Jelly Roll Morton

Jelly Roll Morton

Source: Big Band Library

Born Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe on 20 September 1890 in New Orleans, Jelly Roll Morton is thought to have begun his professional career at age fourteen, playing piano, with which his name was to become synonymous, in a brothel. He changed his name to Jelly Roll at this time to camouflage his identity. He was nevertheless disowned by his family upon his grandmother discovering that he worked there. "Jelly Roll" was slang for genitalia which term could also refer to heroin.

In 1904 Morton began composing while traveling the South with minstrel shows. In 1912 he began performing the vaudeville circuit with Rosa Brown. Among his first published compositions was 'Jelly Roll Blues' in 1915. He left for Hollywood in 1917, then Vancouver, where he played at a club called The Patricia. Back in Chicago in 1923, he recorded with his own orchestra as early as June that year, two takes each of 'Big Fat Ham' (aka 'Big Foot Ham') and 'Muddy Water Blues' for Paramount on the same date. The next month he laid out three piano solos for Gennett at its studios in Richmond, Indiana: 'King Porter Stomp' with two takes of 'New Orleans Joys'. July that year found him recording with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings. Morton composed prolifically with most of his repertoire by himself. He composed all titles in this presentation unless otherwise noted. He plays piano on all titles as well. That is to say, where neither compositions or piano are credited they are by Morton.

'Big Fat Ham' ('Big Foot Ham')   Jelly Roll Morton & His Orchestra (Stomp Kings)

Also called 'Man and Eggs'

Recorded June 1923 in Chicago   Matrix 1434-1   First recording   Paramount 12050-A

Cornet: Tommy Ladnier   Trombone: Roy Palmer   Clarinet: Wilson Townes

Alto sax: Charles Harris   Woodblocks: Jasper Taylor

'Muddy Water Blues'   Jelly Roll Morton & His Orchestra (Stomp Kings)

Recorded June 1923 in Chicago   Matrix 1435-2   Fourth recording   Paramount 12050-B

Cornet: Tommy Ladnier   Trombone: Roy Palmer   Clarinet: Wilson Townes

Alto sax: Charles Harris   Woodblocks: Jasper Taylor

'Milenberg Joys'   Jelly Roll Morton w NORK (New Orleans Rhythm Kings)

Recorded 18 July 1923 in Richmond IN   Gennett 5217-A

Trumpet: Paul Mares   Trombone: George Brunis   Clarinet: Leon Roppolo

Sax: Glen Scoville   Banjo: Lew Black   Bass: Steve Brown   Drums: Ben Pollack

Composition: Morton / Paul Mares / Leon Roppolo   Lyrics: Walter Melrose

Morton's debut piano rolls are thought to have been made in the summer of 1924 for Vocalstyle in Cincinnati, Ohio: 'Mr. Jelly Lord', 'Tin Roof Blues' and 'Tom Cat Blues'. His career took off in a big way when he signed up with Victor in 1926 with his Red Hot Peppers band. Morton's first issues with the the Peppers that year were 'Black Bottom Stomp', 'Smokehouse Blues' and two takes of 'The Chant'. 'Black Bottom Stomp' was Morton's overall best-selling record. As a jazz musician working of his own persuasion Morton little cared how well his music sold. He placed several titles very nicely on the charts in 1923 and 1924, though no Top Tens, after which Music VF abandons him.

'Mr. Jelly Lord'   Jelly Roll Morton

Piano roll recorded June 1924 toward Vocalstyle 12973

'King Porter Stomp'   Jelly Roll Morton w Joe King Oliver (cornet)

Recorded c Dec 1924 in Chicago   Autograph 617

'Black Bottom Stomp' ('Queen of Spades')   Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers

Recorded 15 Sep 1926 in Chicago   Victor 20221   Charts: #13 1927

Cornet: George Mitchell   Trombone: Kid Ory   Clarinet: Omer Simeon

Banjo: Johnny St. Cyr   Bass: John Lindsay   Drums: Andrew Hilaire

'Steamboat Stomp'   Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers

Recorded 21 Sep 1926 in Chicago   Victor 20296

Cornet: George Mitchell   Trombone: Kid Ory

Banjo: Johnny St. Cyr   Bass: John Lindsay   Drums: Andrew Hilaire

Composition: Morton / Boyd Senter

'Original Jelly Roll Blues'   Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers

Recorded 16 Dec 1926 in Chicago   Matrix 37256-1

Bluebird B10255 / British Rhythm Society BRS12

This the 1st of 2 takes the 2nd of which issued on Victor, HMV, et al

Cornet: George Mitchell   Trombone: Kid Ory   Clarinet: Omer Simeon

Banjo: Johnny St. Cyr   Bass: John Lindsay   Drums: Andrew Hilaire

Composition: Morton / Boyd Senter

'Dr. Jazz'   Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers   Vocal: Morton

Recorded 16 Dec 1926 in Chicago   Matrix 37257-3   Victor 20415

Cornet: George Mitchell   Trombone: Kid Ory   Clarinet: Omer Simeon

Banjo: Johnny St. Cyr   Bass: John Lindsay   Drums: Andrew Hilaire

Composition: King Oliver / Walter Melrose

'The Pearls'   Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers

Recorded 10 June 1927 in Chicago   Victor 20948

Cornet: George Mitchell   Trombone: Gerald Reeves   Clarinet: Johnny Dodds

Alto sax: Stump Evans   Guitar: Bud Scott   Tuba: Quinn Wilson   Drums: Baby Dodds

