Mori Stylez

• Genres: Rock
• Representative Albums: "Rules for Rotation

Biography

Combining the usual plethora of influences, jam band Mori Stylez manages to find a unique take on genre-crossing, mostly thanks to precise arrangements and the inclusion of bassoon and clarinet in the mix.

Founded in 1998 at the Hartt School of Music in West Hartford, CT, by five students, the band put out their first self-titled CD in 1999. Despite the now worn mix of styles employed by jam bands (including bluegrass, rock, jazz, hardcore, and funk), the band's intricate charts (mostly written by Anchorage-born frontman Zed Kelley) provided them with a boost over other acts. The band undertook their first tour in 1999 while still students. Kelley graduated from Hartt in May of 2000 with a double degree in bassoon and guitar. The band migrated north to Boston for the summer to woodshed and play occasional gigs throughout New England, in the process working up a small following. Dennis Lichtman's electric mandolin playing owed to String Cheese Incident's Michael Kang, though his playing quickly became more aggressive. Over the course of 2000, the band finished recording their second album, Rules for Rotation, which was released late in the year. As the album garnered much critical acclaim in the improv press, the band stationed themselves at New York's prestigious Knitting Factory for a July and August residency during the summer of 2001. Just before the run was to begin, bassist Andrew Schmidt left the group and was replaced by Ari Cohen. ~ Jesse Jarnow, All Music Guide