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Jelly Roll Morton

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Jelly Roll Morton

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Also known as Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, Ferdinand Morton

American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader and composer (1890–1941)

Person · Open Library

Works
7

via Open Library + Wikidata

Listeners · Last.fm

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188,363
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1,445,724

Tags

jazzragtimepianobluesNew Orleans

Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (October 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and early jazz pianist, bandleader and composer who started his career in New Orleans, Louisiana. Widely recognized as a pivotal figure in early jazz, Morton is perhaps most notable as jazz's first arranger, proving that a genre rooted in improvisation could retain its essential spirit and characteristics when notated. <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Jelly+Roll+Mort

via Last.fm · Jelly Roll Morton

Key facts

Born
Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe , c. ( 1885-10-20 ) October 20, 1885 , New Orleans, Louisiana , U.S.
Died
July 10, 1941 (1941-07-10) (aged 55), Los Angeles, California , U.S.
Genres
Jazz ragtime blues Dixieland
Occupations
Musician composer arranger
Instrument
Piano
Years active
1904–1941
Labels
Victor Gennett
Formerly of
Red Hot Peppers New Orleans Rhythm Kings

via Wikipedia infobox

~18 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (né Lemott, later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American blues and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer of Louisiana Creole descent. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a genre rooted in improvisation could retain its essential characteristics when notated. His composition "Jelly Roll Blues", published in 1915, was one of the first published jazz compositions. He also claimed to have invented the genre.

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

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Jelly Roll Morton” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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