Chicago Jazz Magazine
March/April 2008
in her own words... Audrey Morris grew up on the South Side of Chicago, where her relationship with songs began. Studying classical piano as a child, she was drawn to the radio, which played all the latest tunes from the Hit Parade, and she sat in school writing lyrics in her notebook while pretending to do her lessons. Her favorites were Billie Holiday, Lee Wiley, Mildred Bailey, and Peggy Lee. In 1950, Morris began singing and playing at the Capitol Lounge on State Street, and in 1954 moved to the newly-opened Mister Kelly’s. She quickly became a magnet for other performers, from the fine local singers to visiting jazz royalty. Morris made her first album on the tiny “X” label, a division of RCA, in 1955—Bistro Ballads—and the next year, Bethlehem Records signed her to record The Voice of Audrey Morris with arranger Marty Paich. Warner Brothers offered her an exclusive contract to record movie theme songs and to perhaps appear onscreen. But rather than surrender her freedom, Audrey turned them down. Instead she began a five-year stint as leader of the intermission trio at Chicago’s London House, a jazz piano club. There she shared bills with virtually every great jazz pianist, notably George Shearing and Oscar Peterson, both of whom became lifelong friends and fans. In the late sixties, Morris reduced her work schedule to a night or two a week in order to raise her newborn son. Not until 1981 did she accept another full-time booking, at Chicago’s Palmer House. Over the past three decades, she has played top rooms in Chicago, including the Embers, Yvette’s, Toulouse, Maxim’s, the Big House and the Whitehall Hotel. She may currently be seen frequently at Cornelia’s. Morris has introduced several generations of audiences to the glories of the Great American Songbook. Chicago Jazz Magazine: What is it about Chicago that kept you from leaving, and going to either New York or L.A. or some of the other places you could have gone? Audrey Morris: I lived in L.A. for a short time and couldn’t wait to get back. I just missed the attitude here. The people here are so friendly and they are very knowledgeable, but they don’t brag about it. This is a good city—I love living here. And we have some pretty swift musicians here. Chicago Jazz Magazine: When you think of the Chicago jazz scene versus the scenes in L.A. or New York is there anything about Chicago that’s different? Morris: I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I think we have some of the very best players who elect to stay here. Number one, a lot of them are family people—they want to be around their families; they are not particular interested in becoming big stars, they just want to do what they love to do. And they are able to do it here because Chicago does support music and always has. Some of the best ever have come out of Chicago. Chicago Jazz Magazine: In your mind, who are those people? Morris: Well, the Dixieland groups early on—the beginning of jazz—that came up the river to Chicago, as did Louis Armstrong. It doesn’t get better than that. You know Chicago has played a huge part in the history of jazz. There are all kinds. I was just on a program in Toronto and Quincy Jones was also on it—he’s from the South Side, and I’m also from the South Side. Ramsey Lewis has lived here all his life. Willie Pickens. A remarkable player, Judy Roberts [leans into mic as though speaking directly to Judy] Come home Judy! She’s gone to Arizona, but I’m hoping she comes back home, because she is such a marvelous performer… a wonderful player. Chicago Jazz Magazine: You are sort of the elder statesman of the Chicago jazz music scene right now. Morris: Well, to tell the truth there are three war horses and I’m one of them. Dave Green is also one of them and, of course, Buddy Charles. Another great Chicago musician is Johnny Frigo, and
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Audrey Morris
he is a South Sider—he grew up in Roseland. Steve Allen is another, and Ramsey Lewis is from the South Side. There are all kinds of good players are from the South Side. I mentioned Willie Pickens. His daughter is a wonderful player,too. But Willie’s been here all his life same as I have. Somehow or other we don’t want to leave. Chicago Jazz Magazine: When would you say the club scene in Chicago was in its peak? Morris: I would say late twenties, through the thirties and forties. And then television and the media started keeping people at home—people could see so much without leaving the house and without spending a lot of money. But it was quite different in those days. There were more singers than there were flavors. Chicago Jazz Magazine: It’s interesting you say that, particularly since you have such a broad perspective. Most people think of the fifties and sixties as the golden age of the club scene in Chicago. You’re saying it was actually in decline by then because of television. Morris: I think so, especially with the jazz musicians coming up from Mississippi and working in Chicago— Louis Armstrong in particular. But then he came up to work with Joe Oliver, who also came up from Mississippi—a remarkable man that no one was familiar with, but he caught on. So Chicago played a very important part in jazz. Chicago Jazz Magazine: How did you start playing the piano? Morris: I had a piano, an old player piano, in the house that was inherited from my father’s family, and it had piano rolls on it. So we would play that once we learned how to do it—we would start the rolls going and then we’d see the keys going up and down. And then I said, I think I’ll try that myself! [laughs] And that’s how it started. I think I started around age six. And I was actually terrible, because I paid no attention whatsoever to the left hand—wherever it landed that was okay with me. But I did learn the right hand. And finally my mother said, you just better get you some lessons before the neighbors call the police! Chicago Jazz Magazine: So were you more interested in melody than you were in rhythm and chord structure? Morris: Apparently, that’s what got to me. The rhythm was important to me and I was playing rhythm in my left hand, but wherever was close, that’s where it landed. [laughs] Chicago Jazz Magazine: When did you begin to learn jazz? Morris: Actually, you know radio was very good in those days, because the songwriters were writing something new and beautiful every week. You could turn on the radio and hear very good music regardless where you were. However, in Chicago, there’s a gentleman who’s one of my top idols, and that’s Studs Terkel. He had a radio show called The Wax Museum. I had chores—and my Mother was a working Mom, and so when I came home from school there were chores that were mine to do. And so I’d turn on the radio for company. And as I was turning the dial I heard this sound coming, and it was a show called The Wax Museum. And the man doing all the talking and giving us a lot of information was Studs Terkel! Chicago Jazz Magazine: And did he play jazz on his show? Morris: Absolutely. The first time I ever heard Billie Holiday was on his radio show. Chicago Jazz Magazine: So it was through the media that you picked up on jazz? Morris: Absolutely. Conscientious people like Studs, because he wasn’t there to be a big star; he was there basically, I think, as an educator. He wanted everyone to enjoy what he knew was good. Chicago Jazz Magazine: So Studs Terkel has been a part of your life since you… Morris: Absolutely one of my idols.
Chicago Jazz Magazine: Have you met him? Morris: Oh yes. Yes, I’ve known him for many years—since I first started out. He happened in one night when I was first at Mr. Kelly’s, and I knew it was him. And it made me so nervous: Oh dear, now what am I going to do, because he knows all the good stuff and here am I—what am I going to do? But ultimately we became friends—we still are friends. Chicago Jazz Magazine: You’ve played a lot of different styles but you’ve settled into cabaret and jazz. Do you have a preference and do you consider yourself more adept at one or the other? Morris: No. No, I don’t consider myself necessarily a jazz player, although I will alter the chords and change them to suit what I want that chord to say. With singing I will phrase in the jazz style. Chicago Jazz Magazine: What do you think is the difference? When does the music you’re performing become jazz? Morris: I think it is definitely a process. In jazz, you’re composing as you go along—you are writing a new sound. Not physically writing—but you are creating a new melody to the chord structure as it exists. And as it gets more sophisticated the chord structures change, too. The inner voicings change a lot… Am I getting to weird? Chicago Jazz Magazine: No, no. And is that something your were born with or were you taught that? Morris: I think I heard other people doing it. Well, to tell you the truth, you know the group from Tin Pan Alley—you know, Gershwin and Cole Porter and Rodgers and Hart. Their lead sheets are really quite boring. They are very basic chords without imagination. I think that’s because people would buy sheet music in those days. A lot of people
played the piano and they wanted to do the latest songs. So the composers made it understandable for the masses. But the jazz players will figure out a chord that is subliminal without people knowing it. It will express sadness or happiness—various emotions. Chicago Jazz Magazine: That’s really the key, isn’t it? Morris: One of them. I don’t know all of the keys. I wish I did, but it’s one of the things. Chicago Jazz Magazine: Doesn’t all great art transfer an emotion of sorts from the creator to the audience? Morris: That’s why it’s art. It’s called art because people see it, hear it, read it, and we move to it, and it makes people feel that they are not the only ones in the world who have these particular feelings. It’s very important. Chicago Jazz Magazine: Let’s talk a little more about your career. At what point did you realize you were going to be a full time professional musician? Morris: I always wanted to play the piano. So when I was only still in grade school I would go to the dime stores. Remember the dime stores? They had a pianist working there, and they would encourage people to buy the sheet music. That was my idea of a great job—you could see all the latest music, play the piano all day and get paid for it. I can’t imagine what they might have made for doing that, but that was my ambition: to play the piano in the dime store. Chicago Jazz Magazine: And that inspired you to become better at the piano? Morris: I always wanted to become better at the piano. As you can see I have very small hands, so if you don’t hear some of those octaves—not that you would anyway, but in order to play a tenth I have to whip my thumb down to play the tenth. [laughs] So I was never going to scare anybody on the piano. But