Jelly Roll Morton was born 124 years ago today. Morton was a ragtime and early jazz pianist, bandleader and composer. He was widely recognized as a pivotal figure in early jazz. Morton is perhaps most notable as jazzs first arranger, proving that a genre rooted in improvisation could retain its essential spirit and characteristics when notated. His composition, Jelly Roll Blues, was the first published jazz composition in 1915. Morton is also notable for naming and popularizing the Spanish tinge (habanera rhythm and tresillo), and for penning such standards as Wolverine Blues,” Black Bottom Stomp and I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say,” the latter a tribute to New Orleans personalities from the turn of the 19th century to 20th century. Reputed for his arrogance and self-promotion as often as recognized in his day for his musical talents, Morton claimed to have invented jazz outright in 1902 — much to the derision of later musicians and critics. However, jazz historian, musician and composer Gunther Schuller writes about Mortons hyperbolic assertions that there is no proof to the contrary and that Mortons considerable accomplishments in themselves provide reasonable substantiation.” Here, Morton performs “New Orleans Blues.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 14:48:09 +0000
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