Back in the 1970s, Vol. 126 of the French RCA Black and White series focused on Thomas Morris' recordings dating from the year 1926. Included on that album were two vocalists whose absence from this Classics package must be attributed to a planned compilation of rare vocal recordings from this period. While Margaret Johnson's "When a 'Gator Hollers, Folks Say It's a Sign of Rain" would have added a Ma Rainey touch, the non-inclusion of Evelyn Preer's "Make Me Know It," recorded September 7, 1926, is heartbreaking but only to the few who know of the existence of this beautifully wistful love song. Now that this very specialized disappointment has been registered, let it be known that even without the voice of Evelyn Preer, the earliest known recordings of Thomas Morris are outstanding and well worth experiencing. There are two ways to appreciate the music of this accomplished cornetist and bandleader: the recordings he made with and without Thomas "Fats" Waller. Despite the aforementioned omission, Classics 823 offers the perfect prologue to Morris' famous sessions with the young pianist/pipe organist. The real gold lies in eight sides from 1923, previously difficult to obtain. The only players who have been identified are trombonist Charlie Irvis (later to be a staunch component in Fats Waller's first "Buddies" session) and young Bubber Miley. To hear Morris and Miley merrily mingling their cornets is a delight, comparable to the joy to be gleaned from revisiting the duo runs executed during this same time period by King Oliver and Louis Armstrong. (Get this: "Bull Blues" has a passage that showed up years later as the opening line of Duke Ellington's "What Am I Here For?") The 1926 material is gloriously gutsy, with grand slip-horn parts by Geechie Fields then once again briefly by the mighty Charlie Irvis. A rambunctious banjo solo in "Georgia Grind" and the humorous dialogue cropping up in the middle of "Who's Dis Heah Stranger?" make these worth absorbing time and again. By November 1926 the all-important trombone position was filled by Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, destined to spend the remaining two decades of his life helping to define the sound of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, which he had joined some six months prior to these sessions. Morris' rendition of "The King of the Zulus" nearly surpasses Louis Armstrong's original, yet Morris' unissued take (36896-2) is even better than the master take issued here, and would be well worth pursuing if anyone is hopelessly smitten with the sounds of this ensemble. Lastly, a rare side by Morris' quartet, billed as the Nashville Jazzers: a smartly scruffy approach to W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues." This recording and its alternate take have been issued on Grey Gull Rarities (Jazz Oracle BDW 8038). Once you've developed a taste for the music of Thomas Morris, you might get hooked. Let's hope so. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1 Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters– E Flat Blues №2 3:10
Banjo – Unknown Artist
Cornet – Bubber Miley, Tom Morris
Drums – Unknown Artist
Piano – Unknown Artist
Tenor Saxophone – Unknown Artist
Trombone – Charlie Irvis
Written-By – Morris
2 Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters– Original Charleston Strut 2:47
Banjo – Unknown Artist
Cornet – Bubber Miley, Tom Morris
Drums – Unknown Artist
Piano – Unknown Artist
Tenor Saxophone – Unknown Artist
Trombone – Charlie Irvis
Written-By – Morris
3 Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters– Lonesome Journey Blues 2:48
Banjo – Unknown Artist
Cornet – Bubber Miley, Tom Morris
Piano – Unknown Artist
Tenor Saxophone – Unknown Artist
Trombone – Charlie Irvis
Written-By – Morris
4 Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters– When The Jazz Band Starts To Play 2:25
Banjo – Unknown Artist
Cornet – Bubber Miley, Tom Morris
Piano – Unknown Artist
Tenor Saxophone – Unknown Artist
Trombone – Charlie Irvis
Written-By – Morris
5 Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters– Just Blues, That's All 3:05
Banjo – Unknown Artist
Cornet – Bubber Miley, Tom Morris
Piano – Unknown Artist
Tenor Saxophone – Unknown Artist
Trombone – Charlie Irvis
Written-By – Morris
6 Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters– Bull Blues (E Flat №1 Blues) 2:44
Banjo – Unknown Artist
Cornet – Bubber Miley, Tom Morris
Piano – Unknown Artist
Tenor Saxophone – Unknown Artist
Trombone – Charlie Irvis
Written-By – Morris
7 Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters– Those Blues 3:22
Banjo – Unknown Artist
Brass Bass – Unknown Artist
Clarinet [?] – Ernest Elliott
Cornet – Bubber Miley, Tom Morris
Piano – Unknown Artist
