Published July 30, 2020
GUITARIST BILL MORRIS, of Travelled Way, is one-fifth of The Wicked Pickers which will be practicing in his yard Friday from 6:30-8 p.m. Neighbors and friends are invited to listen from their own yards, docks or water toys on the pond. (Courtesy Photo)
NORTH READING — Music enthusiasts who live in the vicinity of Martins Pond will have a unique opportunity to enjoy live music from a safe distance Friday night.
Local musician Bill Morris, who lives on Travelled Way, is a member of The Wicked Pickers. This Friday, July 31, the five-member group will be practicing in his yard. Neighbors and friends are invited to listen from their own yards, docks or water toys (canoes, kayaks, boats) which offer some of the best socially distanced “seats” in the house.
They expect to be practicing from 6:30 – 8 p.m.
According to his bio on www.wickedpickers.com/home, as a guitarist Morris has covered a gamut of styles, from the early days of rock to jazz, fusion, folk and classical, in formats ranging from solo to big band.
He has led or been a sideman with a number of bands since attending Berklee College in the late 1970s, including The Barry Sahagian Group, The Sonny Watson Quartet, The Dave Rasmussen Big Band and The Frank Cagliuso Quartet. In the 1990s, he led Turning Point, an original jazz-rock fusion project. His fluid, melodic playing style that crosses many genres.
The Wicked Pickers combine acoustic folk, jazz, Irish, Latin and soul with bluegrass instrumentation to create an eclectic, joyful sound.
Lead vocalist is Sarah Friedman; Paul Green plays bass and provides vocals; Gordon Hill plays violin; and George O’Connor plays mandolin and provides vocals. Six of their songs are available for a sneak peek on their website (www.wickedpickers.com/home): “St. Teresa,” “One Perfect Day,” “By The Riverbank,” “Bent Grass,” “Waiting” and “Give It Up.”
