This MySpace page maintained by Shuichi Iwami under permission of Gurf Morlix
Gurf will watch this page sometimes, so your comment will be welcome.
BUT PLEASE DON'T SEND PRIVATE MESSAGE HERE.
Also this page dedicated to the memory of Donald Lindley (1951-1999) and Blaze Foley (1949-1989) - great musicians and best friends of Gurf Morlix.
Gurf Morlix is one of the best guitar players and producers of Americana music in the whole world. He is also a great singer songwriter. You might know that he once a guitar player and producer for Lucinda Williams .... Born 1951 in a small town of 8000 near Buffalo, New York, and grew up with Peter Case . Gurf is now living in Austin, Texas. He didn't come from musical family like many other professional musicians, but he took interest in music in his childhood and started lessons on the bass when he was in elementary school. In the mid 60's, the Beatles came to the States and changed rock music forever. Later, many British bands invaded the States. This was called the British Invasion. It made million of teenagers crazy and effected Gurf, too. He grew up listening to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and a lot of other British bands. He also started to play guitar at around 13. And he started his professional career when he was only 16 years old at little night clubs and biker bars in the local area.
Gurf had played such places for many years. And he started to discover various music other than rock'n roll such as country, folk and blues music. Soon Buffalo's scene was not big enough for him. He couldn't find musicians to play with. And he asked Commander Cody what he should do and he said, "Austin or Boston." Gurf choose Austin and moved there in 1975. He started to play in Austin and Houston for years but later moved to Los Angeles and found a circle of friends who played country-based Americana music. He met a lot of great musicians like Buddy Miller , Jim Lauderdale , Duane Jarvis and Lucinda Williams. Gurf went and forth between Austin and Los Angeles, but settled down in Austin finally. In 1981, He started his recording career as a bass player on Eric Taylor 's record called Shameless Love. Then in 1988, he produced and played on Lucinda Williams' that third record. Gurf had worked with her for a long time and his talent had become known but he decided to part ways with her in 1996. As a result, he has been in collaboration with a lot of musicians.
Gurf started his own studio called Rootball in Austin around the end of 1999. His first record was the first album made there, but Broke Down by Slaid Cleaves was the first one to be released. Gurf's surprised first record Toad of Titicaca came out in 2000. He then made his own records called Fishin' in the Muddy (2002) and Cut 'N' Shoot (2004). Gurf has mainly been working for a lot of musicians as a producer, engineer, mixer and instrument player in his studio. As a producer, he brings out the best in musicians. He always tries to stay everything is just simple. In fact, there aren't big systems in his studio. But he makes great records.
About the producing, Gurf says,
"I hope that they already on the right track and I don't like to shape it too much. You just steer a little, here and there. I don't wanna change anything. I don't wanna tell them what to do."
He also plays a lot of various instruments--acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, lap steel guitar, keyboards and percussions by his own view. He's also a great bass player. As a guitar player, he's also not technical player. He doesn't play all that fast but his guitar playing is truly original. His guitar sound has a really cool tone, you might call it "Twangy." And his guitar playing is perfect to sing. That's the most important thing.
About the guitar playing, Gurf says,
"I think it just comes out of me. When I sing, it sounds like when I play the guitar. It should all be the same. It's just force coming out of you if it works right. It's pure. And it's kind of what I'm aiming for."
Gurf has worked with a lot of excellent singer songwriters, so he's humble about himself as a singer songwriter. However, his way of writing songs is unique; it has his own humor. It's the same thing with his singing and also playing; he's not a technical singer but he has his own style which is great, and that's why he invited as a harmony singer, too. And his own music, I want to call it "Americana" music, contains elements from traditional American roots music like rock 'n roll, country, folk, and blues in addition to his own cosmic sense of style.
Gurf says,
"I got into country music in 1975; I found Hank Williams and I flipped out, and then I found Lefty Frizzell and others and I started to play steel guitar. I was writing those kinds of songs and they didn't fit in; I could have done half-swamp and half-country, or saved them."
