Thomas Morris (August 30, 1897 – 1945)
- accessed July 2010 was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

cornetist The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. There is also a soprano cor ...

. Jazz critic

Scott Yanow Scott Yanow (born 1954) is an American jazz reviewer, historian, and author. Life and career Yanow was born in New York City and grew up near Los Angeles. Beginning in 1974, Yanow was a regular reviewer of many jazz styles and was the jazz e ...

noted that Morris's primitive style was "an excellent example of how New York brass players sounded before the rise of Louis Armstrong."Yanow, Scott (2001). ''Trumpet Kings: The Players Who Shaped the Sound of Jazz Trumpet''. Backbeat Books. p. 270. Morris was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. His many recordings include dates with Clarence Williams, Charlie Johnson,

Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, and singer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz piano. A widely popular star ...

and many jazz and blues singers, including

Mamie Smith Mamie Smith ( Robinson; May 26, 1891 – August or September 16, 1946) was an American singer. As a vaudeville singer, she performed in multiple styles, including jazz and blues. In 1920, she entered blues history as the first African-American a ...

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and

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. 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

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. In the last few years of his life, he was associated with

Father Divine Father Divine (September 10, 1965), also known as Reverend M. J. Divine, was an American spiritual leader from about 1907 until his death in 1965. His full self-given name was Reverend Major Jealous Divine, and he was also known as "the Messen ...

's strict religious movement, changing his name to Brother Pierre.

Sidney Bechet Sidney Joseph Bechet ( ; May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important Solo (music), soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Ar ...

recalled an encounter with Morris in a radio interview with

Wynne Paris Wynne Paris (born June 22, 1964, in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama) was a new-age and world beat musician/producer with a special focus on yoga music and kirtan, the call-and-response singing of Bhakti yoga. His live performance combines Kirtan chanti ...

, 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.'"Chilton, John (1996). ''Sidney Bechet: The Wizard of Jazz''. Da Capo Press. p. 132. Morris died in 1945 in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. He was the uncle of pianist

Marlowe Morris Marlowe Morris (May 16, 1915 – May 28, 1978) was an American jazz pianist and organist. He was the nephew of musician Thomas Morris. Biography Morris learned drums, harmonica, and ukulele as a child. He accompanied June Clark from 1935 to 19 ...

References

External links

Red Hot Jazz: Thomas Morris
* Thomas Morris at Allmusic {{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Thomas (musician) 1897 births 1945 deaths Okeh Records artists Dixieland cornetists Swing cornetists