 2008. It's a limited release, with special enviro-friendly packaging - which I'm not a huge fan of, but it works well within the overall context of the music, the vibe, the earthiness of what Cahalen presents. He plays multiple instruments brilliantly, the voice is steady and he tells a hellova mean story. -Chris (The Colorado Sound, KRFC Fort Collins) - KRFC - Fort Collins

Lots of kids (of all ages) pick up an acoustic guitar, write a few songs, and call themselves folk artists. They rarely are. Folk music has much more to do with things than simply writing hackneyed clichéd lyrics about lost love, performed over simple strumming. Folk expresses something much different: A solid understanding of the role of the storyteller in relationship to the world, and the universe, around him/her…like that found on Subcontinent. A limited edition CD in enviro-friendly recycled brown packaging does nothing for the eyes, but it at least lets us know that Cahalen is concerned with the world around him. That, really, is the core of what this album is all about: Organic, natural, earthy, Americana-folk music played with considerable skill and sensitivity on wooden instruments, with heart.

Chris K. -Colorado Sound - KRFC Fort Collins

...join Cahalen David Morrison, whose soulful Southwestern folk music stirs up sentiments of train tracks, road trips and sleeping under the stars, for another fine set...

-Adam Leech
Music Critic & Columnist
Colorado Springs Independant - Colorado Springs Independant

...join Cahalen David Morrison, whose soulful Southwestern folk music stirs up sentiments of train tracks, road trips and sleeping under the stars, for another fine set...

-Adam Leech
Music Critic & Columnist
Colorado Springs Independant - Colorado Springs Independant

Cahalen Morrison is not like many other 20-something musicians out there. He is genuinely old-time... His multi-instrumental and songwriting talents were developed in small circles, privately, over many years, far outside the mainstream. He shows definite influences of kindred old spirits like Norman Blake, Greg Brown, and Doc Watson that were obviously instilled at a young age and not picked up in a "back-to-acoustic" fad. But he is very much his own man, traveling and playing with a determined Western independence and an easy hospitality towards those he encounters along the way. His musical easy-goingness found some ground in which wonderful things grow. The roots are strong, the branches are shady, and the guitars, banjos, mandolins and voices carry you far off the beaten path to a Good Place out under open Western skies. -Kevin Brown (KPBX, Spokane Public Radio, 2010) - -Kevin Brown (KPBX, Spokane Public Radio, 2010)

Cahalen Morrison is not like many other 20-something musicians out there. He is genuinely old-time... His multi-instrumental and songwriting talents were developed in small circles, privately, over many years, far outside the mainstream. He shows definite influences of kindred old spirits like Norman Blake, Greg Brown, and Doc Watson that were obviously instilled at a young age and not picked up in a "back-to-acoustic" fad. But he is very much his own man, traveling and playing with a determined Western independence and an easy hospitality towards those he encounters along the way. His musical easy-goingness found some ground in which wonderful things grow. The roots are strong, the branches are shady, and the guitars, banjos, mandolins and voices carry you far off the beaten path to a Good Place out under open Western skies. -Kevin Brown (KPBX, Spokane Public Radio, 2010) - -Kevin Brown (KPBX, Spokane Public Radio, 2010)

Plucking and strumming a multitude of unplugged strings, and singing his songs of everyday living and the new dustbowl experience, it’s safe to assume that Morrison’s primary influences aren’t the landfill singer-songwriters currently clogging up daytime radio with their cloying odes to perfect love and tearful loss. His bio makes claim to a musical education steered by Doc Watson, Norman Blake and Rory Block. Add to those names others like Guy Clark (his early songs in particular) and the delta musings of Kelly Joe Phelps, and the consequences are old school country, folk and blues, though sung with the voice of the rural white working classes, rather than cotton fields and urban decay. Not the easy references one would expect from a young singer-songwriter, just turned 24 years old. Old-Timey & New-Fangled sounds like it was recorded before a small but fervent crowd, though it may just be the reaction of his excellent Family Band acknowledging the end of songs with natural enthusiasm. They’re a talented bunch, and none more so than Morrison, whose vocal dexterity and songwriting prowess matches his musicianship. The material, original as far as I’m aware, is brilliantly evocative of times past and lives up perfectly to the album’s title. I hope there’s UK dates somewhere on the horizon. - Leicester Bangs

