Audrey Morris

Audrey Morris
Born (1928-11-12)November 12, 1928
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died April 1, 2018(2018-04-01) (aged 89)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s) Singer, musician
Instruments Piano

Audrey Morris (November 12, 1928 – April 1, 2018) was an American singer and pianist who specialized in jazz ballads.

Biography

Morris grew up on the South Side of Chicago and had classical piano lessons in her childhood. Through the radio broadcasts of Your Hit Parade, she developed an interest in songs. In her school days she wrote lyrics; her idols included Billie Holiday, Lee Wiley, Mildred Bailey, and Peggy Lee.

In 1950, she began performing in the Capitol Lounge; In 1954 she moved to the newly opened nightclub Mister Kelly's. In 1955, she sang with Charlie Spivak; 1956 with Claude Thornhill in the NBC television show Moonlight in Vermont. She recorded her first album in 1955 for the small RCA sub-label Label X (Bistro Ballads, with Johnny Pate); the following year for Bethlehem Records (The Voice of Audrey Morris with arrangements by Marty Paich).

She was offered the opportunity to record an album of film theme music for Warner Brothers. In the following years, she continued to perform locally; she was the leader of a trio at London House, a jazz piano club that also had stars such as George Shearing and Oscar Peterson. In the late 1960s, she limited her performances to her family. In 1981, she had another engagement at Palmer House.

In 1985, she released another album, Afterthoughts (with Stu Genovese). In the field of jazz, she was involved between 1955 and 2001 in twelve recording sessions.[1]

Death

Morris died at the age of 89 on April 1, 2018 at the Presence Resurrection Medical Center in Norwood Park, Chicago.[2]

Solo Albums

RecordedAlbum TitleLabelCatalogue No.Format
1955Bistro Ballads Sung By Audrey MorrisX Records/RCA VIKLXA-1028LP/CD
1956The Voice Of Audrey MorrisBethlehem RecordsBCP 6010LP/CD
1985AfterthoughtsFancy Faire RecordsFFCD1633LP/CD
1989Film NoirFF 7845LP/CD
1997Look At Me NowAudiophile RecordsB000001URHCD
1999Round AboutFancy FaireCD

Selected Compilations

RecordedAlbum TitleLabelCatalogue No.Format
1955(?)One Night Stand With Claude Thornhill Volume IIJoyce RecordsLP 1046LP
Today's Hits with Charlie Spivak And His Orchestra with the Honey Dreamers and Audrey MorrisRCA CamdenCAE 3017" EP
1995The Girls Of Bethlehem, Vol. OneBethlehem Records40052CD
2016Bistro Ballads/Voice of Audrey MorrisFresh SoundFSRCD 901CD

References

  1. ↑ Lord, Tom. "Musician List". The Jazz Discography. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  2. ↑ Reich, Howard (April 1, 2018). "Singer-pianist Audrey Morris dies at 89, was an icon of Chicago cabaret and jazz". Chicago Tribune.
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