Cary Morin: Maestro of American Roots Music

Internationally acclaimed as a mesmerizing live performer, Cary Morin’s soul-stirring voice and jaw-dropping fingerstyle guitar playing have captivated audiences for decades.

Dial into Morin’s career catalog and discover a musical chameleon whose sonic landscapes fuse together the best of American roots music: blues, folk, soul, bluegrass and the timeless and distinctive sounds of the countryside, from the Western Plains and Rocky Mountains to the rolling Appalachian Piedmont and the rhythmic melting pot of the deep South.

“Cary is a unique and brilliant player, songwriter and singer. I have huge respect for his style and technique,” says legendary multi-instrumentalist and songwriter David Bromberg. “If you haven’t heard him yet, you should. Try to remember that it’s only one guitar.”

Morin’s latest project, Innocent Allies, honors his family’s Native American heritage and is inspired by the genius of famous western artist, Charles Marion Russell. “This record is a masterpiece worthy of its place among the great works of art it was created to honor,” says Trina Shoemaker, the Grammy-winning producer who mixed and mastered the album at her Alabama studio. “Through the songs, I was able to visualize these unseen paintings with uncanny clarity and feel the powerful emotions.”

In an era when many aspects of indigenous culture were under threat, Russell’s paintings – and now, Morin’s musical accompaniments – serve as vital cultural artifacts. “If there is a white man who can be credited with preserving the history of Native Americans during the Western Expansion of the 1880’s, it’s Charlie Russell,” says author Brian Gevik, in The Cowboy Artist Who Painted Indians – April 2018. Rooted in his perspective as a Crow tribal member, Morin’s musical storytelling brings to life the subtle cultural and ritualistic details within Russell’s paintings in a way that not only preserves the past but paves the way for a more harmonious and culturally aware future.

Morin is excited to tour in support of Innocent Allies and feels at home on the road. His music has reached millions as he’s traveled the world with prestigious performances at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Paris Jazz Festival, Vancouver Olympics, Copenhagen Blues Festival, Folk Alliance International and has been featured on international television and radio programs hosted by the BBC and NPR. He stays in touch via his ever-growing social media followers, and streaming sites.

These travels have given him the honor of sharing stages as a collaborator or supporting act for musical luminaries such as Taj Mahal, Los Lobos, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Osborne, David Bromberg, Arlo Guthrie, Tony Trishka, Guy Davis, David Wilcox, and Phil Cook, to name a few.

Morin’s musical talents and creative contributions have garnered a multitude of awards and accolades: two-time winner of the Indigenous Music Award for Best Blues CD (2019 and 2017); Telluride Blues and Brews Blues Champion (2019); Independent Music Award for Best Blues CD (2018); Native Arts and Cultures Fellowship (2018); and, First Peoples Fund Artist in Business Leadership fellowship (2017). He received an honorable mention in the 2018 International Songwriting Competition as well as other awards and nominations.

Morin has also achieved international recognition as a collaborator, dancer and musical theater composer. His song, “Ole Midlife Crisis,” written and performed with the Pura Fé Trio, reached #17 on France’s iTunes blues charts in 2011. With the Red Willow Dancers, he performed in Japan as a special guest of the world-renowned Kodo Drummers. Back home in Northern Colorado, he co-authored the play, “Turtle Island,” a critically-acclaimed 50-cast-member production that sold out for two consecutive years. Morin’s musical journey began in the late 1970s and burgeoned in the late 1990s when he founded The Atoll, a rock-reggae-blues band that toured the United States for over 20 years.

Born in Billings, Montana, he hails from a rich cultural heritage as a Crow tribal member with Assiniboine Sioux and Black ancestry. The son of an air force officer, he spent the formative years of his youth in Great Falls, picking through guitar standards at neighborhood gatherings.
Morin currently maintains a busy performance schedule as a solo artist, with his vocal partner Celeste, and with his band Cary Morin & Ghost Dog, a high-energy roots rock band. He also collaborates with renowned Indigenous artist, Pura Fé. When not captivating audiences across the US and Europe, he finds solace and inspiration in Northern Colorado, which he proudly calls home.

For more information, visit CaryMorin.com, and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, BandCamp, Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube.