Cathy Morris Oral History

Cathy Morris is a defining voice in Indiana’s contemporary jazz landscape, best known as an electric violinist, vocalist, composer, and producer whose work blends musical virtuosity with storytelling and infectious energy. For more than two decades, she has been a staple of the Midwest arts community, creating a sound and performance style that is instantly recognizable and uniquely her own.

Morris performs all-original music that fuses contemporary jazz melodies and harmonies with Latin rhythms, funk grooves, fusion, rock, blues, Celtic influences, and Cajun flair—a genre she calls “Party Jazz.” Her performances are known for their warmth, accessibility, and dynamic presentation, inviting audiences into musical journeys that are both sophisticated and joyfully engaging.

Throughout her career, Morris has performed extensively across Indiana and the surrounding region, appearing on concert stages, festival lineups, opening ceremonies, VIP events, and major televised productions. She has opened for legendary artists including Al Jarreau, Burt Bacharach, George Benson, Chuck Mangione, Rick Braun, Fourplay, and Najee, and has also appeared as a guest soloist performing her original music with professional and community orchestras and jazz ensembles.

As a recording artist, Morris has released five CDs of original music, along with several specialty projects, including A Cathy Morris Christmas, Cathy Morris Latin Jazz, and Sacred Romance: Violin and Piano Duets Accompanying Sufi Poetry. Her recorded work reflects the same stylistic range and emotional depth that define her live performances.

Beyond the stage, Morris is an accomplished composer and arranger, with original works for string orchestra published by FJH Music, Inc., and a catalog of more than 100 compositions for orchestras, jazz bands, chamber ensembles, and solo violin. Her music spans original, holiday, sacred, pop, and wedding genres and is performed by musicians and ensembles nationwide.

A dedicated educator and community advocate, Morris has worked closely with students through workshops, convocations, and side-by-side performances with school and youth orchestras. As a producer, she has also led numerous recordings and philanthropic initiatives, including Arts With A Purpose, a project focused on connecting communities with artists to inspire positive individual and social change.

In her Amazing Indiana Music Story interview, Cathy Morris reflects on her creative evolution, the development of her signature sound, and the experiences that shaped her role as both an artist and educator. Her story offers insight into the power of originality, collaboration, and community in building a lasting musical legacy in Indiana.

The Amazing Indiana Music Stories series is made possible with support from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, whose generous funding helps preserve and share Indiana’s rich musical heritage.

Visitors can explore more below, including the Complete Interview, Interview Highlight, and Image Gallery from Cathy Morris’s Amazing Indiana Music Story.

In this Interview Highlight, Cathy Morris recalls beginning the violin at age seven in what she describes as a family coronation, with her sister passing the instrument on to her. She reflects on the influence of her father, hosting an improvisational violin convention that brought Darol Anger and Barbara Higbie to Indiana, and discovering the electric violin—elements that helped shape her signature style, “Party Jazz.”

In her Complete Interview, Cathy Morris traces her musical journey from early childhood through a multifaceted career as a performer, composer, educator, and producer. She expands on the family influences that shaped her musicianship, her exploration of improvisation and genre-blending, the evolution of her work with the electric violin, and the development of her signature sound, “Party Jazz.” The conversation offers a deeper look at her creative philosophy, community engagement, and lasting impact on Indiana’s contemporary music landscape.