Paul Morris (musician)
Encyclopedia
Paul Morris is a musician best known as a keyboardist in Ritchie Blackmore
's Rainbow
. He played keyboards on the Stranger in Us All
album and co-wrote the song "Black Masquerade".
Paul Morris studied piano as a child in New York City. He studied under prominent jazz pianists, Lennie Tristano
, Hal Galper
, and Sal Mosca
. He began his career playing with some local bands, like Vixen and Full House, which led him to touring with Todd Wolfe, later guitarist for Sheryl Crow
, in his band Troy and the Tornados. In 1990, Morris then went played keyboards on the album Doro
, by former Warlock
singer Doro Pesch
. The album was produced by Gene Simmons
. In 1991, he went on tour with Doro, promoting the Rare Diamonds
album. In 1992, Morris toured with famed heavy metal violinist Mark Wood
, through the US and Canada.
In 1994, Morris was notified that Ritchie Blackmore was looking for a keyboardist. He sent Ritchie a tape, auditioned, and was hired. He played on the Stranger in Us All album, and co-wrote "Black Masquerade", which became a fan favorite song. He then performed with Rainbow for two European tours, one tour in Japan and one in the US. In 1997, Morris toured with Nena
of "99 Luftballons
" fame featuring, Tony Bruno
on guitar, and Tommy Price
on drums. This was followed by a tour with The Teen Idols starring Davy Jones
, Peter Noone
and Bobby Sherman
. In 2000, Morris received a call from the musical director of Trans-Siberian Orchestra
, Al Pitrelli
to play with the West Coast Trans Siberian Orchestra for the holiday season. After this tour, Morris continued his career composing and producing his own original music and doing session work. In 2002, Morris joined an 11 piece soul band called the Sensational Soul Cruisers where he remained until 2007. In 2009, Morris was approached by Joe Lynn Turner
asking him to fill in for Tony Carey
who had become very ill. Two weeks later Over the Rainbow performed at the Sweden Rock Festival. Paul Morris continued touring with Over the Rainbow for the next two years.
Paul Morris is now writing with Jürgen Blackmore for his new debut CD, Jürgen Blackmore and Friends.
Paul and Joe Lynn Turner remain close, and from time to time play shows together.
In 2011, Paul worked on a new Christmas CD by the Kings of Christmas, a new group composed primarily of former Trans-Siberian Orchestra
singers and musicians..
With Joe Lynn Turner
With Metalium
With Chris Caffery
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
's Rainbow
Rainbow (band)
Rainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up...
. He played keyboards on the Stranger in Us All
Stranger in Us All
Stranger in Us All is a 1995 album by the reformed Rainbow. Ritchie Blackmore put together a new version of Rainbow with little-known musicians in 1994. It was originally intended to be his solo album, but due to the label BMG pressures, the record was billed as Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow...
album and co-wrote the song "Black Masquerade".
Paul Morris studied piano as a child in New York City. He studied under prominent jazz pianists, Lennie Tristano
Lennie Tristano
Leonard Joseph Tristano was a jazz pianist, composer and teacher of jazz improvisation. He performed in the cool jazz, bebop, post bop and avant-garde jazz genres. He remains a somewhat overlooked figure in jazz history, but his enormous originality and dazzling work as an improviser have long...
, Hal Galper
Hal Galper
-Biography:He studied classical piano as a boy, but switched to jazz which he studied at the Berklee College of Music from 1955 to 1958. He hung out at Herb Pomeroy's club, The Stable, hearing local Boston musicians like Jackie Byard, Alan Dawson and Sam Rivers. Galper started sitting in and became...
, and Sal Mosca
Sal Mosca
Sal Mosca was an American jazz pianist who was a student of Lennie Tristano. Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Mosca worked in cool jazz and post-bop. He began working with Lee Konitz in 1949 and also worked with Warne Marsh. He spent much of his career teaching and was relatively inactive since...
