Ferdinand Joseph LeMothe 1890 -1941

aka ‘Jelly Roll Morton’

Music performed by this pioneer of Jazz will be playing all week before and after school and during breaks in the Music Centre foyer.  Morton was born in New Orleans, the home of Jazz, and was a leading figure in the development of Jazz.  In 1902 he was even quoted as saying that he invented the genre himself.  However it was his arranging which won him real fame – proving that the improvisatory nature of Jazz could be notated and maintained.  His 1915 composition Jelly Roll Blues is said to have been the first Jazz piece ever published.  His best known recordings involve him at the piano with his band Jelly Roll Morton and His Red Hot Peppers [nothing new in band names!].

On our playlist this week are  Black Bottom Stomp, Wolverine Blues,  Doctor Jazz, Mint Julip and Michigan Water Blues.