| Artist |
Song |
Album |
Label |
Comments |
Today is a tribute to Jelly Roll Morton! Reference: JELLY"S BLUES, Howard Reich and William Gaines | |
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All songs today written byJelly Roll Morton unless indicated otherwise | |
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| Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers |
Doctor Jazz |
His Best Recordings 1926-1939 |
Best of Jazz |
rec 16 Dec 1926. George Mitchell (c); Edward “Kid” Ory (tb); Omer Simeon (cl); Jelly Roll Morton (p–voc); Johnny St. Cyr (g); John Lindsay (sb); Andrew Hilaire (d). This was the only recording where Morton sang, until the Alan Lomax Library of Congress sessions |
| Jelly Roll Morton And His Orchestra |
Muddy Water Blues |
Jelly Roll Morton 1923/24 |
Milestone |
rec June 1923 composer unknown. this was Morton's first recording session |
| New Orleans Rhythm Kings feat. Jelly Roll Morton |
Milenberg Joys |
New Orleans Rhythm Kings The Complete Set |
Retrieval |
rec 18 July 1923 composer Rappolo-Mares-Morton. the Rhythm Kings were a white band who imitated black jazz artists. This is one of the first integrated recordings |
| Ferd (Jelly Roll) Morton |
Grandpa's Spells |
Jelly Roll Morton 1923/24 |
Milestone |
red 18 July 1923. Morton's solo piano recordings in 1923/24 are some of his best and most important work |
| Jelly Roll Morton |
Frog-I-More Rag |
Jelly Roll Morton 1923/24 |
Milestone |
rec April-May 1924 piano solo |
| Jelly Roll Morton |
Maple Leaf Rag. St. Louis style / Maple Leaf Rag, New Orleans style |
The Complete Library of Congress Recordings |
Rounder |
rec 1938 interviews with musicologist Alan Lomax note how Morton distinguishes the pre-jazz ragtime style with the new New Orleans style in the same piece |
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| Jelly Roll Morton |
Jazz Discords and the Story of the Kansas City Stomp |
The Complete Library of Congress Recordings |
Rounder |
rec 1938 more from the Alan Lomax interviews |
| Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver |
King Porter |
Jelly Roll Morton 1923/24 |
Milestone |
rec Dec 1924 this session was the only time Morton recorded with King Oliver. later in the swing era, King Porter Stomp would become wildly successful |
| Jelly Roll Morton and his Jazz Trio |
My Gal |
Jelly Roll Morton Rarities |
Jazz Oracle |
rec May 1925 composer Melrose. Voltaire De Faut (cl); W. E. “Buddy” Burton (k); Jelly Roll Morton (p). this may be the first ever recording of a jazz trio |
| Jelly Roll Morton |
The Pearls |
His Best Recordings 1926-1939 |
Best of Jazz |
rec 20 April 1926 this composition was a huge success for Morton in Chicago in the 1910s and early 20s |
| Jelly Roll Morton's Incomparables |
Mr. Jelly Lord |
Jelly Roll Morton 1923/24 |
Milestone |
rec 24 Feb 1926 this is believed to be the only recording of Morton's touring band; all his other recordings were "pick up bands" that were put together for the studio session. The band was: Ray Bowling (tp); unknown (tb); Walter Barnes (as); unknown (ts); Jelly Roll Morton (p); Clay Jefferson (d) |
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| Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers |
Black Bottom Stomp |
His Best Recordings 1926-1939 |
Best of Jazz |
rec 15 Sept 1926 while Morton would have later bands called the Red Hot Peppers, the recordings from 1926/27 are considered the best of his career |
| Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers |
The Chant |
His Best Recordings 1926-1939 |
Best of Jazz |
rec 15 Sept 1926 another of Morton's early compositions |
| Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers |
Sidewalk Blues |
His Best Recordings 1926-1939 |
Best of Jazz |
red 26 Sept 1926 note the novelty whistle & horn effects |
| Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers |
Someday, Sweetheart |
Jazz King of New Orleans |
Bluebird |
rec 16 Dec 1926 with two violinists J. Wright Smith and Clarence Black this is one of the first examples of strings in a jazz recording |
| Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers |
Wild Man Blues |
