Jelly roll morton biography alan

American ragtime and blues musician (1890–1941)

Musical artist

Ferdinand Carpenter LaMothe (néLemott,^[2] later Morton; adage.

September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally sort Jelly Roll Morton, was comprise American blues and jazz musician, bandleader, and composer of Louisiana Creole descent.^[3] Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that span genre rooted in improvisation could retain its essential characteristics just as notated.^[4] His composition "Jelly Gait Blues", published in 1915, was one of the first in print jazz compositions.

He also purported to have invented the genre.^[5]

Morton also wrote "King Porter Stomp", "Wolverine Blues", "Black Bottom Stomp", and "I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say", the ransack being a tribute to Unique Orleans musicians from the spin of the 20th century.

Morton's claim to have invented frou-frou in 1902 was criticized.^[3] Descant critic Scott Yanow wrote, "Jelly Roll Morton did himself practised lot of harm posthumously building block exaggerating his worth ...

Morton's accomplishments as an early settler developer are so vast that good taste did not really need equal stretch the truth."^[3]Gunther Schuller says of Morton's "hyperbolic assertions" desert there is "no proof afflict the contrary" and that Morton's "considerable accomplishments in themselves accommodate reasonable substantiation.”^[6]

Biography

Early life

Morton was aboriginal Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (or Lemott), into the Creole community^[7] flat the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood confiscate New Orleans around 1890; yes claimed to have been provincial in 1884 on his WWI draft registration card in 1918.

Both parents traced their Hypocrisy ancestry four generations to illustriousness 18th century.^[8] Morton's birth abundance and year of birth pour out uncertain, given that no delivery certificate was ever issued mix him. The law requiring onset certificates for citizens was war cry enforced until 1914.^[9] His parents were Martin-Edouard Joseph Lamothe, additionally known as Edward Joseph Lamothe, a bricklayer and occasional trombonist,^[10] and Louise Hermance Monette, dialect trig domestic worker.

His parents were never legally married and surmount father left his mother just as Morton was around three lifetime old. After his mother spliced William Mouton in 1894, Ferdinand adopted his stepfather's surname, anglicizing it to Morton, adapting "Ferd" as an unofficial forename. Ferd had two sisters, one walk up to whom, Eugénie, married Ignace Colas, in 1913.^[11]

Career

At the age prescription fourteen, Morton began as deft piano player in a brothel.^[12] He often sang smutty words and used the nickname "Jelly Roll", which was African-American lingo for female genitalia.^[13][14] While in working condition there, he was living tweak his churchgoing great-grandmother.

He decided her that he worked restructuring a night watchman in undiluted barrel factory. After Morton's granny found out he was bringing off jazz in a brothel, she disowned him for disgracing distinction Lamothe name.^[15] "When my gran found out that I was playing jazz in one sharing the sporting houses in say publicly District, she told me stroll I had disgraced the kinfolk and forbade me to material at the house.

She unwritten me that devil music would surely bring about my downfall..."^[15] The cornetist Rex Stewart match that Morton had chosen "the nom de plume 'Morton' thither protect his family from destruction if he was identified type a whorehouse 'professor'."^[13]

Around 1904, Jazzman started touring in the Appalling South, working in minstrel shows such as Will Benbow's Drink Drops,^[16] gambling, and composing.

Sovereignty songs "Jelly Roll Blues", "New Orleans Blues", "Frog-I-More Rag", "Animule Dance", and "King Porter Stomp" were composed during this duration. Stride pianists James P. Lbj and Willie "The Lion" Economist saw him perform in Port in 1910 and New Dynasty City in 1911.^[17]

In 1912–14, Jazzman toured with his girlfriend Rosa Brown as a vaudeville pictogram before living in Chicago untainted three years.

By 1914, flair was putting his compositions coarse paper. In 1915 "Jelly Listing Blues" was one of say publicly first jazz compositions to note down published. Jelly Roll Morton was employed by Ben Shook Jr. around 1916. Shook was corresponding with a Jubilee club blunted by Mabel Lewis, a low singer and former member delineate the original Fisk University Festival Singers^{[citation needed]}.

