Mozart of the Banjo: The Joe Morley Project

Aaron Jonah Lewis' 24-song tribute to the legendary British banjo player and composer Joe Morley (1867-1937) is a fascinating dive into a bygone era. At the turn of the 20th century, banjo music was the rage on both sides of the Atlantic. Born in Kinver in Staffordshire, Morley was the son of a bricklayer and busking concertina player who bought his son a seven-string fretless banjo, which the self-taught 20-year-old quickly mastered. All of the songs on Mozart of the Banjo are Morley's compositions; half have never been recorded. Some are solo works, others feature banjo and piano, one showcases a banjo duet, and one, owing to its Hawaiian theme, calls for double bass and ukulele. Lewis uses a nylon-stringed banjo, which imparts a mellower, more engaging tone to his interpretations. More conservative than ragtime, less twangy than bluegrass, Morley's music is no less rewarding in terms of sophisticated verve and sparkling imagination, which Lewis renders with consummate skill. ‘[Morley] represents a style that overlaps with ragtime just like Mozart represents classical music,’ Lewis explains. ‘He wrote pieces that stood the test of time, are frequently played and fun to listen to.’