Tenor Saxophone – Unknown Artist
Trombone – Charlie Irvis
Written-By – Miley
8 Thomas Morris Past Jazz Masters– Beaucoupe De Jazz 2:57
Banjo – Unknown Artist
Brass Bass – Unknown Artist
Clarinet [?] – Ernest Elliott
Cornet – Bubber Miley, Tom Morris
Piano – Unknown Artist
Tenor Saxophone – Unknown Artist
Trombone – Charlie Irvis
Written-By – Morris
9 Thomas Morris And His Seven Hot Babies– Lazy Drag 2:57
Banjo [?] – Lee Blair
Brass Bass – Bill Benford
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Ernest Elliott
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Happy Caldwell
Piano [or] – Marlowe Morris, Mike Jackson
Trombone – Geechie Fields
Trumpet – Tom Morris, Ward Pinkett
Written-By – Morris
10 Thomas Morris And His Seven Hot Babies– Jackass Blues 3:08
Banjo [?] – Lee Blair
Brass Bass – Bill Benford
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Ernest Elliott
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Happy Caldwell
Piano [or] – Marlowe Morris, Mike Jackson
Trombone – Geechie Fields
Trumpet – Tom Morris, Ward Pinkett
Written-By – Kassel, Stitzel
11 Thomas Morris And His Seven Hot Babies– Charleston Stampede 3:00
Banjo [?] – Lee Blair
Brass Bass – Bill Benford
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Ernest Elliott
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Happy Caldwell
Piano [or] – Marlowe Morris, Mike Jackson
Trombone – Geechie Fields
Trumpet – Tom Morris, Ward Pinkett
Written-By – Peer
12 Thomas Morris And His Seven Hot Babies– Georgia Grind 3:04
Banjo [?] – Lee Blair
Brass Bass – Bill Benford
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Ernest Elliott
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Happy Caldwell
Piano [or] – Marlowe Morris
Piano [or], Vocals – Mike Jackson
Trombone – Geechie Fields
Trumpet – Tom Morris, Ward Pinkett
Written-By – Williams
13 Thomas Morris And His Seven Hot Babies– Ham Gravy 3:01
Banjo [?] – Lee Blair
Brass Bass – Bill Benford
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Ernest Elliott
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Happy Caldwell
Piano [or] – Marlowe Morris, Mike Jackson
Trombone – Geechie Fields
Trumpet – Tom Morris, Ward Pinkett
Written-By – Peer
14 Thomas Morris And His Orchestra– Who's Dis Heah Stranger? 2:56
Clarinet – Bob Fuller
Cornet, Speech – Tom Morris
Piano – Mike Jackson
Trombone, Speech – Charlie Irvis
Written-By – Peer
15 New Orleans Blue Five– My Baby Doesn't Squawk 3:19
Clarinet – Bob Fuller
Cornet – Tom Morris
Guitar – Buddy Christian
Piano – Mike Jackson
Trombone – Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton
Written-By – Peer
16 New Orleans Blue Five– The King Of The Zulus 2:42
Clarinet – Bob Fuller
Cornet, Speech – Tom Morris
Guitar – Buddy Christian
Piano – Mike Jackson
Speech – Helen Baxter
Trombone, Speech – Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton
Written-By – Armstrong
17 New Orleans Blue Five– South Rampart Street Blues 2:53
Cornet – Tom Morris
Guitar – Buddy Christian
Piano – Mike Jackson
Soprano Saxophone – Bob Fuller
Trombone – Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton
Written-By – Fuller, Christian
18 Thomas Morris And His Seven Hot Babies– Blues From The Everglades 3:08
Banjo – Buddy Christian
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Ernest Elliott
Cornet – Tom Morris
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – Unknown Artist
Piano [or] – Mike Jackson, Phil Worde
Trombone – Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton
Written-By – Peer
19 Thomas Morris And His Seven Hot Babies– P.D.Q. Blues 3:18
Banjo – Buddy Christian
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Ernest Elliott
Cornet – Tom Morris
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – Unknown Artist
Piano [or] – Mike Jackson, Phil Worde
Trombone – Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton
Written-By – Henry, Simpson
20 Thomas Morris And His Seven Hot Babies– The Mess 2:52
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Bob Fuller
Cornet – Tom Morris
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – Unknown Artist
Piano [or] – Mike Jackson, Phil Worde
Trombone – Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton
Written-By – Peer
21 Thomas Morris And His Seven Hot Babies– The Chinch 3:11
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Bob Fuller
Cornet – Tom Morris
Double Bass [String Bass] – Wellman Braud
Drums – Unknown Artist
Piano [or] – Mike Jackson, Phil Worde
Trombone – Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton
Written-By – Worde
22 Nashville Jazzers– St. Louis Blues 2:47
Banjo – Unknown Artist
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Bob Fuller
Cornet – Tom Morris
Piano [?] – Mike Jackson
Written-By – Handy
