Briand Morrison – Return Concert & Multimedia Presentation

The concert will be postponed to a later date in the summer. Saturday, July 18, 2026 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM A. Paul & Carol Schaap Community Center Free Concert • $10 per person Donation Appreciated Acclaimed guitarist Briand Morrison returns to the Gunflint Trail Historical Society’s Artist-in-Residence Program following his winter residency this past March, bringing his incredible ability to bridge modern jazz mastery with the rugged, remote beauty of the Northwoods landscape. Known for his vibrant, highly visual, and engaging “composing on the fly,” Briand creates rich melodic improvisations deeply rooted in his Anishinaabe heritage. Despite being a solo guitarist on stage, the audience won’t just hear a sparse acoustic set. By utilizing a unique blend of his live playing and modern technology, Briand builds complex, layered rhythmic patterns and harmonic backdrops in real-time, giving this performance the full, rich weight of a complete jazz ensemble. Briand said of his residency experience, “I was able to practice, record, and evaluate my playing and direction… I’m going to take this place with me when I leave… It’s changed my playing.” Join us for this free community event to: • Hear original tracks and learn about the songwriting process • Gain deep insights into the composition of pieces throughout the performance • Enjoy beautiful vocal collaborations with his partner, Roxann Berglund • View photos from his winter residency and see how the Northwoods inspires his art Light snacks and beverages will be available during breaks. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $10 per person to support the Gunflint Trail Historical Society’s Artist-in-Residence Program. Whether you’re a musician, artist, nature enthusiast, or simply curious about the creative process, this is a wonderful opportunity to experience fine art up close and discover how patience, observation, and technical skill come together to create compelling works inspired by the natural world. Community support makes this program possible. Your gift helps bring artists to the Gunflint Trail and share their work with our community, keeping these inspiring experiences accessible to everyone. Donations may be made online at Gunflinthistory.org or mailed to: Gunflint Trail Historical Society Attn: Artist-in-Residence Program 28 Moose Pond Drive Grand Marais, MN 55604 About Briand Morrison Briand Morrison is an accomplished jazz guitarist and composer whose work seamlessly fuses contemporary jazz modalities with his Anishinaabe heritage. His musical style functions much like paint on a canvas, heavily inspired by the modernist, abstract landscapes of his late father, the renowned Ojibwe visual artist George Morrison. Based out of his home studio along Lake Superior’s North Shore, Briand continues to push artistic boundaries by exploring new sonic textures that ground sophisticated jazz vocabulary in Native American storytelling. This program has been made possible in part by a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council’s Clean Water Legacy Fund, through an appropriation to the State of Minnesota from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.