10 p.m. to Midnight Host: Steve Winters
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Singing & Playing In Twos and Threes
In Memoriam: Bill Morrissey
This is yet another bittersweet show. There is the joy that comes when musicians so freely sing and play in duos and trios. And there is the sadness that comes when the folk community loses still yet another member. Outstanding singer/songwriter Bill Morrissey of New Hampshire died July 23 in Dalton, Ga. at age 59 from complications of heart disease. He was on tour and making visits to friends along the way. Morrissey was a gifted crafter of songs. Many of his songs portrayed a sorrowful and darker side of life, especially small town mill life, stemming no doubt from his lengthy battles with alcoholism and depression. But he also possessed an understated wit and was a true and graceful storyteller on stage and off (he wrote a critically-acclaimed novel published in 1996 and recently completed a second). Plus, he was an excellent fly fisherman. His first album, Bill Morrissey, was released in 1984. He recorded nine others through the years, two of which were nominated for Grammys. In his song, “Letters from Heaven”, he mixes whimsy with deep seriousness as he writes: “It’s a great life here in heaven, it’s better than the Bible said, it’s a great life here in heaven, it’s a great life when you’re dead.” In addition to the Bill Morrissey tribute, his songwriting talent and his work with other performers, the show spotlighted five recent singular releases of artists collaborating in duos and trios. Leo Kottke’s guitar wizardry bookended the show. He will be the headliner at the Connecticut Folk Festival in New Haven in September.
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