You may not know Gurf Morlix by name, but you've heard his music. He was Lucinda Williams' guitarist for 11 years and produced her first two albums. He's worked with Robert Earl Keen, Mary Gauthier, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Slaid Cleaves, and Warren Zevon, to name a few. He was named Americana Music Association's Instrumentalist of the Year in 2009, and is a member of both the Austin and Buffalo Music Halls of Fame.

But before he earned all these kudos and credits, he played with a fellow by the name of Blaze Foley, a legendary artist who was murdered in 1989. Foley had the kind of career which, while he was alive, was a roller coaster of successes and failures, swanky hotels and friends' couches, and an endless series of bars, most of which found reason to eject him at some point or another. But he was widely recognized around Austin as a great songwriter, and nobody knew that better than Gurf Morlix. His music has been performed by such luminaries as Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, who continues to perform Foley's “If I Could Only Fly” in concert to this day.

Now, in conjunction with a documentary film by Kevin Triplett titled “Duct Tape Messiah,” Morlix has released a tribute to this great songwriter titled “Blaze Foley's 113th Wet Dream,” named after one of Foley's classics. If you aren't familiar with the songs of Blaze Foley, Morlix's beautiful album will serve as a perfect introduction to this enigmatic character's music.

Morlix applies his flawless instrumental execution to 15 great songs out of Foley's catalog, and when paired with his heartfelt and honest vocal delivery the result is deeply moving. Highlights include “Baby Can I Crawl Back To You,” “Big Cheeseburgers and Good French Fries,” “Clay Pigeons,” (which was covered by one of Foley's heroes, John Prine), “Cold Cold World,” and of course “If I Could Only Fly.”

Morlix states in performance that he had wanted to do an album of Foley's songs ever since the artist met his tragic end, but when Triplett's film neared completion, he was given the impetus to proceed. The incredible result is not so much a tribute as it is a loving memoir of a beloved friend.