Thomas Morgan - Around You Is A Forest (Loveland, 2025)

Key Takeaways

• Thomas Morgan debuts 'Around You Is A Forest' on Loveland 2025.
• Album showcases WOODS, Morgan's self‑built algorithmic string instrument.
• Features duets with top jazz artists, tracks 5–16 minutes long.
• WOODS mimics muted guqin timbre, evoking an acoustic forest sound.
• Substack essay reveals WOODS' programming roots and Morgan's early influences.

Pulse Analysis

Thomas Morgan, long‑time upright‑bass stalwart in the modern jazz circuit, steps beyond traditional roles with his 2025 debut on Jakob Bro’s Loveland imprint. The record, titled "Around You Is A Forest," is anchored by WOODS—an acronym for "WOODS Often Oscillates Droning Strings"—a self‑programmed algorithmic instrument that blends the resonant qualities of a muted guqin with the improvisational freedom of a bass. By engineering a digital‑acoustic hybrid, Morgan challenges the genre’s reliance on acoustic virtuosity and opens a new pathway for composers who code as much as they play.

The album unfolds as a series of duets, each pairing Morgan’s WOODS with a different jazz luminary. Drummer Dan Weiss adds tabla‑infused grooves on "Eddies," while Craig Taborn’s synth‑laden piano creates a horror‑film‑esque backdrop for "Dream Sequence." Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, guitarist Bill Frisell, saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, and poet Gary Snyder all contribute, producing tracks that range from five to sixteen minutes. The compositions feel improvised yet meticulously structured, allowing WOODS to ripple across speakers like rain through a forest canopy.

From a business perspective, "Around You Is A Forest" signals a growing market for algorithmic instruments that can be packaged as unique selling points for indie labels. Listeners seeking fresh sonic palettes are likely to gravitate toward the album, boosting streaming numbers and niche merchandise tied to the WOODS brand. Morgan’s accompanying Substack essay, which details the instrument’s coding origins, further cements his credibility as both musician and technologist, a duality that could inspire a new generation of hybrid creators.