Thomas Morris
Thomas Morris (August 30, 1897 – 1945) was an American jazz cornetist. Jazz critic Scott Yanow noted that Morris's primitive style was "an excellent example of how New York brass players sounded before the rise of Louis Armstrong." Morris was born in New York City. His many recordings include dates with Clarence Williams, Charlie Johnson, Fats Waller and many jazz and blues singers, including Mamie Smith, Eva Taylor and Sippie Wallace. His most notable dates were with his band, the Seven Hot Babies, producing eight songs in 1923 and ten in 1926. For a time, Morris served as a porter at Grand Central Terminal. In the last few years of his life, he was associated with Father Divine's strict religious movement, changing his name to Brother Pierre. Sidney Bechet recalled an encounter with Morris in a radio interview with Wynne Paris, stating, "I happened to be walking down 132nd Street near Seventh Avenue when I saw Thomas Morris, and I was tickled to death to see him. I say, 'Hello Thomas.' He said, 'Not no more. I'm St. Peter.' I said, 'You might be St. Peter to Father Divine, but you're Thomas Morris to me.'" Morris died in 1945 in California. He was the uncle of pianist Marlowe Morris. |
Birth and Death Data: Born August 30, 1897, Died 1945 (California)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1927
Roles Represented in DAHR: cornet, leader, composer, director, speaker, songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-50 of 68 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-38116 | 10-in. | 2/25/1927 | Birmingham black bottom | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten ; Monette Moore | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | composer, instrumentalist, cornet | |
Victor | BVE-38117 | 10-in. | 2/25/1927 | Don't you leave me here | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten ; Monette Moore | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, cornet | |
Victor | BVE-39372 | 10-in. | 10/27/1927 | Solid ground | Happy Holmes | Monologue, with cornet and piano | instrumentalist, cornet | |
Victor | BVE-39373 | 10-in. | 10/27/1927 | When folks stop talkin' and walkin' | Happy Holmes | Monologue, with cornet and piano | instrumentalist, cornet | |
Victor | BVE-40093 | 10-in. | 12/1/1927 | He's gone away | Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies ; Fats Waller | Jazz/dance ensemble | leader, instrumentalist, cornet | |
Victor | BVE-40096 | 10-in. | 12/1/1927 | Red hot Dan | Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies ; Fats Waller | Jazz/dance ensemble, with scat vocal chorus | leader, instrumentalist, cornet | |
Victor | BVE-40097 | 10-in. | 12/1/1927 | Geechee | Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies ; Fats Waller | Jazz/dance ensemble | leader, instrumentalist, cornet | |
Victor | BVE-40098 | 10-in. | 12/1/1927 | Please take me out of jail | Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies ; Fats Waller | Jazz/dance ensemble | composer, leader, instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71306 | 10-in. | February 1923 | E flat blues no. 2 | Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters | Jazz/dance band | leader, composer, instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71307 | 10-in. | February 1923 | Original Charleston strut | Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters | Jazz/dance band | leader, composer, instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71465 | 10-in. | April 1923 | Yodeling blues | Sara Martin ; Thomas Morris ; Eva Taylor ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal duet, with cornet and piano | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71531 | 10-in. | May 1923 | Lonesome journey blues | Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters | Jazz/dance band | leader, composer, instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71532 | 10-in. | May 1923 | When the jazz band starts to play | Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters | Jazz/dance band | leader, composer, instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71582 | 10-in. | June 1923 | Just blues that's all | Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters | Jazz/dance band | leader, composer, instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71583 | 10-in. | June 1923 | The bull blues (E flat no. 1 blues) | Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters | Jazz/dance band | leader, composer, instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71640 | 10-in. | June 1923 | That free and easy papa | Sara Martin ; Thomas Morris ; Eva Taylor ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal duet, with cornet and piano | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71641 | 10-in. | June 1923 | Hesitation blues | Sara Martin ; Thomas Morris ; Eva Taylor ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal duet, with cornet and piano | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71739 | 10-in. | August 1923 | Those blues | Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters | Jazz/dance band | leader, instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71740 | 10-in. | August 1923 | Beaucoup de jazz | Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters | Jazz/dance band | leader, composer, instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71803 | 10-in. | September 1923 | Original Charleston strut | Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Eva Taylor | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
OKeh | S-71924 | 10-in. | October 1923 | I've got the blues, that's all | Fannie May Goosby ; Thomas Morris ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with cornet and piano | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71925 | 10-in. | October 1923 | Grievious blues | Fannie May Goosby ; Thomas Morris ; Clarence Williams | Female vocal solo, with cornet and piano | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71928 | 10-in. | October 1923 | Tain't nobody's business if I do | Clarence Williams’ Blue Five | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71929 | 10-in. | October 1923 | New Orleans hop scop blues | Clarence Williams’ Blue Five | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71930 | 10-in. | October 1923 | Oh daddy! blues | Clarence Williams’ Blue Five | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, cornet |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Morris, Thomas," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103510.
Morris, Thomas. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103510.
"Morris, Thomas." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Morris, Thomas, 1898- - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82026853
Wikidata: Thomas Morris - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2426184
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/94179033
MusicBrainz: Thomas Morris - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/1944c70e-c2d9-4702-930f-d25ae64bc777
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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