The ‘Cosmic Trip’ of Sam Morrison
You’d be surprised at what’s coming out of New Jersey these days, specifically, in this case, Orange Music in West Orange where Sam Morrison’s Cosmic Trip was mixed. Morrison blew sax for Miles Davis in ’75 and ’76 before the legend’s self-imposed exile. His flute and originals graced two pioneering jazz-rock fusion albums in ’77 (Dune and Natural Layers). His palette is inundated with esoteric individuality as he’s worked with everyone from T-Bone Walker to Michael Brecker. Now add superstar producer Bill Laswell to the list, who has molded Morrison’s alto flute, soprano sax, synthesizers, drums and electronics into an elevated dream scheme that has to be viewed as the most out-there album this year or last. And he’s not done. Word has it he’s already collaborating on an electronica album with original Santana drummer Michael Shrieve (who, at 19, had that earth-shaking drum solo at Woodstock in ’69).