Chris Morrison

My Background

"Chris is a brilliant musician and a great person. I have encountered very few musicians with his talent for playing AND teaching. This guy can really play!"

-Joe Diorio

"Chris Morrison is a master of the guitar! One of the outstanding guitarists in the world today." 

-Mike Longo

"A great player and a sweet man. I've seen him play at Joe Diorio's birthday celebrations at the Jazz Standard and Birdland, and also at Cafe Nine in New Haven. Brilliant bebopper!"

-Bill Milkowski

"Christopher Morrison is a highly skilled, deeply curious and forward thinking jazz improviser. He possesses and cultivates both a rich harmonic foundation, and a complex rhythmic imagination. Not a single thing "typical" or predictable about his playing."

-Bill Plake

Christopher Morrison began performing early on with New Haven, CT jazz organists Richard McCrae, Bobby Buster and Eddie Buster.  The training he received while working with these men made a lasting impression on Chris. To this day, his playing and teaching style reflect the simple and practical approach that was used in his education.  

Chris has been fortunate to record and perform with many wonderful musicians. He has appeared with the legendary guitarist, Joe Diorio, as his guitar duo partner.  Chris’s recording, with saxophonist Andrew Beals entitled “Maybe Someday”(2017), is on the Centaur record label.  Dr. Ken Ciuffreda of Just Jazz Guitar magazine writes, “Chris produces one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard coaxed out of a jazz guitar – great phrasing, perfect musicality, warmth and expression – all played effortlessly with seemingly unlimited technique.”

Chris has been fortunate to study music with jazz guitarists Sal Salvador, Don Neary and Joe Diorio, arranger Bill Finegan, pianists Charlie Banacos and Mike Longo and Alexander Technique with Joan Frost. He holds a Masters of Music degree in Jazz Performance from the Conservatory of Music at SUNY Purchase. His undergraduate studies, Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies, were completed at The University of Bridgeport and Western Connecticut State University.

Chris is employed by the Regional Center of the Arts High School, Fairfield University and BackCountry Jazz, where he teaches jazz guitar, improvisation, ensembles and the Polymetric time concept, created by Mike Longo. He was a member of the jazz faculty at Western Connecticut State University for 30 years, where he earned several awards for his teaching including a Centennial Award for Excellence and the Distinguished Adjunct 

Appreciation Award.

Chris has also served on the faculty at the University Of Connecticut, the University of Bridgeport, Naugatuck Valley Community College and the National Guitar Summer Workshop