Born in Toronto and raised in Ontario, guitarist/singer/songwriter Leon Morris made his way to the Washington, D.C. area on a bluegrass and country music journey via Detroit, Chicago and Kansas City. In the 1960s, Morris worked and recorded with Buzz Busby, Frank Wakefield, Bill Emerson and David Grisman. In 1971, the first album under his own name was released (on the Jessup label) and called International Bluegrass. About 1973, he released Walkin’ Home to Pittsburg (Folly Records). In 1974, Rounder Records released some of his additional material on Honkytonk Bluegrass with Buzz Busby and Leon Morris sharing equal billing.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Leon Morris and The Bluegrass Associates performed regularly and recorded several albums now out of print, Places & Friends I Once Knew being one acknowledged for “Morris’ older-style voice, tasteful picking, sweet, light vocal harmonies and imaginative arrangements” for a subtly different “country-grass” sound. Until The Best of Leon Morris on the Patuxent label, I believe his most recent projects were his 2002 Drifting with the Tide and 2011 Thinking Today of My Home albums.

On The Best of Leon Morris, we are treated to a retrospective look at the work of “Mr. International Bluegrass,” and we hear previously released material recorded over the last 40 years. I recall hearing some of his originals like “Lena” and “Sitting Here Waiting for You” on the vintage Jessup label release, and these two cuts are embellished with Danny Paisley’s tenor vocals. I had not heard or become familiar with much of Morris’ work in more recent times. It’s a real pleasure to hear some of his more recent original compositions like “God’s Highway,” “Now I’m Free,” “Blue Monday,” “Heaven is Waiting for You,” “Thinking Today of My Home,” “Shreadin’ It Down” and “Charlie.” It was on Leon’s first gospel ablum, released by County Records in 1986, that I first heard “Heaven is Waiting for You.”

Leon and his stellar accompanists also cover some classics from Buzz Busby (“Going Home”), Reno & Smiley (“Drifting with the Tide”), Charlie Monroe (“Find ‘em, Fool ‘em, Leave ‘em”) and “Walkin’ Home to Pittsburg” attributed to Ohler/Myrtle that was the featured title cut of his 1973 album. Several of Leon’s Bluegrass Associates appear on this album. They include the likes of Scott Walker (banjo) and Dave Probst (mandolin), both who bring their experience working with Paul Adkins and the Borderline Band, Fastest Grass Alive, and Shenandoah Blue. Four tracks on The Best of Leon Morris feature Mark “Sidecar” Delaney (banjo), Frank Wakefield (mandolin), Nate Leath (fiddle) and Stefan Custodi (bass).

Leon Morris once said that he liked doing both traditional and “uptown” things, maybe even a little country. Leon’s style is relaxed and affable, and he’s built a solid group of bluegrass fans who appreciate not only his solid original material and guitar playing but also his dedication to a more relaxed traditional sound. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)