Cary Morin, a renowned singer, songwriter and wickedly talented guitarist, will bring his unique sound to Steve’s Guitars when he returns to the venue on Aug. 22. Morin — who has graced stages such as NPR’s Mountain Stage, both The Lincoln Center and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Paris Jazz Festival and Telluride Blues & Brews — will bring his eclectic mix of country, folk, blues, rock and Native Americana back to Carbondale. He looks forward to connecting with audiences over the stories of his songs from the road. Morin performs as a solo artist and also in a duo with his wife and talent manager, Celeste Di Iorlio, as well as his band, Cary Morin & Ghost Dog.
Having spent his childhood primarily in Great Falls, Montana, Morin recalls house concerts his parents hosted and how listening to records helped to awaken his unending curiosity for music composition and how songs are made, something he carried into his own songwriting process.
“I always loved listening to records. I loved analyzing recordings. I was always wondering how certain songs and sounds were created,” Morin told The Sopris Sun. “It’s just something that’s always fascinated me. The first one that comes to mind is ‘Heartbreak Hotel.’ I was fascinated with Elvis, and he was a huge deal at the time. There was no bigger pop star, and I was just really enamored with everything about him.”
Morin also credits the influences of country music, folk and rock ’n’ roll that were at their peak during his childhood in the early 1960s — specifically Charley Pride. “When I was probably 4 years old in Billings, [Montana] I remember my folks having a house concert. This would be in like 1965 or 1966, and I remember these musicians. It was a lasting impression. They had at one point some folks who were Hawaiian come in and do traditional songs and dance, and I was just fascinated by all of it,” he stated.
In addition to a wide variety of musical exposure, which was partly due to the handful of times his family moved during his father’s military service, Morin also found inspiration from films. “[When] the Woodstock movie came out, my mom took me to go see it in the drive-in, and I couldn’t believe that all these performers were able to be in one place. I’d never seen anything like that before.”
Morin’s upcoming audience at Steve’s can anticipate hearing songs from his 2024 album, “Innocent Allies,” which drew inspiration from Western paintings by Charles M. Russell. In addition to the visual inspiration, Morin said he listened to Western albums from the 1970s.
“Records are made differently these days, and back then, recording to tape on a limited number of tracks was something I think is really interesting,” Morin described. “I decided that I wanted to pursue that sound from the records that I remember from when I was a child. It turned into sort of a — not a country album — maybe more of a Western album. Still folky, still has elements of what I like to put in recordings.”
Morin has performed in a myriad of media over his extensive career, and due to this his audiences have varied and evolved. Discussing the intimate listening-room atmosphere at Steve’s, Morin said he looks forward to the stories he’ll share between songs.
“I’ve performed in several different capacities. Back in the ‘90s, my band was predominantly playing dance music. Those audiences influenced my songwriting as a younger man and artist. In more recent years, I’ve shifted the focus of my music to a more listening-room-style audience as opposed to a dance audience. I’ve noticed that people really pay attention in that situation. In having conversations with audiences after shows, they ask about specific songs and specific songwriting. I’m glad that people are so focused on the art. It always really inspires me.”
To learn more, visit www.carymorin.com