Jelly Roll Morton had an amazing career in Jazz music and is known as the first piano player in the genre. Among his creations were Tank Town Bump and Kansas City Stomp.

1. The Amazing Life of Jelly Roll Morton
Jelly Roll Morton, born Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe, was the first Jazz piano player and composer.
The exact date of Lamothe’s birth remains unknown with some sources claiming it to be 1885,
while others believe it to be 1890. What is certain is that he belonged to the Faubourg Marigny
neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. His birth father, Edward Joseph Lamothe left in 1894
when Ferdinand’s mother married William Mouton.

2. Life
Ferdinand adopted the name Mouton (anglicized as Morton) from his stepfather. From a very early
age, he showed incredible musical talent and at just 10 years old, he learned to play the piano. At
the age of 12, Morton suffered from depression and sought treatment after a month. However, it
remains unclear why he suffered from the disorder.
Morton spent most of his teenage years playing the piano across several brothels in the area. Due to
his propensity to sing smutty songs matching the establishment, he took the nickname, Jelly Roll.
An African-American slang, Jelly Roll denotes the female genitalia and, by extension, a lover of
women. As he earned his living playing at the red light area, Morton lived with his great-
grandmother. He had to convince her that he worked as a night watchman in a barrel factory.
However, his deception did not last long and his great-grandmother soon discovered Morton’s
nightly escapades, disowning him as a result.
Career
Morton toured the country as a teenager, making his living as a musician, gambler, pimp and
vaudeville comic. During this time, he told people he invented Jazz and became the first-ever to put
his music arrangements to paper. These were later published as ‘Jelly Roll Blues’, ‘Frog-I-More
Rag’, ‘New Orleans Blues’, ‘King Porter Stomp’ and ‘Animule Dance’. Even today, Jazz Music
Radio Station USA plays these masterpieces.
After staying in Los Angeles for 5 years, Morton shifted to Chicago in 1922. The following year, he
produced his first recording. By 1926, he had successfully formed a band, named Jelly Roll
Morton’s Red Hot Peppers. Comprised of talented members each of whom was familiar with the
New Orleans ensemble style, the band produced great hits, like ‘Smoke-House Blues’ and ‘Black
Bottom Stomp’. Mortin remained a part of the band for four years and managed to garner national
fame during this time.
Morton next moved to New York in 1928. There, he recorded famous tracks, such as the ‘Tank
Town Bump’ and ‘Kansas City Stomp’ both of which are still played on Jazz Music Radio Station
USA. His music remained loyal to his New Orleans roots. However, due to the old-fashioned style,
his popularity waned. Morton faced a tough time to make a living during the Great Depression and
had to sell off the diamond in his front teeth for money. He started playing at a bar in Washington
D.C.
In 1938, Alan Lomax interviewed Morton about the early history of Jazz and the different playing
styles. However, this interview came into the public light almost a decade later.
Death
Morton had to postpone his comeback due to asthma. However, he never made it back on stage and
succumbed to respiratory illness on July 10, 1941. Before his death, the great musician and
composer blamed his deteriorating health on a voodoo spell.
Contribution to Music
Even though Jelly Roll Morton did not invent Jazz, he is credited with introducing several new
styles of music and composition into the music form. In a sense, he popularized Jazz and
completely revolutionized the music form through his New Orleans roots. He was inducted into the
1998 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2005, he received a posthumous Grammy Award for Lifetime

3. Achievement.
Subsequent pianists, such as Dick Hyman, Reginald Robinson and David Thomas Roberts drew
substantial inspiration from Morton’s playing style. Countless Jazz Music Radio Station USA
honors the musician till today. However, what could have been a long and prosperous career was
cut short due to the Great Depression and Morton’s health issues.
Resource : https://swingstreetradio.wordpress.com/2019/08/22/life­of­jelly­roll­morton/
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