'Pretty Lil'   Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers

Recorded 9 July 1929 in Camden NJ   Victor 38078

This the 2nd of 2 takes the 1st of which has been issued on later compilations

Trumpet: Red Rosser / David Richards   Trombone: Charlie Irvis   Clarinet: George Baquet

Soprano sax: Paul Barnes   Alto sax: Walter Foots Thomas   Tenor sax: Joe Thomas

Banjo: Barney Alexander   Tuba: Harry Prather   Drums: William Laws

'Courthouse Bump'   Jelly Roll Morton & His Orchestra

Recorded 19 July 1929 in Camden NJ   Victor 38093

This the 2nd of 2 takes the 1st of which has been issued on later compilations

Trumpet: Boyd Rositer / Walter Briscoe   Trombone: Charlie Irvis   Clarinet: George Baquet

Soprano sax: Paul Barnes   Alto sax: Joe Thomas   Tenor sax: Walter Thomas

Banjo: Barney Alexander   Tuba: Harry Prather   Drums: William Laws

'Crazy Chords'   Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers

Recorded 2 June 1930 in NYC   Victor 23307

This the 2nd of 2 takes the 1st of which has been issued on later compilations

Trumpet: Ward Pinkett / ?   Trombone: Julius Geechy Fields   Clarinet: Happy Caldwell

Alto sax: Joe Thomas   Clarinet / baritone sax: Walter Thomas

Banjo: Lee Blair   Tuba: Billy Taylor   Drums: Cozy Cole

'Blue Blood Blues'   Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers

Recorded 14 July 1930 in NYC   Victor 22681 / Bluebird B8201 / British Rhythm Society BRS 11

This the 1st of 2 takes the 2nd of which has been issued on later compilations

Trumpet: Ward Pinkett   Trombone: Julius Geechy Fields   Clarinet: Albert Nicholas

Guitar: Howard Hill   Tuba: Pete Briggs   Drums: Tommy Benford

During the Depression Victor chose to not renew Morton's contract. With work drying up in clubs, Morton turned to radio in 1934, then toured with a burlesque act to earn a living. Tom Lord traces him to only one recording session between December 1930 and April 1938, that in August 1934 in the orchestra of Wingy Manone for only two takes of his composition, 'Never Had No Lovin'. Manone goes by Mannone on the issue that. In 1935 he moved to Washington D.C. to manage a bar called the Jungle Inn, which career path ended in 1938 upon getting stabbed by a friend of the owner. He had that year recorded for Eddie Lomax and the Library of Congress resulting in 'The Complete Library of Congress Recordings', a production of 128 tracks set down between May 23 and June 12 with interviews. Those were released as a box set of eight CDs in 2005. His final recordings per Tom Lord and Monrovia Sound Studio were a radio broadcast in NYC on 14 July of 1940 with the Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street performing his compositions, 'Winin' Boy Blues' and 'King Porter Stomp', each issued later variously.

'Never Had No Lovin''   Jelly Roll Morton w Wingy Manone & His Orchestra

Recorded 15 Aug 1934 in NYC   Special Edition 5011-S

This the 2nd of 2 takes the 1st of which was issued on Meritt 6

Trumpet / vocal: Wingy Manone as Mannone   Trombone: Dickie Wells   Clarinet: Artie Shaw

Tenor sax: Bud Freeman   Guitar: Frank Victor   Bass: John Kirby   Drums: Kaiser Marshall

'Honky Tonk Blues'   Jelly Roll Morton

Recorded 23 May-12 June 1938 in Washington DC

Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress   1643a/b   Circle 87-88

'Hesitating Blues' ('New Orleans Blues')   Jelly Roll Morton

Recorded 23 May-12 June 1938 in Washington DC

Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress   1652b   Circle 27

Composition: Scott Middleton / Billy Smythe   1915

'The Dirty Dozen'   Jelly Roll Morton

Recorded 23 May-12 June 1938 in Washington DC

Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress   1669a   Rounder CD1092

Composition: Clarence M. Jones / Jack Frost

'Finger Buster'   Jelly Roll Morton

Recorded Dec 1938 in Washington DC   Jazz Man 12

'West End Blues'   Jelly Roll Morton & His New Orleans Jazzmen

Recorded 28 Sep 1939 in NYC   Bluebird B10442

Trumpet: Sidney de Paris   Trombone: Claude Jones   Clarinet: Albert Nicholas

Tenor sax: Happy Caldwell   Guitar: Lawrence Lucie

Bass: Wellman Braud   Drums: Zutty Singleton

Composition: King Oliver / Clarence Williams

'Buddy Bolden's Blues' ('I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say')   Jelly Roll Morton

Recorded 16 Dec 1939 in NYC   General 4003 / Commodore 589

'The Winin' Boy' w 'King Porter Stomp'   Jelly Roll Morton   Final recordings

With the Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street

Radio broadcast Sunday 14 July 1940 from the RCA Building, Radio City, Rockefeller Center, NYC

Trumpet: Henry Levine   Trombone: Jack Epstein   Clarinet: Alfie Evans

Tenor sax: Rudolph Adler   Guitar: Tony Colucca

Bass: Harry Patent   Drums: Nat Levine   Vocal: Morton ('Winin' Boy')

Issued on Alamac QSR 2424 / et al

Morton died July 10, 1941, of complications arising from his stabbing in 1938 [gravestone].