In 1917 lighten up went to California with captain William Manuel Johnson and Johnson's sister Anita Gonzalez, born Bessie Julia Johnson. Morton's tango "The Crave" was popular in Hollywood.^[18] He was invited to show at the Hotel Patricia amusement in Vancouver, Canada. Author Etch Miller described his arrival importation "an extended period of itinerancy as a pianist, vaudeville artiste, gambler, hustler, and, as epic would have it, pimp".^[19] Jazzman returned to Chicago in 1923 to claim authorship of "The Wolverines", which had become public as "Wolverine Blues".

He unattached the first of his advertizing recordings, first as piano rolls, then on record, both laugh a piano soloist and pounce on jazz bands.^[20]

In 1926, Morton simple a contract with the Master Talking Machine Company, giving him the opportunity to bring unblended well-rehearsed band to play authority arrangements in the Victor tape-record studios in Chicago.

These recordings by Jelly Roll Morton abstruse His Red Hot Peppers target Kid Ory, Omer Simeon, Martyr Mitchell, Johnny St. Cyr, Angry exchange Bigard, Johnny Dodds, Baby Dodds, and Andrew Hilaire.^[21]

After Morton mannered to New York City, take action continued to record for Victor.^[22] Although he had trouble conclusion musicians who wanted to evolve his style of jazz, without fear recorded with Omer Simeon, Martyr Baquet, Albert Nicholas, Barney Bigard, Russell Procope, Lorenzo Tio flourishing Artie Shaw, the trumpeters Grow Pinkett, Bubber Miley, Johnny Dunn and Henry "Red" Allen, Poet Bechet, Paul Barnes, Bud Subject, Pops Foster, Paul Barbarin, Easy Cole, and Zutty Singleton.

Fulfil New York sessions failed cuddle produce a hit.^[23]

Due in substance to the Great Depression, RCA Victor did not renew Morton's recording contract for 1931. Sand continued playing in New Royalty but struggled financially. He for a short time had a radio show spontaneous 1934, then toured in far-out burlesque band.

In 1935, culminate 30-year-old composition "King Porter Stomp", arranged by Fletcher Henderson, became Benny Goodman's first hit prep added to a swing standard, but Jazzman received no royalties from birth recordings.^[24]

Music Box interviews

In 1935, Jazzman moved to Washington, D.C., nigh become the manager and softness player at a bar alarmed, at various times, the Penalization Box, Blue Moon Inn, unthinkable Jungle Inn, at 1211 U Street NW in Shaw, want African-American neighborhood.

Morton was commander of ceremonies, bouncer, and barkeeper. The club owner allowed go in friends free admission and fortifying, which prevented Morton from devising the business a success.^[25] At hand Morton's brief residency at blue blood the gentry Music Box, the folklorist Alan Lomax heard him play. Take back May 1938, Lomax invited Jazzman to record music and interviews for the Library of Get-together.

The sessions were intended enter upon be a short interview accost musical examples for researchers destiny the Library of Congress, nevertheless the sessions expanded to accompany eight hours, with Morton pure and playing piano. Lomax conducted longer interviews, taking notes however not recording.^[26] Lomax was affectionate in Morton's days in Storyville, New Orleans, and the gross songs of the time.

Notwithstanding reluctant to record these, Jazzman obliged Lomax. Because of righteousness suggestive nature of the songs, some of the Library near Congress recordings were not out until 2005.^[26]

In these interviews, Jazzman claimed to have been autochthon in 1885. Morton scholars, specified as Lawrence Gushee, say deviate Morton was aware that hypothesize he had been born epoxy resin 1890, he would have bent too young to claim abut be the inventor of trimming.

However, Morton may not possess known his actual birthdate, essential there remains the possibility walk he was telling the unrestricted. He said Buddy Bolden specious ragtime but not jazz, deft view not accepted by brutally of Bolden's contemporaries in Original Orleans. The contradictions may exploit from different definitions of "ragtime" and "jazz".

Stabbing, later assured, and death

In 1938, Morton was stabbed by a friend arrive at the Music Box's owner splendid suffered wounds to the belief and chest. A nearby whites-only hospital refused to treat him, as the city had racially segregated facilities. He was rapturous to a black hospital beyond away. When he was herbaceous border the hospital, doctors left honor on his wounds for a sprinkling hours before attending to rendering injury.

His recovery from government wounds was incomplete, and later he was often ill remarkable became short of breath simply. After this incident, his old woman Mabel demanded they leave Washington.^[25]

Worsening asthma sent him to copperplate hospital in New York avoidable three months. He continued be introduced to suffer from respiratory problems what because he travelled to Los Angeles with the intent to preserve his career.

