Amos Morris - Sign Of The Times (2007)

Album Details: Released August 11 2007. Amos is a 19 year old bush balladeer of the new generation, and he is committed to introducing the bush ballad to his generation and preserving its heritage. It is a happy coincidence that this young balladeer comes out of Slim Dusty’s hometown of Kempsey and will continue Slim’s legacy through Nulla Records, which Slim & Joy originally set up in the 1980’s for just that purpose. The influence of the master is still strong throughout this project with Amos recording his debut Nulla album in Slim’s Columbia Lane studios, while having production by Anne Kirkpatrick with the assistance of longtime Slim Dusty Travelling Country Band member Mike Kerin. Album Reviews: SIGN OF THE TIMES AMOS MORRIS Nulla Records SLIM DUSTY must be smiling up there in country music heaven, knowing that Australia’s iconic musical style — the bush ballad — is in the hands of young AMOS MORRIS. Appropriately enough, Amos is the first artist to be released on Slim’s Nulla Records label for many years, and his album was produced by Slim’s daughter ANNE KIRKPATRICK with help from JOY MCKEAN and Slim’s TRAVELLING COUNTRY BAND. Amos manages to retain all the integrity and tradition of the country ballad, while at the same time giving it a contemporary sound and style. It’s an impressive achievement, which is at its best on songs like Sign Of The Times, the eerie The Coolibah Camp and My Imagination. There’s a wonderful tribute to Slim in Follow In The Footsteps, and Amos’s sense of humour comes to the fore in Frustrated Truckie. The Dusty camp has achieved everything it set out to with this album, bringing the bush ballad into the twentieth century and ensuring its relevance and a brand new star for the genre. EMI/Nulla Records 5038972 8 About Amos Morris: “The first time I worked live with Amos Morris I could see something unusual was happening. He had the audience spellbound. No tricks, just a deep rapport. He was talking their language, and they were music to his ears. He seemed to grow taller. I’ve only ever seen that sort of connection once before, and it led to an unparalleled career” Rod Coe (Slim Dusty’s Music Producer and T.C.B member/band leader for over 20 years) On June 13 of this year Amos Morris, the young balladeer from Kempsey performed the Slim classic Charleville as part of a special Slim Dusty Tribute in front of an audience of 50 000 at the 2nd NRL State Of Origin game at Telstra Stadium. In nervously preparing himself to perform in front of his biggest audience, no doubt that night he would have reflected back to his northern NSW home town of Kempsey and the local pub where he made his very first public performance just 4 years earlier. This debut occasion was coincidentally again a tribute to a hero of his …Slim Dusty! In 2003 Amos Morris’ was invited by the local Kempsey Community radio station (Tank FM) to perform 2 songs as part of a special tribute night following the passing of fellow Kempsey balladeer, Slim Dusty….Amos was just 15 years old. A few more local live performances followed and it wasn’t long before word was spreading about this exciting new balladeer, eventually filtering through to Slim’s wife Joy McKean and his daughter Anne Kirkpatrick. It was during the 2004 Hats Off To Country Festival in Tamworth that Joy and Anne saw their first Amos performance; they instantly recognised his potential both as a stage performer and a charismatic musical storyteller. Joy, more or less, then and there took Amos under her wing and for the next 2 years supported and assisted Amos and his mother Juli with developing his career. To quote Joy: “Blessed with a smooth, melodic voice and a warm and natural live stage manner, even at his young age Amos displays a real understanding and a broad appreciation of songs dear to so many Australians…this is very evident in his live shows.” At just nineteen years old, young bush balladeer Amos Morris, is set to release his much anticipated second album, Sign of the Times. It was just a few months ago Amos signed with Joy and Slim’s Nulla Records label. Nulla was the label established in the 1980’s by Slim Dusty, basically to lend support to some of his bush balladeer mates. The new album was recorded in April in the now legendary Columbia Lane Studio (Slim’s personal studio) and produced by multi-Golden Guitar and ARIA award winner Anne Kirkpatrick. Amos has again written 4 of the songs on the new album with most of the remaining tracks being new songs from some of Australia’s most respected bush ballad writers …the likes of Ernie Constance, Ray Rose, Ian Quinn, Keith Jamieson and John Dohling. Even though Amos is still very much a rising young artist on the music scene, he has already garnered a strong and devoted fan base as well as receiving great support and friendship from within the Australian country music industry. “As proud as I am of my first album ‘Memories Live On’ and its unexpected success, I feel this new album reflects a more contemporary approach to the traditional bush ballad than the first did. I really hope ‘Sign Of The Times’, while still being enjoyed by traditional country audiences, will also appeal to a younger generation”. Album / Sign of The Times/August 11th, 2007. Tracklist: 01. Sign Of The Times 02. Follow In The Footsteps 03. The Coolibah Camp 04. Frustrated Truckie 05. Life's Been Pretty Good To Me 06. The River 07. Stay Young 08. My Imagination 09. NunDJeri 10. Bounce Back Love 11. Home 12. Old Smoky Bay
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