JELLY ROLL MORTON

Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton was a New Orleans French Creole born Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe  (October 20, 1890 / July 10, 1941).  He was an American virtuoso pianist, bandleader, and  composer of songs including “Whining Boy Blues,” “King Porter Stomp,” “The Pearls” and “The Crave, ”Alabama Bound,” “Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor,” “My Gal Sal,”  and various other rags, blues, stomps, marches and stride numbers.  . Morton was a highly intelligent, colorful character whose business card referred to him as the "Originator of Jazz." New Orleans  He was (along with Tony Jackson) one of the best regarded pianists in the Storyville District early in the 20th century. According to Morton, Jackson was the only pianist "in the world" better than he. In his prime through the 1920s,  Mr. Jelly Roll was at the the top of his game as a composer and piano read more...