Barbara Morrison's Final Blues Album Released
Jazz and Blues icon releases her final album she was creating when she passed in March 2022.
By: Michael Major Sep. 21, 2023
Legendary Jazz and Blues singer Barbara Morrison’s final album titled BLUES MAMA! is released into all online streaming stores. The long time Los Angeles resident died March 16, 2022 while working on this album recording with Producer David Longoria and an all-star blues ensemble The Legacy.
“The world lost one of Jazz and Blues’ music icons of our time, but it’s wonderful to know her lifetime of creativity is left behind for millions to enjoy and preserve in history” Longoria said adding, “she will be missed for her amazing talents as well as for her beautiful spirit.”
David Longoria is a multi awards winning and Grammys Nominated music producer and artist known for his hits in jazz, dance and other genres. He met Barbara Morrison in 2018 when he featured her singing on his album MOOD on the classic jazz song “Body And Soul”. “We became friends instantly when I saw her beautiful spirit and heard her amazing voice!” Longoria explains. This collaboration won the 2019 Hollywood Music In Media Best Jazz award.
The new release is a 15 song album including blues classics she had become known for
delivering in her unmistakable authentic and unique style, The title song “Blues Mama!” was written for her for the album by David Longoria.
A second original song for the collection was written by Longoria and iconic songwriter Carol Connors titled “Gotta Get To You”. Miss Connors is best known for penning the classic “With You I’m Born Again” with David Shire as well as “Gonna Fly Now” with Bill Conti as the theme for the movie Rocky and all the sequels.
The song is sung on the album by David Longoria as Miss Morrison passed away before she was able to record the vocals.
“Barbara loved the song and she told me she loved the way I had performed it on the demo the demo for her to learn so I decided to include it as a bonus track on her album as a tribute to her and her legacy,“ He explains.
Three of the album’s tracks are special excerpts from the title song with playful renditions in old blues styles. and titled Interludes and a Postlude.
Miss Morrison performed for more than 50 years in concerts, blues clubs and Jazz and Blues festivals the world over. A notable festival in Montreal, Switzerland brought together on stage Blues Guitar legend Buddy Guy with Barbara Morrison and Carlos Santana for an unforgettable performance in July 2004. Over the course of her career she performed with many greats of Jazz and Blues – including Stevie Wonder, Dizzy Gillespie, Chaka Kahn, Ray Charles, Etta James, Tony Bennett and many more.
In 2019 Miss Morrison created the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center in Leimert Park, California (a section of Los Angeles) where it provides a venue for performers of all ages and all cultures, promoting music and dance. The City of Los Angeles named the intersection in front of her venue Barbara Morrison Square in her honor in 2022.
Weighing in on her legacy Carol Connors said “The first time I heard Barbara Morrison’s jazz interpretation of my song “With you I’m Born Again” I felt like I had been born again… I had never heard it like she sang it. And the first thing I did after I picked myself off the floor, was call David Shire and he called me back after he picked himself off the floor. She had done us proud! And proud I am to have written with David Longoria ‘Gotta Get To You’ for her album.”
Dionne Warwick added her feelings for Barbara Morrison and her legacy: “She gave me a complete lesson on how the blues was and should be sung… Her last recording should be considered for a Grammy without giving it a second thought!”
Listen to the new album here:
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