Nowadays, Gurf has worked in his studio a lot and he's rarely on the road, but sometimes plays in Austin. He plays solo, or with his own band. He also plays with Ray Wylie Hubbard whenever he can. Gurf is a member of the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame and the Austin Music Hall of Fame
The Work of Gurf Morlix (The list will be going on....)
in 2008
Ray Bonneville - Goin' By Feel (Red House)
Co-produced, various instruments, vocals
in 2007
Gurf Morlix - Diamond To Dust - (Blue Corn Music)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, vocals, various instruments
Sam Baker - Pretty World (Blue Limestone)
Guitar, vocal
Scott Nolan - Receiver / Reflector (Transistor 66)
Co-produced, engineered, mixed, mastered ,various instruments
and vocals.
Ruthie Foster - the Phenomenal Ruthie Foster (Blue Corn)
Lap Steel
in 2006
Blaze Foley & The Beaver Valley Boys - Cold Cold World (Lost Art)
Produced, mixed, mastered
Romi Mayes - Sweet Somethin Steady (Self Released)
Produced, various instruments, vocals
Ray Wylie Hubbard - Snake Farm (Sustain)
Produced, mixed, mastered, various instruments, vocals
A Case for Case - Peter Case tribute - (Hungry for Music)
Produced, engineered, mixed, guitars, bass, vocals on Gurf Morlix track
Tom Russell - Love and Fear (Hightone)
Produced, engineered and mixed 7 songs, bass, guitars and vocals
Troy Campbell - Long in the Sun (M-Ray)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, various instruments, vocals, co-wrote 2 songs
Jennie Stearns - Birds Fall (Self Released)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, various instruments, vocals
The Western States (Dollartone)
Guitars
in 2005
Mary Gauthier - Mercy Now (Lost Highway)
Produced, engineered, mixed, various instruments, vocals
Ray Wylie Hubbard - Delerium Tremolos (Philo)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, various instruments, vocals
Jimmy Lafave - Blue Nightfall (Red House)
Guitar
Darryl Lee Rush - Llano Avenue (Shiner)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, various instruments, vocals
Dime Store Poets - Electric Rhymes
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered
in 2004
Gurf Morlix - Cut 'n Shoot (Blue Corn Music)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, vocals, various instruments
Blaze Foley - Oval Room (Lost Art)
Produced, mixed, mastered, guitars, bass, vocals
Slaid Cleaves - Wishbones (Philo)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, various instruments, vocals
Ian McLagan - Rise and Shine (Gaff)
Guitar, vocals
in 2003
Ray Wylie Hubbard - Growl (Philo/Rounder)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, various instruments, vocals
Eric Westbury - Burnt Tongues and Blue Truths (Barreltown)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, various instruments, vocals
Mike Martt - Tomorrow Shines Bright (Superscope)
Guitar, slide guitar
Troy Campbell - American Breakdown (Loudhouse)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, various instruments, vocals, cowrote one song
McKay Brothers - McKay Brothers (Texas Archipelago)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, guitar, pedal steel guitar
Jeff Plankenhorn - Plank (Blue Corn Music)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, various instruments, vocals
A Tribute to the Songs of Fred Eaglesmith (Twangoff)
Produced, engineered, mixed vocals, various instruments on Gurf Morlix track and Mary Gauthier track
Executioner's Last Songs Vol. 2 & 3 - Anti-Death Penalty Benefit (Bloodshot)
Vocals, guitars & steel guitar on Gurf Morlix track
