Cary Morin

NO DEPRESSION – Cary Morin’s Textured Vocals Anchor Zydeco Romp on ‘Dockside Saints’ – “…the thing about Morin is his voice, textured and steady, is the glue holding the songs together. You’re not drawn to the vocals because they dominate the tracks ― it’s the opposite. The vocals work because they mesh with every style within every song, an auditory illusion where two people hear different things when listening to the same sound. Zydeco fans might hear a Louisiana growl in his singing. Blues fans will hear more of a smoke. And rock fans might think Morin comes from their world. Morin’s voice fits into so many styles that the songs make perfect sense, even when he and his band are juggling musical genres…” -Steven Ovadia, August 5th, 2020 - No Depression

THE ALTERNATE ROOT – Cary Morin Dockside Saints - Virtuoso Blues guitarist Cary Morin returns for his sixth album, Dockside Saints. Recorded at the fabled New Orleans Dockside Studios, this album drips with spicy, Cajun flavors. Still present are Morin’s expressive Piedmont Blues guitar picking and his Greg Allman meets John Hiatt vocals. But the musical spices of New Orleans infuse every note with an Emeril Lagasse “Bam!” burst of flavor… At times earnest and insightful, and at times bouncy and buoyant, Dockside Saints is a spicy tribute to the birthplace of the Blues.” -Brian Rock reviewed, August 7th, 2020 - The Alternate Root

Pura Fe delivered a passionate set at the Blues Tent during a persistent rain at the New Orleans Jazz Fest on Thursday (May 2). The North Carolina-based blues singer accompanies herself with haunting swells from a lap guitar, which combine eerily with the fiery electric guitar riffs by Cary Morin and soulful digital bongo beat from Peter Knudson. Her muscular voice often rose to a plangent cry.

Pura Fe is descended from the Three Big Nations Native American communities in North Carolina and Virginia. In a telephone conversation before the show, Pura Fe explained that she became interested in playing the lap guitar - a slide instrument held horizontally - because the dobro (a somewhat similar instrument) was traditionally popular among Three Big Nations musicians. Regrettably, she said, the tradition is fading.

Pura Fe sings some of her songs in the Tuscarora and Tutelo languages. Her compositions, she explained, are always topical. During the Jazz Fest set, she sang one song that was a plea "for human pride," another was a lament about racism in the turn of the 20th-century South.

Pura Fe's emotional recitations were often magnetic and the musicianship of the trio was always stellar. But those in attendance will tell you that the act suffered for some acoustic troubles caused by sound bleed from a nearby stage, plus the rain, wind, and a restless crowd. I'd love to hear the same show played in the intimate interior of, say, Snug Harbor or onstage at NOCCA. - The Times-Picayune

The Native American version of Taj mahal, Cary Morin brings us back to the Robert Johnson era with stripped down acoustic blues on his latest release, Sing It Louder. With intricate finger picking and soulful vocals, Cary has made a name for himself amongst the blues community in the Colorado area. For years, Cary has focused on performing and perfecting traditional blues standards cutting his teeth in Great Falls, Montana as a Crow tribal member and the son of an air force officer. Now with his latest album, Cary captures the truth in America with songs such as "This Train" and "Rounders." He also has his versions of Steely Dan's "Black Friday" and Bob Marley's "War," with just an acoustic guitar, soft-in-the-pocket drums, an occasional harmonica, and Cary's powerful voice. The whole album passes through you like a sunny day in the mountains. A legend in the making, Cary Morin is a must have for any playlist. You can see Cary performing solo or with The Pura Fe Trio, and The Cary Morin Band. - The Music Initiative: "Found Music Uncovered"

Blues/Rhythm & Blues
1. Otis Taylor – Otis Taylor’s Contraband
2. Mama Lenny & the Remedy – Punches and Hugs
3. Lionel Young Band – On Our Way to Memphis
4. Cary Morin – Sing It Louder
5. Papa Juke – Out Of The Blues - Chris Kresge - Colorado Sound

