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Morris Nelms

"Those who know me know I love to swing..."

About Me

Morris Nelms, pianist/vocalist, grew up in Frederick, OK, discovered Jazz at Cameron University in Lawton, OK, and was instantly hooked. He completed a Bachelor's degree at the University of Oklahoma in 1978 and a Master's degree in Composition at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX in 2000. He retired from Texas State University in the summer of 2020. He has taught and played Jazz for many years. In addition, he has taught and, in some cases, is teaching: Introduction to the Fine Arts, Aural Learning, Improvisation/Combo performance, Big Band Performance, Jazz History, Jazz Appreciation, Jazz Piano, Jazz Guitar, Jazz Voice and University Seminar. He hopes you will buy the CD he recorded in 1999 with Cullen Offer, The Best Thing For You Would Be The Cullen Offer Quartet, on Progressive Records (PCD 7114). He can also be heard to good advantage on Ken Slavin's latest CD I'll Take Romance. Noel, the latest CD by the band Small World, is his most recent studio recording. Noel features excellent arrangements of classic Christmas tunes by Polly Harrison. He has a live album out under his own name: I Don't Know Yet, Morris Nelms with bassists Mark Nelms and Ben Triesch and drummer Mike Koennig, recorded in 2020 at Parker Jazz Club in Austin, TX. https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Know-Yet-Morris- Nelms/dp/B08M3YZN8L/ref=sr_1_1? dchild=1&keywords=Morris+Nelms&qid=1619934435&s=dmusic&search-type=ss&sr=1-1 Faculty pianist: Clark Terry International Institute of Jazz Studies 1994-1997. Performances with: Snooky Young, Marshal Royal, Louis Bellson, Ed Shaughnessy, Clark Terry, Plas Johnson, Red Holloway, Butch Miles, Kenny Washington, Al Grey, Sonny Stitt, Stephen Fulton, Kris Kimura, Jim Cullum. Praise Band leader since 2005, Buda United Methodist Church.

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My Jazz Story

The best show I ever attended was a Wichita Jazz Festival that featured Count Basie, Clark Terry, Dexter Gordon, and Sarah Vaughan singing with Count Basie.

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