Life and Times of Charlie Morris, part 1

Hey Man! Drop some lagniappe in the Tip Jar!

Charlie Morris Band Bio (use this for gig promotional materials):

The Charlie Morris Band plays original and classic blues, with a little Louisiana lagniappe, a tad of Tennessee twang, and a heapin helpin of Florida gator tail.

Charlie’s original songs feature bluesy hooks, dance-inducing grooves and smile-inducing lyrics. You'll hear some slippery slide guitar, barrelhouse boogie-woogie piano, and grooves that'll get you moving like a gator in a puddle of hot sauce!

Charlie and the band have played clubs, festivals and events all over Florida, and in 13 countries, and have released 13 albums of original music.






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Charlie Morris's Personal Bio (for fans and press only, not for gig promo):

I can’t help myself, and I can’t seem to settle down.

Inspired by Schroeder, I took up classical piano at age 6. The Beatles hit me when I was around 13, and I switched to ‘lectric guitar. My older brother Bruce gave me a firm foundation in the Blues (and also inspired my lifelong love of travel). In high school and college, I played with original progressive rock bands.

My first proper professional gig was with an Elvis at a place called the Starlight Lounge (which explains a lot). In Tennessee, I came to love bluegrass and singer-songwriter acoustic music. On the cruise ships, I fell in love with jazz. In Europe, I got into Flamenco, Celtic and African music. And in New Orleans, man, I just listened and tried to sop up some of that gumbo!

So, if you’re expecting to hear some “authentic” Blues, Bluegrass or anything else - sorry. My work is the product of all the great music I’ve listened to in my life, and all the great musicians I’ve met and played with along the way. These days, I’m appearing with The Charlie Morris Band (Mostly Blues), the St Pete Mountain Boys (original, acoustic, grassy) and as a solo (could be almost anything).

I’ve never been famous, at least not beyond the north end of Sunset Beach. Never had a top-ten hit, rode in a limousine, or fought off young groupies. But somehow, I’ve gigged regularly for about 40 years. I’ve played clubs, festivals and parties in 13 states and 13 countries, and released 13 albums of original music.

I’ve been fast enough so far.

Over the years, I played Florida’s funkiest blues clubs, poshest hotels, and more than a few festivals. Not to be modest about it, I’ve played every gig that matters in the St. Pete/Tampa area, and a few of the other kind too.

In 1992, I went to Europe to seek fame and fortune (or at least, slightly more appreciative audiences and slightly better money), and became a lifelong Europhile. I met my wife, known as The Tigress, there and have been going back at least once a year since. I was inspired to go by one of my greatest influences, the bluesman Rock Bottom, who not only gave me a list of possible gigs, but hooked me up with the mainstay of his Swiss band—Mr. “Speedy” Jeanrenaud, who I’ve now been playing with for 20 years.

I’ve played all over Switzerland, as well as in the UK, France, Holland, Belgium, Germany and Norway. Highlights include:

  • The 2004 Cheap Scotch Tour and 2005 Gator n Chips Tour, on which we made our way through England and Scotland all the way up to the Orkney Islands Blues Festival (and recorded a live album)
  • Our 2007 weeklong stand at the Montreux Jazz Festival (also immortalized as a live album), where we got to jam with the godlike Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn, and legendary festival director Claude Nobs
  • The 2016 Vikings Meet Heidi Tour, on which we played the Skjærgårdsblues Festival in a tiny fishing village in Norway, and the Festycharm festival in the Swiss Alps

In the late 90s and early aughts, I made several Crescent City Crawls to New Orleans, and did some gigs around Knoxville, Tennessee.

In 1998, I released my first Blues CD, Bluer Than Thou. Since then, I’ve released 13 discs of original material, as well as a passel of live video sets. Highlights include:

  • Live in Fribourg, a live concert DVD and CD set that was filmed at a Swiss festival
  • The Forest, my first album of acoustic singer/songwriter-style material
  • The Bluescoast Sessions, which features collaborations with some of the best bluesmen and women from Florida and beyond (Lucky Peterson, The Sauce Boss, TC Carr, Damon Fowler et al)
  • Folkie, another acoustic granola album
  • A House Divided, a highly topical rock/blues work
  • At The Firehouse, a brand-new (2022) audio and video documentation of a live concert.

All my audio and video albums are now available in full, absolutely free, exclusively on this site. All were recorded in commercial studios, using the highest production values available at the time. I used (and paid for) the best audio and video engineers and guest musicians that I could find. My physical CDs are professionally designed and printed.

No disrespect to cats who record “demo tapes” on their phones, but I’ve never done things that way. My commitment to quality is also the reason I don’t make most of my stuff available on streaming services, YouTube, etc. Here on my site, you’ll find my material presented the way I want it presented—with all the original artwork and liner notes, plus bonus photos and commentary. It’s all free (but we won’t be offended if you visit the tip jar).