Cary Morin (partial) List of Festivals Played

Avoriaz Jazz Festival Avoriaz, France 2012 Pura Fe Trio
Blues i Ritmes Festival Badalona, Spain 2012 Pura Fe Trio
River People Music & Culture Festival Pembroke, N.C. 2012 Pura Fe Trio
Celtic Connections 2012 Glasgow, Scotland Pura Fe Trio
Sons d'Hiver Music Fest Paris, France 2012 Pura Fe Trio
Sturgis Festival Sturgis, SD The Atoll
Bob Marley Festival Austin, TX The Atoll
Bob Marley Festival Des Moines, IA The Atoll
Winter Park Jazz Festival Winter Park, CO The Atoll
Paris Jazz Festival Paris, France Pura Fe Trio
Shakori Hills Festival Shakori Hills, NC Pura Fe Trio & Solo
Women’s World Fest Spain Pura Fe Trio
World Music Fest Genoa, Italy Pura Fe Trio
Rock Bend Music Festival St. Peter, MN The Atoll
Kodo Festival Kodo, Japan Secret Souls
People’s Fair Denver, CO The Atoll
New West Festival Bohemian Nights Fort Collins, CO The Atoll & Solo
Brew Fest Fort Collins, CO The Atoll
Taste of Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO The Atoll
Fort Collins Music Expo – FOCOMX Fort Collins, CO The Atoll & Solo
Grant Farms Harvest Festival Fort Collins, CO Solo
- Celeste Di Iorio

Sunday Wax Bits - Jazz Wax
“When folk-blues guitarist Cary Morin digs into Steely Dan’s Black Friday with an acoustic guitar on Sing It Louder (Music Maker), you know the rest of his album has to be slamming. And it is. Morin pulls off song after song beautifully, and his voice and guitar are as honest as they come. There are touches of Jose Feliciano and Levon Helm of The Band here. Check out Together, This Train and Rounders. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something about this album that awakens your conscience.” - Reviewed by Marc Myers, Music Maker - Marc Myers

“Music Maker Relief Foundation artist Cary Morin's laugh-out-loud funny new ragtime song ‘W’ appears on his new album 'Sing It Louder,' out December 6 on Music Maker Relief Foundation with the refrain ‘A beer in my hand is better than two in the Bush.’ Other verses take the point of view of the former president.
Morin says, ‘The song explored the possible explanation for how things went so terribly wrong with that administration: what if he really was drinking the whole time?’

'Sing It Louder' highlights Morin’s deft fingerstyle guitar talents and distinctive songwriting style and showcases Morin’s decades of music experience. A staple of the Fort Collins, CO music scene, the Native American Morin is a stellar songwriter.
The town of Fort Collins recently created a public mural in celebration of local musicians, including Morin, serves as testament to Morin’s impact on music in the area.” - Nick Loss Eaton, Blog (November 2011)
- Nick Loss Eaton

“Cary might have just given us the secret recipe of the Blues here. Storytelling, songwriting and honesty. Music from the guts really. And while Cary is still unsure of deserving to be called a blues player, we’re not afraid to tell you that his acoustic blues release ‘Sing It Louder’ definitely confirms that he’s not only a blues musician, he’s a great one.” - The Good Music Fox (December 2011) - The Good Music Fox

“There is a shambling, plain-spoken beauty to this track as Cary Morin, a Crow Indian from North Dakota, sings about dancing his way toward salvation. Powered by some ever-so-fleet fingerstyle guitar and a distinctive vocal — one that combines Van Morrison with a dusty-booted country tinge — ‘Sing It Louder’ will make you want to do just that.
It’s only later that the song’s deeper message, the one about salvation, sinks in. And that’s just the beginning of the backstory for ‘Sing It Louder,’… Elsewhere on Morin’s album he traverses an impressive array of styles, from blues and jazz to bluegrass and reggae. But it’s here, on the title track, that he finds both his most memorable groove and perhaps his most heartfelt message of hope in troubled times. It’s great music, for a great cause.” - Nick DeRiso