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 composer, instrumentalist, cornet  
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  
(Results 51-68 of 68 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Morris, Thomas," accessed April 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103510.

Morris, Thomas. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103510.

"Morris, Thomas." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103510

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