Lee Morse
Lena Corinne "Lee" Morse (née Taylor; November 30, 1897 – December 16, 1954) was an American jazz and blues singer-songwriter, composer, guitarist, and actress. Morse's greatest popularity was in the 1920s and early 1930s as a torch singer, although her career began around 1917 and continued until her death in 1954. Morse was known for her strong, deep singing voice and vocal range, which often belied her petite frame. She possessed a contralto vocal range, and one of her trademarks was her unique style of yodeling. Recording over 200 songs over her career, Morse was one of the most recorded female singers of the 1920s. She was also moderately successful as an actress on the Broadway stage. Her life and career, however, were marred by alcoholism. Morse's group the Blue Grass Boys had no relation either to their later namesake of Bill Monroe's nor bluegrass music. In 2014, Morse's rendition of "If You Want the Rainbow" was used in an episode of the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. |
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-50 of 116 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | W144847 | 10-in. | 10/10/1927 | Someday you'll say "O.K." | Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | W145292 | 10-in. | 12/9/1927 | Keep sweeping the cobwebs off the moon | Lee Morse and her Southern Serenaders | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, contralto, leader | |
Columbia | W145293 | 10-in. | 12/9/1927 | I'm lonely | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer, vocalist, contralto, leader, lyricist | |
Columbia | W145294 | 10-in. | 12/9/1927 | Give me a good-night kiss | Lee Morse and her Southern Serenaders | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer, lyricist, vocalist, contralto, leader | |
Columbia | W145564 | 10-in. | 1/23/1928 | Let a smile be your umbrella on a rainy day | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, contralto, leader | |
Columbia | W145565 | 10-in. | 1/23/1928 | There must be a silver lining (That's shining for me) | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, contralto, leader | |
Columbia | W145566 | 10-in. | 1/23/1928 | In the sing song sycamore tree | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, contralto, leader | |
Columbia | W145584 | 10-in. | 1/25/1928 | After we kiss | Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | W145585 | 10-in. | 1/25/1928 | Poor butterfly waits for me | Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with violin, piano, and lute | composer, lyricist, vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | W146407 | 10-in. | 6/6/1928 | Mother and Dad | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer, lyricist, leader, vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | W146408 | 10-in. | 6/6/1928 | When I lost you | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | leader, vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | W146409 | 10-in. | 6/6/1928 | Lonesome for you | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer, lyricist, leader, vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | W146578 | 10-in. | 6/25/1928 | Be sweet to me | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | leader, vocalist, contralto, songwriter | |
Columbia | W146579 | 10-in. | 6/25/1928 | Don't keep me in the dark, bright eyes | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | leader, vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | W146580 | 10-in. | 6/25/1928 | Shadows on the wall | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer, lyricist, leader, vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | W146989 | 10-in. | 9/13/1928 | Main Street | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | songwriter, leader, vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | W146990 | 10-in. | 9/13/1928 | I must have that man! | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | leader, vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | W146991 | 10-in. | 9/13/1928 | Mississippi mud | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | leader, vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | W147087 | 10-in. | 9/28/1928 | You are my own | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with cornet, guitar, and piano | vocalist, contralto, composer, lyricist, leader | |
Columbia | W147136 | 10-in. | 10/23/1928 | Old man sunshine | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | leader, vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | W147137 | 10-in. | 10/23/1928 | Don't be like that | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | leader, vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | W147138 | 10-in. | 10/23/1928 | Where the shy little violets grow | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | leader, vocalist, contralto | |
Columbia | W147396 | 10-in. | 12/7/1928 | Let's do it (Let's fall in love) | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | vocalist, contralto, leader | |
Columbia | W147397 | 10-in. | 12/7/1928 | Susianna | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | vocalist, contralto, leader | |
Columbia | W147398 | 10-in. | 12/7/1928 | Adellina | Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble | vocalist, contralto, composer, lyricist, leader |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Morse, Lee," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/110542.
Morse, Lee. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/110542.
"Morse, Lee." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Morse, Lee, -1954 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no97048112
Wikidata: Lee Morse - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q3829380
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/66077205
MusicBrainz: Lee Morse - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/8ef9cc2c-e2a0-4c04-bc0f-80f58cadaaa9
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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