. He began his career playing with some local bands, like Vixen and Full House, which led him to touring with Todd Wolfe, later guitarist for Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
, in his band Troy and the Tornados. In 1990, Morris then went played keyboards on the album Doro
Doro (album)
Doro is the second solo album of the German female hard rock singer Doro Pesch. The album was released in May 1990.-Overview:Doro’s second album is more a solo effort than a band production...
, by former Warlock
Warlock (band)
Warlock was a German heavy metal band, assembled in 1982. The band gained some commercial success in the mid 1980s. By the end of the decade, singer Doro Pesch was the sole original member who remained in the band, and thus proceeded to form Doro, a band that was essentially a continuation of...
singer Doro Pesch
Doro (musician)
Dorothee Pesch , popularly known as Doro Pesch or Doro, is a female rock vocalist, formerly of the German heavy metal band Warlock ....
. The album was produced by Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
. In 1991, he went on tour with Doro, promoting the Rare Diamonds
Rare Diamonds
Rare Diamonds is a compilation album, containing songs of the German heavy metal band Warlock and songs coming from Warlock singer Doro Pesch's first two solo albums. The album was released as LP in 1991 at the same time of a VHS with videos of the band and Doro's.-Track listing:#"All We Are" -...
album. In 1992, Morris toured with famed heavy metal violinist Mark Wood
Mark Wood (violinist)
Mark Winthrop Wood is an electric violinist, as well as the founder of Wood Violins, a company that makes unique electric violins. He is also an Emmy-winning composer. His music and strings education program has been featured on news programs nationwide....
, through the US and Canada.
In 1994, Morris was notified that Ritchie Blackmore was looking for a keyboardist. He sent Ritchie a tape, auditioned, and was hired. He played on the Stranger in Us All album, and co-wrote "Black Masquerade", which became a fan favorite song. He then performed with Rainbow for two European tours, one tour in Japan and one in the US. In 1997, Morris toured with Nena
Nena
Gabriele Susanne Kerner , better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons". In 1984, she re-recorded this song in English as "99 Red Balloons". Nena was also the name of the band with whom she...
of "99 Luftballons
99 Luftballons
"99 Luftballons" is a protest song by the German pop-rock band Nena from their 1983 self-titled album. Originally sung in German, it was later re-recorded in English as "99 Red Balloons" for their album 99 Luftballons in 1984...
" fame featuring, Tony Bruno
Tony Bruno
For Tony Bruno, the musician, see Tony Bruno Tony Bruno is an American sports talk radio personality in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
on guitar, and Tommy Price
Tommy Price
Thomas Tommy Price was an international Speedway rider. In 1949 he won the first Speedway World Championship to be held after the Second World War.-Career:...
on drums. This was followed by a tour with The Teen Idols starring Davy Jones
Davy Jones
Davy Jones may refer to:People:*Davy Jones , English actor and singer, formerly of the band The Monkees*Davy Jones , American*Davy Jones , American baseball player...
, Peter Noone
Peter Noone
Peter Noone is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actor, best known as "Herman" of the successful 1960s rock group Herman's Hermits.-Early life:...
and Bobby Sherman
Bobby Sherman
Robert Cabot "Bobby" Sherman, Jr. , is an American singer, actor and occasional songwriter, who became a popular teen idol in the late 1960s and early 1970s.He graduated in 1961 from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California...
. In 2000, Morris received a call from the musical director of Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
, Al Pitrelli
Al Pitrelli
Al Pitrelli is a guitarist, best known for his work with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Megadeth, Alice Cooper, Joe Lynn Turner, Asia and Savatage.-Early career :...
to play with the West Coast Trans Siberian Orchestra for the holiday season. After this tour, Morris continued his career composing and producing his own original music and doing session work. In 2002, Morris joined an 11 piece soul band called the Sensational Soul Cruisers where he remained until 2007. In 2009, Morris was approached by Joe Lynn Turner
Joe Lynn Turner
Joe Lynn Turner , is an American rock singer, known for his works with Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Deep Purple. From the late 1990s, he continued to perform in a large number of solo albums and other studio projects...
asking him to fill in for Tony Carey
Tony Carey
Antony Laurence Carey is a keyboard player best known for his work with Rainbow.One of his earliest musical experiences was in a band called Blessings, in which he played until 1975 when Ritchie Blackmore discovered and hired him as keyboardist for Rainbow. He played with Rainbow on two world...
who had become very ill. Two weeks later Over the Rainbow performed at the Sweden Rock Festival. Paul Morris continued touring with Over the Rainbow for the next two years.
Paul Morris is now writing with Jürgen Blackmore for his new debut CD, Jürgen Blackmore and Friends.
Paul and Joe Lynn Turner remain close, and from time to time play shows together.
In 2011, Paul worked on a new Christmas CD by the Kings of Christmas, a new group composed primarily of former Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
singers and musicians..
With Joe Lynn TurnerJoe Lynn TurnerJoe Lynn Turner , is an American rock singer, known for his works with Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Deep Purple. From the late 1990s, he continued to perform in a large number of solo albums and other studio projects...
- 1998 - Hurry Up and WaitHurry Up and WaitHurry Up and Wait is the debut album from the punk rock band Riddlin' Kids. It was released August 6, 2002 under the record label Sony. The album features the song "I Feel Fine", featured on the American Pie 2 soundtrack, and "Pick Up the Pieces", featured in ATV Offroad Fury 2.- Track listing...
- 1999 - Under Cover 2Under Cover 2-Personnel:*Joe Lynn Turner: Lead vocals, Backing vocals on 5,7,10*Tony Bruno: Guitars*Greg Smith: Bass*Paul Morris: Keyboards*Kenny Kramme: Drums*Akira Kajiyama: Guitar on 1,10,11*Jeff Golub: Guitar on 2*Vernon Reid: Guitar on 3...
- 2002 - SlamSLAMSlam or SLAM may refer to:In computer science:* Simultaneous localization and mapping, a technique used by robots and autonomous vehicles* SLAM project, a Microsoft Research project...
- 2003 - JLTJLT-Track listing:# "In Cold Blood" – 4:18 # "Jump Start" – 3:29 # "Dirty Deal" – 4:09 # "Love Don't Live Here" – 5:35 # "Excess" – 5:30...
- 2005 - The Usual SuspectsThe Usual SuspectsThe Usual Suspects is a 1995 American neo-noir film written by Christopher McQuarrie and directed by Bryan Singer. It stars Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, Chazz Palminteri, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Spacey and Pete Postlethwaite....
With MetaliumMetaliumMetalium was a power metal band from Hamburg, Germany. Their style of music was that of the traditional power metal sound which was pioneered in Hamburg by bands such as Helloween and Blind Guardian...
- 2000 - State of Triumph: Chapter TwoState of Triumph: Chapter Two (album)State of Triumph - Chapter Two is second album recorded by the German power metal band Metalium. It was released in 2000, following their first release, Millennium Metal - Chapter One and continues the story which began in the first album....
With Chris CafferyChris CafferyChris Caffery is a heavy metal guitarist who is best known for his work as a member of Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra...
- 2004 - The Mold EP
- 2004 - Music Man EP
- 2005 - FacesFaces (Chris Caffery album)Faces is an album released by Chris Caffery of Savatage in 2005. It was his first solo album. There are various editions of the album that were released including a one disc, two disc digipak, and two disc digipak with bonus tracks.-Track listing:...
- 2005 - W.A.R.P.E.D.W.A.R.P.E.D.W.A.R.P.E.D. is a 2005 album by Savatage guitarist Chris Caffery. A majority of the record appeared as the bonus disc to Chris's first album, Faces.-Track listing:# "Home Is Where The Hell Is"# "God Damn War"# "Election Day"# "Erase"...
- 2007 - Pins and NeedlesPins and Needles (Chris Caffery album)- Track listing :# "Pins & Needles"# "Sixty-Six"# "Torment"# "Walls"# "YGBFKM"# "Sad"# "Chained"# "Worms"# "Crossed"# "The Time"# "Mettle Eastern"# "Qualdio"# "The Temple"- Personnel :...