JELLY-ROLL MORTON'S NEW ORLEANS JAZZMEN

Biography

Jelly Roll Morton's New Orleans Jazzmen was a short-lived ensemble formed in 1939-1940 by Ferdinand 'Jelly Roll' Morton (c. 1890-1941), a pioneering Louisiana Creole jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader born in New Orleans' Faubourg Marigny. Morton, who began playing piano professionally in Storyville brothels around 1902 and claimed to have 'invented jazz,' became jazz's first significant arranger, blending ragtime, blues, and classical elements into structured yet improvisational works like 'King Porter Stomp' and 'Jelly Roll Blues,' one of the first published jazz compositions in 1915[1][2][3][5]. After touring the U.S. South, performing in minstrel shows, vaudeville, and nightclubs through the 1910s and early 1920s, he settled in Chicago in 1923, recording innovative sides with his Red Hot Peppers from 1926-1930 that elevated him to national fame with semiorchestrated jazz arrangements[1][3].

By the late 1930s, overshadowed by Louis Armstrong and swing-era stars, Morton relocated to Washington, D.C., where he recorded extensive Library of Congress sessions in 1938, preserving over 100 compositions. In 1939, amid declining health and career struggles, he assembled the New Orleans Jazzmen in New York to recapture his early style, cutting a handful of tracks including 'Oh, Didn't He Ramble' and 'Sweet Peter' that showcased his compositional genius alongside traditional New Orleans ensemble improvisation[1][3][5]. These sessions marked a poignant late-career revival effort before Morton succumbed to pneumonia in Los Angeles in 1941, leaving a legacy as a bridge from ragtime to orchestral jazz[1][2][8].

Fun Facts

• Morton famously claimed 'I invented jazz in 1902,' a boast that drew scorn but highlighted his pioneering arrangements predating many Dixieland recordings[1][3][6].
• His 1938 Library of Congress recordings with Alan Lomax captured over 100 compositions, including spoken tales of his wild Storyville days as a gambler and hustler[2][5].
• Morton supplemented music income as a pool hustler, card shark, and possibly pimp during his itinerant Southern tours[2][3].
• His composition 'Jelly Roll Blues' (1915) was among the very first jazz pieces published, proving improvisation could be notated[3].

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Countess Willie Piazza - Storyville madam who employed him as a young pianist (Early professional gigs in New Orleans brothels) [c. 1902-1904]

Key Collaborators

• Morton’s Red Hot Peppers - His primary recording band (Series of recordings including 'Black Bottom Stomp,' 'King Porter Stomp') [1926-1930]
• New Orleans Jazzmen members (e.g., Sidney Bechet, Sidney DeParis) - Core musicians in his late-career ensemble (1939-1940 sessions like 'Oh, Didn’t He Ramble') [1939-1940]
• Rosa Brown - Girlfriend and vaudeville partner (Touring act) [1912-1914]

Artists Influenced

• James P. Johnson - Stride pianist who saw Morton perform and drew stylistic inspiration (Early stride piano developments) [1910-1911]
• Willie 'The Lion' Smith - Stride pianist influenced by Morton's performances (Stride piano style) [1910-1911]
• Louis Armstrong - Shifted jazz emphasis partly building on Morton's arranged innovations (Solo improvisation focus post-New Orleans style) [1920s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia