Musician Kenn Morr Brings It Home

WINSTED — With adult alternative rock becoming cool again (just check out all the online and digital music stations dedicated to it), classic rock and folk music fans can come out of hiding Wednesday, Aug. 22, when Colebrook’s own Kenn Morr will perform for Winsted’s summer concert series on the Rotary Stage in East End Park.

Morr, whose baritone voice and acoustic-electric guitar melodies evoke the likes of Bob Dylan and Tom Petty, has been a Colebrook resident for the past five years, during which time he has helped raise two sons, built a recording studio and promoted three CDs. In short, he’s a busy man. Honest, too.

“Yeah, it can be very tough. It’s a struggle,� Morr said Wednesday regarding today’s music business, which tends to favor slick, overproduced acts which focus on their appearance more than musical talent. “One of the things that’s good is I’m in position where I have taken the last five years at a slower pace,� Morr said. “I’ve downshifted to be able to be present for my children [Nolan, 6, and James, 3]. Fortunately I’m performing only where and when I want to appear.�

Morr, 43, is not the quintessential starving artist, but he does understand how difficult it can be for acoustic-oriented musicians to gain recognition. After spending years living and working the clubs in New York City, he decided to move to Colebrook with his wife, Jacqueline, to start a family. He also decided to focus on his own songwriting as the anchor of his musical career.

Morr’s newest release, “Coming Home,� features 11 tracks, self-produced at his home studio, with the bandleader performing on acoustic, electric, 12-string and steel guitars, plus piano and harmonica. The Kenn Morr Band features a revolving group of musicians, including violinist Karen Nolan, bassist Steve Fishman and an assortment of friends working mandolin, organ, banjo and drums. The band was recently nominated “Best New Band� in the Hartford Advocate’s annual Grand Band Slam readers’ poll.

It helps that Morr has been associated with big names in the past, including producer Bob Johnston, who recorded eight of Bob Dylan’s albums and has worked with the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. “I learned so much from him,� Morr said. “When it was time to find a producer for ‘Coming Home,’ my wife said, ‘Why don’t you do what you’ve always wanted — take what you’ve learned and do it yourself?’

So Morr did exactly that, laying down digital tracks in his home studio and having the tracks mixed with drums recorded at Off the Beat n Track in Southfield, Mass. The master recording was completed at Final Stage Mastering in Nashville, Tenn. Though he felt the liberation of being able to produce his own record, Morr said he relied on the knowledge garned from working with Johnston. “I watched him work the magic and that really occurred in the mixdown,� he said. “It’s all in the mixing — and in capturing the vibe. If it’s not there on the tape, you’re not telling the truth. You have to leave in the imperfections.�

Morr said his decision to self-produce received a blessing when one of the first online reviews said Morr should always be the producer of his music. Producers do set time constraints and offer creative advice, but Morr said he tried to be flexible and relaxed. “I would come up with a song, lay it down on tape and not listen to it for at least two weeks,� he said. “When you’re in the middle of it and you’re struggling, it’s just not going to be good. Whoever said the first or second take is the best take — truer words were never spoken.�

Ken Morr will perform selections from “Coming Home� and his two previous CDs on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m. in East End Park. The concert is free and audience members are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs and picnic suppers.