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 51-68 of 68 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OKeh | S-71961 | 10-in. | 10/11/1923 | Graveyard dream blues | Clarence Williams' Harmonizing Four ; Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71962 | 10-in. | 10/11/1923 | A green gal can't catch on | Clarence Williams' Harmonizing Four ; Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71972 | 10-in. | 10/19/1923 | If I let you get away with it once, you'll do it all of the time | Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Margaret Johnson | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-71973 | 10-in. | 10/19/1923 | E flat blues | Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Margaret Johnson | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, cornet, composer | |
OKeh | S-72028 | 10-in. | November 1923 | Old fashioned love | Lawrence Lomax ; Eva Taylor | Female-male vocal duet, with instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-72029 | 10-in. | November 1923 | Open your heart | Lawrence Lomax ; Eva Taylor | Female-male vocal duet, with instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-72531 | 10-in. | May 1924 | When you're tired of me (Just let me know) | Eva Taylor | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quartet | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-72532 | 10-in. | May 1924 | Ghost of the blues | Clarence Williams’ Harmonizers ; Eva Taylor | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quartet | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-72912 | 10-in. | Oct. 1924 | Terrible blues | Eva Taylor ; Clarence Williams | Female-male vocal duet, with cornet and banjo | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | S-72913 | 10-in. | Oct. 1924 | Arkansaw blues | Eva Taylor ; Clarence Williams | Female-male vocal duet, with cornet and banjo | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | 74066 | 10-in. | 3/24/1926 | What's the matter now? | Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | 74067 | 10-in. | 3/24/1926 | I want every bit of it—I don't like it second hand | Clarence Williams’ Blue Five ; Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | 74072 | 10-in. | 3/25/1926 | Brother Ben | Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | 74073 | 10-in. | 3/25/1926 | The prisoner's blues | Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | 74074 | 10-in. | 3/25/1926 | Careless man blues | Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, cornet | |
OKeh | 74075 | 10-in. | 3/25/1926 | How could I be blue | Sara Martin | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, cornet | |
Brunswick | E2713-E2715 | 10-in. | 3/31/1926 | Do it Mr. So-So | Rosa Henderson | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, cornet | |
Brunswick | E2716-E2718 | 10-in. | 3/31/1926 | Fulton Street blues | Rosa Henderson | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, cornet |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Morris, Thomas," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103510.
Morris, Thomas. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103510.
"Morris, Thomas." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 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
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