Lawrence D. 'Butch' Morris

Lawrence D. 'Butch' Morris (1947-2013) was an American cornetist, composer and conductor, born in Long Beach, California. He is known for Conduction, his method of directing an improvising ensemble through a vocabulary of hand and baton gestures, which he introduced in the mid-1980s and used on many recordings. Morris served in the army during the Vietnam War before turning to music. He first drew attention as a cornetist in David Murray's groups in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and also played with Billy Bang, Frank Lowe and Wayne Horvitz.