Anyone who’s listened to Moris Tepper perform hears something that differs from his role as guitarist and string sideman for such legendary music luminaries as Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits, Frank Black, and Robyn Hitchcock. Moris is an intrinsic part of the unique sounds for which these underground favorites have become legend.

What is most striking is the way Moris has surfaced as a brilliant and gifted songwriter. He’s got songs, actual songs and each one is a shiny model of craft and invention.

“When you’ve had to use pumpkin seeds because you couldn’t afford guitar picks, you learn to pick ripe songs and not wash off the dirt.”

They poke you in the heart while gently nudging the boundaries of the pop sound palette. His own song writing reflects his deep and genuine love of blues, folk and ethnic music. This explains his unique instrumentation and arrangements. Tubas, banjos, penny whistles, mandolin, bagpipes, african marimba, bihuela, tololoche, chinese pi-wah, clay flutes, hurdy-gurdy, trombone, and accordian appear regularly in his songs.

In addition, Moris’ live shows are heralded both by the press and by the public, as evidenced by the reviews and his consistently well attended live shows. He’s also shared the stage with the likes of John Hiatt, The Violent Femmes, Leon Russel, and John Prine, to name a few. He’s toured extensively domestically and his CDs are distributed and sold worldwide.

Moris Tepper’s bands are characterized by unique choices and high flying daredevil players with extraordinary musicianship. But the songs are ultimately responsible for the audiences’ journey from the humorous to the destitute sadness of a truly broken heart and back again.