Plucking and strumming a multitude of unplugged strings, and singing his songs of everyday living and the new dustbowl experience, it’s safe to assume that Morrison’s primary influences aren’t the landfill singer-songwriters currently clogging up daytime radio with their cloying odes to perfect love and tearful loss. His bio makes claim to a musical education steered by Doc Watson, Norman Blake and Rory Block. Add to those names others like Guy Clark (his early songs in particular) and the delta musings of Kelly Joe Phelps, and the consequences are old school country, folk and blues, though sung with the voice of the rural white working classes, rather than cotton fields and urban decay. Not the easy references one would expect from a young singer-songwriter, just turned 24 years old. Old-Timey & New-Fangled sounds like it was recorded before a small but fervent crowd, though it may just be the reaction of his excellent Family Band acknowledging the end of songs with natural enthusiasm. They’re a talented bunch, and none more so than Morrison, whose vocal dexterity and songwriting prowess matches his musicianship. The material, original as far as I’m aware, is brilliantly evocative of times past and lives up perfectly to the album’s title. I hope there’s UK dates somewhere on the horizon. - Leicester Bangs

The question of whether artistic endeavour can or should be judged wholly on its own merits, without reference to its context or creator, remains a source of disagreement amongst critics and indeed, perhaps it is more admirable to make assessment based purely on the intuitive, emotional response the work evokes, unfettered by more intellectual considerations.

However, it is almost impossible to divorce the music on 'Old-Time and New-Fangled' from Cahalen Morrison himself, as once you know he's only twenty-four years of age, the project suddenly takes on an entirely more impressive hue.

Perhaps if this album came from some hoary old-timer, you'd regard it as a consummate but unremarkable collection. However, when you understand that Morrison has emerged at this level of artistry full-formed, lacking any hint of imitation, the craftsmanship attains a greater singularity. His voice is soulful and organic, with just a touch of the high lonesome when necessary, but it is his instrumental talent which really impresses, with more than a mere proficiency for banjo, mandolin and guitar. His fingerstyle work is especially dexterous, the modified Piedmont blues picking reminiscent of the likes of John Fahey or Davey Graham.

Meanwhile, if you did not know the songs were entirely original creations, you would take them for some newly unearthed old-time standards. They have a similar directness and simplicity, whilst the pastoral bent of the lyrics seems more than mere affectation. Embellished by nothing more than the harmony vocals of Jenny Fishers and some unassuming fiddle from Morrison's father Dave, these songs are allowed to breathe, the focus firmly on Cahalen's vocals and picking. It was also a wise decision to record them live, ensuring a sense of immediacy and intimacy which may have been lost by studio precision.

However, there are times when you think that this restraint may be the album's overriding fault. Occasionally, it all seems a little too low-key, lacking any real sense of excitement or intensity. The album's finest moments such as 'I Get By' or 'Load' of Pine manage to capture a certain vitality but the prevailing mood is one of modesty and whilst this does not detract from any individual song, the cumulative effect can be enervating. An appreciation of subtlety in one so young is often as rare as the instrumental talent he displays, but Morrison must take care not let control deaden the spirit. - Americana UK

The question of whether artistic endeavour can or should be judged wholly on its own merits, without reference to its context or creator, remains a source of disagreement amongst critics and indeed, perhaps it is more admirable to make assessment based purely on the intuitive, emotional response the work evokes, unfettered by more intellectual considerations.

However, it is almost impossible to divorce the music on 'Old-Time and New-Fangled' from Cahalen Morrison himself, as once you know he's only twenty-four years of age, the project suddenly takes on an entirely more impressive hue.

Perhaps if this album came from some hoary old-timer, you'd regard it as a consummate but unremarkable collection. However, when you understand that Morrison has emerged at this level of artistry full-formed, lacking any hint of imitation, the craftsmanship attains a greater singularity. His voice is soulful and organic, with just a touch of the high lonesome when necessary, but it is his instrumental talent which really impresses, with more than a mere proficiency for banjo, mandolin and guitar. His fingerstyle work is especially dexterous, the modified Piedmont blues picking reminiscent of the likes of John Fahey or Davey Graham.

Meanwhile, if you did not know the songs were entirely original creations, you would take them for some newly unearthed old-time standards. They have a similar directness and simplicity, whilst the pastoral bent of the lyrics seems more than mere affectation. Embellished by nothing more than the harmony vocals of Jenny Fishers and some unassuming fiddle from Morrison's father Dave, these songs are allowed to breathe, the focus firmly on Cahalen's vocals and picking. It was also a wise decision to record them live, ensuring a sense of immediacy and intimacy which may have been lost by studio precision.

However, there are times when you think that this restraint may be the album's overriding fault. Occasionally, it all seems a little too low-key, lacking any real sense of excitement or intensity. The album's finest moments such as 'I Get By' or 'Load' of Pine manage to capture a certain vitality but the prevailing mood is one of modesty and whilst this does not detract from any individual song, the cumulative effect can be enervating. An appreciation of subtlety in one so young is often as rare as the instrumental talent he displays, but Morrison must take care not let control deaden the spirit. - Americana UK

"It may be hard to believe this is the voice and these are the words of a twenty-three year old, but it won't take but two minutes to believe Morrison is the real thing when it comes to roots music, with his effortlessly soulful voice and accomplished fingerpicking..." -Bricks and Mortar Media, (San Fransisco 2009) - Bricks & Mortar Media

"It may be hard to believe this is the voice and these are the words of a twenty-three year old, but it won't take but two minutes to believe Morrison is the real thing when it comes to roots music, with his effortlessly soulful voice and accomplished fingerpicking..." -Bricks and Mortar Media, (San Fransisco 2009) - Bricks & Mortar Media

Most of us players should be humbled by Cahalen Morrison, the 24 year-old Seattle-based guitarist, singer, blues and old-timey interpreter, and multi-instrumentalist (six-string fingerstyle, claw-hammer banjo, mandolin, and lap slide guitar for starters). If not humbled, we are curious; how did the former New Mexico resident attain this kind of musical maturity at twenty-four? His biography explains somewhat: Amongst red rocks, dry soil, and clear sky, Cahalen Morrison was reared on Hot Rize, Doc Watson, Norman Blake and Rory Block while running around in a diaper, trying (at times unsuccessfully) not to fall into patches of prickly pear. Now, he’s got the ears for roots music. Hopping effortlessly from fingerpicking to mandolin, clawhammer banjo to lap slide guitar, Cahalen’s writing encompasses everything from punchy political commentaries, to soul warming serenades, branching out into instrumental rags and fiddle tunes, yet still retaining his subtle musical signature.

Though only 24, he is quite well traveled, having toured nonstop for 2 years after his debut 2008 release, Subcontinent. In November of 2009, Cahalen released his second record, a live 16-track album entitled Old-Timey & New-Fangled featuring his father Dave Morrison on guitar and fiddle, Santa Fe fiddler Andy Cameron, and Jenny Fisher on harmony vocals. OT&NF was recorded live on August 14th, at the historic Western Jubilee Warehouse Theater in downtown Colorado Springs. I hear a bit of early Jonathan Edwards in the Morrison's vocals. He sings confidently, with a warm and deliberate inflection that brings authenticity to his original traditional and old-timey styled ballads. The voice of Jenny Fisher doing harmonies is superb; never taking front stage, but adding beauty to the lyrics and filling the spaces with her soft, textured vocals. The acoustic instruments seem to be amplified at least partly by microphones, giving this live album truly superb traditional vibes. No twang here. The backup musicians do a stellar job of supporting the songs, complimenting the vocals melodies, and leaving them out front so we immerse ourselves in the Morrison's songwriting and delivery. There are few albums on the blog that I recommend more highly than Morrison's Old-Timey and New Fangled. Buy your copy now. - Call It Folk

Most of us players should be humbled by Cahalen Morrison, the 24 year-old Seattle-based guitarist, singer, blues and old-timey interpreter, and multi-instrumentalist (six-string fingerstyle, claw-hammer banjo, mandolin, and lap slide guitar for starters). If not humbled, we are curious; how did the former New Mexico resident attain this kind of musical maturity at twenty-four? His biography explains somewhat: Amongst red rocks, dry soil, and clear sky, Cahalen Morrison was reared on Hot Rize, Doc Watson, Norman Blake and Rory Block while running around in a diaper, trying (at times unsuccessfully) not to fall into patches of prickly pear. Now, he’s got the ears for roots music. Hopping effortlessly from fingerpicking to mandolin, clawhammer banjo to lap slide guitar, Cahalen’s writing encompasses everything from punchy political commentaries, to soul warming serenades, branching out into instrumental rags and fiddle tunes, yet still retaining his subtle musical signature.

Though only 24, he is quite well traveled, having toured nonstop for 2 years after his debut 2008 release, Subcontinent. In November of 2009, Cahalen released his second record, a live 16-track album entitled Old-Timey & New-Fangled featuring his father Dave Morrison on guitar and fiddle, Santa Fe fiddler Andy Cameron, and Jenny Fisher on harmony vocals. OT&NF was recorded live on August 14th, at the historic Western Jubilee Warehouse Theater in downtown Colorado Springs. I hear a bit of early Jonathan Edwards in the Morrison's vocals. He sings confidently, with a warm and deliberate inflection that brings authenticity to his original traditional and old-timey styled ballads. The voice of Jenny Fisher doing harmonies is superb; never taking front stage, but adding beauty to the lyrics and filling the spaces with her soft, textured vocals. The acoustic instruments seem to be amplified at least partly by microphones, giving this live album truly superb traditional vibes. No twang here. The backup musicians do a stellar job of supporting the songs, complimenting the vocals melodies, and leaving them out front so we immerse ourselves in the Morrison's songwriting and delivery. There are few albums on the blog that I recommend more highly than Morrison's Old-Timey and New Fangled. Buy your copy now. - Call It Folk