Tom Russell - Modern Art (HighTone)
Pedal steel guitar
in 2002
Gurf Morlix - Fishin' in the Muddy (Catamount)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, vocals, various instruments
Hot Club of Cowtown - Ghost Train (Hightone)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered
Mary Gauthier - Filth & Fire (Signature Sounds)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, various instruments, vocals
Linda McRae - Cryin' Out Loud (Black Hen)
Produced, mixed, mastered, guitar, vocals, cowrote one song
Eliza Gilkyson - Lost and Found (Red House)
Slide guitar
Ivan Brown - Fortune Wheel (Tin Foil)
Mixed, mastered, engineered, cowrote one song, guitars, vocals
Jason Eklund - Jason Eklund (Self Released)
Produced, mixed, mastered, various instruments, vocals
Loose Affiliation of Saints & Sinners - Sessions at the San Jose Rm. 50 (Lasas)
Bass, backing vocals, foot stomp
Hayseed - In Other Words (Artist Friendly)
Cowrote one song
in 2001
Ray Wylie Hubbard - Eternal & Lowdown (Philo/Rounder)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, bass, guitars, vocals, organ, percussion, mandolin, octofone
Robert Earl Keen - Gravitational Forces (Mercury/Lost Highway)
Produced, mixed, guitars, steel, harmonium, vocals
Tom Russell - Borderland (Hightone)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, bass, guitar, steel guitar, Weissenborn, harmonium, vocals
Slaid Cleaves - Holiday Sampler EP (Philo)
Produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, guitars, vocals
Imperial Golden Crown Harmonizers - Self Titled (Catamount)
Mixed, vocals, guitar, lap steel
Rod Picott - Tiger Tom Dixon's Blues (Welding Rod)
Co-wrote the song Torn In Two
Rainravens - One Last Saturday Night (RR)
Guitars
John Sieger - El Supremo (Catamount)
Mandolin, vocals
Libbi Bosworth - Libbiville (Ramble)
Vocals
Karen Poston - Real Bad (Music Room)
Guitar
Mandy Mercier - Wild Dreams of the Shy Boys (Wild Cantinas)
Mixed, guitar, lap steel
in 2000
Gurf Morlix - Toad of Titicaca (Catamount)
Produced, engineered, mixed, vocals, various instruments
Slaid Cleaves - Broke Down (Philo)
Produced, engineered, mixed, various instruments, vocals
Ian McLagan - Best of British (Gadfly)
Produced, mixed, guitars, vocals
Jim Whitford - Poison In The Well (Self Released)
Produced, engineered, mixed, various instruments, vocals
One Fell Swoop - Crazy Time (Brambus)
Produced overdubs, engineered, mixed, various instruments
Rod Moag - Ah-Haa! Goes Grass (Textracs)
Co-produced, engineered, mixed, vocals
Blaze Foley Inside BFI Volume 3 - Blaze Foley Tribute (Deep South)
Produced, engineered, mixed, various instruments, vocals on Gurf Morlix track
Chris Montgomery - You Know You Want It (Big Pants Records)
Pedal Steel, lap steel, vocals
Ana Egge - 101 Sundays
Pedal steel guitar
in 1999
Jimmy LaFave - Trails (Bohemia Beat)
Steel Guitar on one track
Tom Freund - Sympatico (Surf Road)
Guitar, lap steel
Julie Miller - Broken Things (Hightone)
Engineered Patty Griffin's vocal
Mojo Nixon - Sock Ray Blue (Shanachie)
Guitar, lap steel, hillbilly vocals
Rainravens - Rose of Jericho (Blue Rose)
Guitar, pedal steel, lap steel
Happy, Texas - Motion Picture soundtrack (Arista)
Produced Robert Earl Keen track
Jim Roll - Luna (New West)
Electric guitar
Return of the Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons Tribute Album (Almo)
Lap steel on Rolling Creekdippers track
in 1998
Robert Earl Keen - Walking Distance (Arista)
Produced, mixed, various instruments, vocals
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (Mercury)
Guitars, vocals
Beaver Nelson - The Last Hurrah (Freedom)
Vocals
Trish Murphy - Crooked Mile (Raven)
Guitar
Andrew Hardin - Lunchtime at an Alligator Farm (Round Tower)
Steel guitar on one track
The Kennedys - Angel Fire (Philo)
Guitar
in 1997
Slaid Cleaves - No Angel Knows (Philo)
Produced, mixed, various instruments, vocals
Buddy Miller - Poison Love (HighTone)
Bass
Robert Earl Keen - Picnic (Arista)
Guitar
Linda McRae - Flying Jenning (Stony Plain)
Guitar, mandocello, vocals
Libbi Bosworth - Outskirts of You (Freedom)
Vocals
William James IV - 9 (Prufrock)
Guitar, mandolin
in 1996
Teddy Morgan - Louisiana Rain (Antones)
Mixed, guitar, bass, lap steel, vocals
Bob Neuwirth - Look Up (Watermelon)
Engineered, dobro
Rig Rock Deluxe - A Musical Salute to the American Truck Driver (Diesel Only)
6 string bass on Don Walser track and Rig Rock Deluxe track
in 1995
Butch Hancock - Eats Away The Night (Sugar Hill)
Produced, mixed, guitar, lap steel, vocals
Buddy Miller - Your Love and Other Lies (HighTone)
Bass, guitar, vocals, cowrote one song
Michael Elwood and Beth Galiger - Rolling Valentine (Dejadisc)
Bass, guitar, mandolin, lap steel
Danny Tate - Nobody's Perfect (Charisma)
Guitar, mandolin
Marvin Etzioni - Communication Hoedown (Marvin)
Bass, vocals
in 1994
Robert Earl Keen - Gringo Honeymoon (Sugar Hill)
Guitar
Jim Lauderdale - Pretty Close to the Truth (Atlantic)
Guitar, pedal steel
Tulare Dust - Merle Haggard Tribute (HighTone)
Produced, mixed, guitar, mandolin, vocal on Lucinda Williams track
in 1993
Victoria Williams Benefit Album - Sweet Relief (Chaos/Columbia)
Produced, mixed, guitar on Lucinda Williams track
Jim Lauderdale - Pretty Close to the Truth (Atlantic)
Guitar, pedal steel
Michael Fracasso - Love and Trust (Dejadisc)
Guitar
in 1992
Lucinda Williams - Sweet Old World (Chameleon)
Produced, mixed, guitars, Dobro, mandolin, steel guitar, vocals
The Setters - The Setters (Watermelon / Blue Million Miles)
Produced, mixed, guitar, vocals
The Pine Dogs - Going Away Party (Das Kapital)
Produced, mixed
Michael Penn - Free for All (RCA)
Pedal steel, vocals
Marvin Etzioni - Bone (Restless)
Bass, vocals
in 1989
Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire - Motion Picture soundtrack (Polydor)
Guitar on four tracks
in 1988
Lucinda Williams - Lucinda Williams (Rough Trade/Koch)
Produced, mixed, various instruments, vocals
in 1986
Peter Case - Peter Case (Geffen)
Vocals
in 1984
Blaze Foley - Blaze Foley (Vital)
Bass
in 1981
Eric Taylor - Shameless Love (Featherbed)
Bass
Compilation Albums
True Voices (Demon)
Lucinda Williams track - Produced, guitar
Born To Choose (Ryko)
Lucinda Williams track - Produced, mixed, guitar
Don Walser - Dare to Dream (Texas Music Group)
6 string bass
Austin Country Nights (Watermelon)
Libbi Bosworth track - Bass
Uprooted - Various artists (Shanachie)
Guitar, vocals on Libby Bosworth track
Kerrville Folk Festival 25th Anniversary Album (Silverwolf)
Guitar on Butch Hancock track
Folkscene Collection Vol. 2 (Red House)
Guitar, vocal on Lucinda Williams track
Poet: A Tribute to Townes Van Zandt (Free Falls)
Produced, mixed, various instruments on Robert Earl Keen track
Roots Music: An American Journey (Rounder)
Produced, engineered, mixed, various instruments, vocals on Ray Wylie Hubbard track and Slaid Cleaves track
From Hell to Breakfast (Sugar Hill)
Guitar on Robert Earl Keen track
Kerrville Folk Festival 2000 (Silverwolf)
Guitar on Butch Hancock track
Town South of Bakersfield Vol. 2 (Restless)
Guitar on Jeff Steele track
Town South of Bakersfield Vol. 3 (Restless)
Guitar on Steve Kolander track