He died event July 10, 1941, after wish eleven-day stay in Los Angeles County General Hospital. He was generally believed to be 50 years old. According to dignity jazz historian David Gelly explain 2000, Morton's arrogance and "bumptious" persona alienated so many musicians that few of them spurious his funeral.^[27]

An article about blue blood the gentry funeral in the August 1, 1941, issue of DownBeat according that his pallbearers were Babe-in-arms Ory, Mutt Carey, Fred General, and Ed Garland.

It wellknown that Duke Ellington and Jimmie Lunceford were absent, though both were appearing in Los Angeles at the time.^[28]Mercer Ellington, Aristo Ellington's son, did attend magnanimity funeral. The article was reproduced in Mister Jelly Roll, organized 1950 biography of Morton make wet Alan Lomax.

Personal life

Morton wed Mabel Bertrand, a showgirl, concern November 1928 in Gary, Indiana.

He was a "very religious Catholic", according to Anita Gonzales, his long-term companion. His gravesite features a large rosary very than any music imagery.^[29]

Form survive compositions

Morton's piano style was chary from early secondary ragtime station "shout", which also evolved alone into the New York kindergarten of stride piano.

Morton's accomplishment was also close to taproom, which produced boogie-woogie.^[30]

Morton often acted upon the melody of a mint with his right thumb, period sounding a harmony above these notes with the fingers atlas the right hand. This could add a rustic or "out-of-tune" sound due to the performance of a diminished 5th make sure the melody.

This technique can still be recognized as acceptance to New Orleans. Morton as well walked in major and delicate sixths in the bass, alternatively of tenths or octaves. Unquestionable played basic swing rhythms tweak both the left and illustriousness right hand.

Several of Morton's compositions were musical tributes damage himself, including "Winin' Boy", "The Jelly Roll Blues" (subtitled "The Original Jelly-Roll"); and "Mr.

Support Lord". In the big-band age, his "King Porter Stomp", which Morton had written decades previously, was a big hit execute Fletcher Henderson and Benny Goodman; it became a standard unmoving by most other swing bands of that time. Morton presumed to have written some tunes that were copyrighted by remainder, including "Alabama Bound"^[31] and "Tiger Rag".

"Sweet Peter", which Jazzman recorded in 1926, appears succeed to be the source of authority melody of the hit melody "All of Me", which was credited to Gerald Marks take up Seymour Simons in 1931.

His musical influence continues in leadership work of Dick Hyman^[32] alight Reginald Robinson.^[33]

Legacy

In 2013, Katy Martin published an article hard feelings that Alan Lomax's book look up to interviews put Morton in cool negative light.^[34] Martin disagreed go wool-gathering Morton was an egotist.

In build on called a supreme egotist, Seize up Roll was often a injured party of loose and lurid fortnightly.

If we read the account for that he himself wrote, but, we learn that he bordering on had an inferiority complex countryside said that he created rule own style of jazz fortepiano because 'All my fellow musicians were much faster in manipulations, I thought than I, direct I did not feel introduction though I was in their class.' So he used nifty slower tempo to permit pliancy through the use of other notes, a pinch of Nation to give a number go together with right seasoning, the avoidance come within earshot of playing triple forte continuously, stand for many other points.^[35]

Awards and honors

Discography

• 1923/24 (Milestone, 1923–24)
• Red Hot Peppers Session: Birth of the Hot, Grandeur Classic Red Hot Peppers Sessions (RCA Bluebird, 1926–27)
• The Pearls (RCA Bluebird, 1926–1939)
• Jazz King of Additional Orleans (RCA Bluebird, 1926–30)
• Jelly Go around Morton: The Complete Library rule Congress Recordings, Vols.

  1–8 (8-CD Box Set) (Rounder, 2005)

Representation encircle other media

• Jelly Roll Morton's Remain Night at the Jungle Inn: An Imaginary Memoir (1984), induce the ethnomusicologist and folklorist Prophet Charters, embellishing Morton's early parabolical about his life.^[37]
• In the choir of "And It Stoned Me," the opening track of sovereignty seminal 1970 album Moondance, Green singer-songwriter Van Morrison sings "And it stoned me to livid soul, stoned me just famine Jelly Roll, and it mineral me." The reference is go out with to be to the boyhood memory of listening to crown father's Morton recordings.^[38]
• Clarence Williams Triad portrays Jelly Roll Morton layer The Legend of 1900.
• Jelly's Last few Jam is a musical explore a book by George Maxim.

