Mark Nelms, bass;
Masumi Jones, drums
We play at 7PM every Saturday at Perry's in downtown Austin, TX, at 7th and Colorado.
Influences
Pianists: Fats Waller: I wish I could stride like that. And I love how he can sing and tell jokes while playing amazing two-fisted piano.
Count Basie: Out swings everyone.
Erroll Garner: I love his approach to the left hand of the piano and his sense of theatre.
Thelonious Monk: My vote for the most original musician in jazz.
Hampton Hawes: Dynamic, swinging, serious musician. He got to Bird on the piano in a way that no one else, including Bud Powell, did.
Barry Harris: Great teacher and player. He has a unique approach to rhythm and his melodic skills are stunning.
McCoy Tyner: I saw him with Sharpe and Scott at One World Theater in Austin not long before he disbanded this trio. It was the best piano trio I've ever seen, and some of the best jazz I've ever heard. The trio had been together for 13 years at that point, and the bassist had been with McCoy for 22 years. I was stunned when McCoy broke up this group.
Jay McShann was a great pianist with a great blues feeling. He gets the same feeling in his voice. Everything he does sounds organic, like he was born doing it. He's from Oklahoma originally, as I am, and I can hear that quality in his playing and singing.
Vocalists: Louis Armstrong: How can anyone who sings (or plays) jazz not love him?
Billie Holiday: She can swing harder at slower tempos with less effort than any I've heard.
Ray Charles: When he sings standards I can hear Billie Holiday all over him.
Billy Eckstine: I've never heard anyone with a sound like his. I heard him in person when he was old and it was still stunning.
Joe Turner: He made a recording with Basie called The Bosses that I've played to death. Great band and he fires them up.
Dean Martin: So relaxed and yet on top of things.
Mel Torme: I especially like the way he sings in the upper register, and he's a scatting fool. He also has a fantastic sound.
Others: Clark Terry: I love the way he bridges swing and bop.
Charlie Parker: Probably the best ever at what we do.
Art Blakey: He and Papa Jo Jones are my favorite drummers, and I love what Blakey did for the music.
Teachers: Flossie Plott (my first music teacher), Howard Johnson (my first jazz teacher), Stephen Fulton (most influential jazz teacher), Clarence Griffin (not really my teacher but playing with him taught me a lot about phrasing), Russ Riepe (composition teacher during grad school who encouraged me to find my own voice in a way no one had until then), and voice teachers John Paul Johnson, John Belisle, Naymond Thomas and Bert Neely for their help in learning to sing.
I grew up in Frederick, OK, discovered jazz at Cameron University in Lawton, OK and was instantly hooked. I completed a Bachelor's degree at the University of Oklahoma in 1978 and a Master's degree in Music Composition at Texas State University in 2000. From 1978-1980 Stephen Fulton (leader), Rich Thompson, Lynn Seaton and I were the members of a jazz group in Norman, OK, called Oleo. That was one of the most important things I ever did as a musician.
Currently I teach at Texas State University. I have taught and played jazz for over 30 years. I was the faculty pianist at the Clark Terry International Institute of Jazz Studies in Le Mars, IA, from 1994-1997. That was a great time: great faculty, Stephen Fulton, Cliff McMurray, Mark Nelms, and great guests; Clark came by every semester for a week!
I have performed with Marshal Royal, Snooky Young, Louis Bellson, Ed Shaughnessy, Jesse Davis, Jimmy Woode, Plas Johnson, Red Holloway, Butch Miles, Kenny Washington, Al Grey, Sebastian Campesi, Dave Glasser, Sonny Stitt and Mike Wheeler.
I've taught Introduction to the Fine Arts, University Seminar, Aural Learning, Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Combo, Big Band, Jazz History, Jazz Appreciation, Jazz Piano, Jazz Voice and Jazz Guitar.
I play every Sunday morning at Buda United Methodist Church (9:40AM service). You can see my complete gigging schedule at my website (morrisnelmsmusic.com).
I'm also an avid amateur painter. You can see my work under Pics and my self portrait is posted as my profile photo.
