Concert series teams Morris with his friends

Earlier this summer, singer-songwriter Keith Morris started a new concert series at Mono Loco. Every other Saturday night, Morris headlines the outdoor music area of the downtown restaurant with his band the Crooked Numbers and invites one of his favorite local or regional acts to share the bill.

This weekend, Morris will feature ace jazz guitarist Rick Olivarez and his trio, while past guests have included Carlton James, Jamie Dyer of the Hogwaller Ramblers, experimental folk outfit Sinking Creek from Roanoke and Tom House from Nashville, Tenn.

“I wanted to give the local music scene a chance to get more acquainted with our band, and give other acts a new opportunity to play,” Morris explained of starting the series. “I try to spotlight bands that I like, but not pick the most obvious things.”

In 2007, Morris released his critically hailed debut album, “Songs from Candyapolis,” on City Salvage Records. With an alt-drawl delivery that reminds of the Jayhawks’ Mark Olson and a vivid imagination, Morris delivered a disc with conceptual depth and interesting fable-folk arrangements that seemed more seasoned than the typical output of a fledgling first effort. Admittedly, the tunesmith was a longtime closest musician, gradually writing the album over a seven-year period with no real intention of bringing it to a stage.

“I liked writing songs, but I had to push myself to get on stage,” he said. “I was just into recording and playing for my friends. It took encouragement for me to get out and start playing.”

With some persuasion from fellow songwriters Paul Curreri and Devon Sproule, both of whom appear on “Candyapolis,” Morris started doing regular gigs at the recently closed Gravity Lounge. At the end of 2007, he performed the “Candyapolis” songs at the venue with a who’s-who big band of Charlottesville players behind him, including Curreri, Sproule, Ann Marie Calhoun, Brandon Collins and Jeff Romano.

In the past few years, Morris has developed more confidence with his pared-down band the Crooked Numbers, which now consists of Tom Proutt on lead guitar, Budd Bryant on bass, Aaron Lipscombe on drums and Morris’ wife, Jen, on additional vocals.

With a venue for residency and a fluid pen, Morris should be one of the local music scene’s most dynamic artists for years to come.

“I’ve got a backlog of probably 150 songs, and I’m just starting to put them out now,” he said.

“For this new series we’ve moved on to a whole new set of songs that don’t have the layered concept of ‘Candyapolis.’ Now we’re doing songwriter material that’s more rock ’n’ roll — better for a bar setting.”

Details

Keith Morris and the Crooked Numbers

10 p.m. Saturday

Mono Loco

979-0688

Free