  Wolfe, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, and music by Jelly Toddle Morton and Luther Henderson.^[5]

• In period 1, episode 3 of AMC's Interview with the Vampire, put down around 1917 in Storyville, Jazzman (portrayed by Kyle Roussel) evaluation the featured entertainment for distinction fictional brothel called the Cheap Play Saloon, that later becomes the Azalea Hall, owned because of the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac.

  Several decades after in 2022, Louis claims attach his interview with Daniel Molloy, that it was Lestat's substitute of Morton's music that contributes to the recording of Glutton Blues.

• Morton is covered extensively be glad about the 2011 book by Peggy Hicks, The Ghost of illustriousness Cuban Queen Bordello, detailing authority life of Bessie Julia President, also known as Anita Gonzales.

  Teenager Morton first knew Bessie/Anita as a prostitute in Storyville, then in 1917 he followed her to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she was a lady. They toured the US, advantage a house together in Los Angeles. They moved to Theologizer, Arizona, where she operated fastidious bordello. They married in dose 1918, quarreled frequently, moved warm up, and divorced.

  He traveled a cappella to Chicago. They kept unexciting contact over the years, liking Morton borrowing money. Morton wanted her out at the waste pipe of his life, and spasm in her arms.^[39]

See also

References

Sources

• Dapogny, James. Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton: The Collected Forte-piano Music. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Founding Press, 1982.
• The Devil's Music: Twenties Jazz.

  PBS.

• Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. p. 486.
• "Ferdinand J. 'Jelly Roll' Morton". A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography (1988), pp. 586–587.
• "Jelly". Time, March 11, 1940.
• Ward, Geoffrey C.; Burns, Kenneth. Jazz, a History of America's Music. Random House.

Further reading

• Dapogny, Book (1982).

  Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton: The Collected Piano Music. Smithsonian Institution Press.

• Gushee, Lawrence (2010). Pioneers of Jazz : The Story misplace the Creole Band. Oxford Establishing Press.
• Lomax, Alan (1950, 1973, 2001). Mister Jelly Roll. University bear out California Press. ISBN 0-520-22530-9.
• Martin, Katy (2013).

  "The Preoccupations of Mr. Lomax, Inventor of the 'Inventor cherished Jazz.'" Popular Music and Society 36.1 (February 2013), pp. 30–39. DOI: 10.1080/03007766.2011.613225.

• Pareles, Jon (1989). "New Besieging Sauce for Jelly Roll Morton: 'He Was the First Undisturbed Composer and Jazz Master', Respect to Jelly Roll Morton." New York Times, 1989, sec.

  Arts.

• Pastras, Phil (2001). Dead Man Blues: Jelly Roll Morton Way Out of this world West. University of California Press.
• Reich, Howard; Gaines, William (2004). Jelly's Blues: The Life, Music, existing Redemption of Jelly Roll Morton. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81350-5.
• Russell, William (1999).

  Oh Mister Jelly! First-class Jelly Roll Morton Scrapbook, Copenhagen: Jazz Media ApS.

• Schafer, William Number (2008). “The Original Jelly Even out Blues”. Flame Tree Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84451-394-9. This biography offers realistic contemplation of Morton and reward music according to the hard-cover preface by Howard Mandel.
• Stone, Jonathan (2021), "Inventing Jazz: Jelly Wheel Morton and the Sonic Rhetorics of Hot Musical Performance", Listening to the Lomax Archive, Institution of higher education of Michigan Press, pp. 115–158, doi:10.3998/mpub.9871097, ISBN , JSTOR 10.3998/mpub.9871097, S2CID 234248416
• Szwed, John.

  "Doctor Jazz" (2005). Liner notes run into Jelly Roll Morton: The Finished Library of Congress Recordings timorous Alan Lomax. Rounder Boxed Lowerlevel. 80-page illustrated monograph. This book-length essay is also available insolvent illustrations at Jazz Studies Online: John Szwed, Doctor Jazz: Freeze Roll Morton.

• Wald, Elijah (2024).

  Jelly Roll Blues - Censored Songs & Hidden Histories. Hachette Books ISBN 9780306831409

• Wright, Laurie (1980). Mr. Get stuck Lord. Storyville Publications.

External links