The Morris-Sandvik Duo

The haunting sounds of ancient folk themes from the black South are evoked and improvisationally extended in the solo and duo performances of vocalist Vanessa Morris and guitarist Scott Sandvik.

Based on their ear transcriptions of field-recorded a cappella black folk singing, their program includes ‘surge’ style hymns, spirituals, hollers and blues. The Morris-Sandvik Duo’s work sounds like a dream half-remembered—strange, exotic yet naggingly familiar. Kinda like blues but not quite. Simultaneously folk/traditional and moving beyond into a more contemporary space.

This duo debuted at Zeitgeist Gallery in June 1999. They have since performed at Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory, the Millay Colony for the Arts (Austerlitz, NY), Green Street Grill, Boston’s Agape Poetry Group, Boston Improv and Tufts University. They also appeared on WBUR’s Here and Now program in January 2000.

Guitarist, composer and music educator Scott Sandvik has been active in Boston’s music community for the past 25 years. Unusual among guitarists, he doubles on two types of acoustic guitar: fretless classical and lap steel-string slide. His work synthesizes the diverse range of musical background. His playing reflects his scholarship in black U.S. folk music whish history he teaches at New England Conservatory. It is also informed by his background as a composer of contemporary concert music. Within that tradition, Sandvik has specialized in microtonal music. He employs his microtonal training in transcribing, playing and improvising on modal black folk song which uses non-tempered pitches, bluesy and otherwise. Finally, Sandvik brings the spirit of improvisation to his work, no doubt coming from his background in jazz performance. He performs jazz regularly in a duo with violinist David Fure. Scott Sandvik currently teaches at New England Conservatory of Music and Curry College.

Vanessa Morris, vocalist, performs regularly in the Boston area with James Merenda's the Masked Marvel (a jazz group that performs the music of Charles Mingus) and her own jazz quartet. She has performed at the Green Street Grille, Jordan Hall, The Knitting Factory (NYC), the House of Blues, the Lizard Lounge, the Toad, Les Zygomates and weekly at the Choppin Block. Her unique vocal style is a blend of many influences ranging from Billie Holiday and Betty Carter to Ornette Coleman and Joao Gilberto. Ms. Morris teaches piano at Brookline Music School, voice at the New England Conservatory Division of Preparatory and Continuing Education.