His Best Recordings 1926-1939 |
Best of Jazz |
rec 4 June 1927 composers Jelly Roll Morton & Louis Armstrong |
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| Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers |
Jungle Blues |
Jazz King of New Orleans |
Bluebird |
rec 4 June 1927 with its lack of chord progression I have seen this called an antecedant to Miles Davis' modal jazz |
| Jelly Roll Morton Piano Solo with clarinet and traps |
Wolverine Blues |
Jelly Roll Morton Rarities |
Jazz Oracle |
rec 10 June 1927 Johnny Dodds (cl); Jelly Roll Morton (p); Warren “Baby” Dodds (d) this recording session happened a few weeks after Tram Bix and Lang,and these two sessions are often called the first jazz trio recordings, which neglects Morton's trio recording in 1925 which we heard earlier in the show |
| Jelly Roll Morton Piano Solo with clarinet and traps |
Mr. Jelly Lord |
His Best Recordings 1926-1939 |
Best of Jazz |
rec 10 June 1927 same lineup as above. Note the progression from the previous track which was more of a piano with accompaniment, whereas this is more of a jazz trio in the modern sense |
| Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers |
Shreveport |
His Best Recordings 1926-1939 |
Best of Jazz |
rec 11 June 1928 while this band was labeled the Red Hot Peppers, it was another trio: Omer Simeon (cl); Jelly Roll Morton (p); Tommy Benford (d).Simeon was Morton's favorite clarinetist to work with |
| Jelly Roll Morton |
Tiger Rag with dialogue |
The Complete Library of Congress Recordings |
Rounder |
rec 1938 when Morton says "strains" he means the sections of a composition: the first, second third strain etc. Note that he takes credit for writing"Tiger Rag," which music scholars believe not to be true. The official copyright is with members of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, a white band who made the first jazz recordings in 1917. I personally don't believe they wrote it either |
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| Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers |
Mournful Serenade |
Jazz King of New Orleans |
Bluebird |
rec 11 June 1928composer Joseph Oliver. Morton had moved to NY at this point and his career was on a fast decline. Though the band was still called the Red Hot Peppers, NY musicians played a different style that Morton couldn't adapt to and most of the NY recordings from this era are weak. This is one the best in my opinion |
| Jelly-Roll Morton Trio |
Smilin' The Blues Away |
His Best Recordings 1926-1939 |
Best of Jazz |
rec 17 Dec 1929 composer unknown. here in a trio of New Orleans musicians Morton is in top form: Barney Bigard (cl); Jelly Roll Morton (p); Zutty Singleton (d) |
| Jelly Roll Morton and his Red Hot Peppers |
Blue Blood Blues |
His Best Recordings 1926-1939 |
Best of Jazz |
rec 14 July 1930 Ward Pinkett (tp); Julius “Geechie” Fields (tb); Albert Nicholas (cl); Jelly Roll Morton (p); Howard Hill (g); Pete Biggs (bb); Tommy Benford (d) |
| Wingy Manone and His Orchestra |
I'm Alone Without You |
The Complete Louis Prima and Wingy Manone Brunswick & Vocalion Recordings, Vol. 2 |
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rec 15 Aug 1934. Wingy Manone (tp–dialogue 1); Dicky Wells (tb); Artie Shaw (cl); Bud Freeman (ts); Jelly Roll Morton (p); Frank Victor (g); John Kirby (sb); Kaiser Marshall (d).This was the B side; on the A side "Never Had No Lovin'" Morton gets no solo and when Manone calls out the band members in the beginning Morton is not named |
| Jelly Roll Morton's New Orleans Jazzmen |
I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say |
His Best Recordings 1926-1939 |
Best of Jazz |
rec 14 Sept 1939 traditional song, arr. Morton. Band included Sidney Bechet, Sidney de Paris and Zutty Singleton. There is a lovely story that Morton knew Bechet couldn't read music so he led him to the piano, said "You know this one don't you Sid?" and played through it while chatting about other things, tomask the fact that he was coaching Bechet on the piece before he had to play it |
| Jelly Roll Morton's New Orleans Jazzmen |
Winin' Boy Blues |
Jazz Greats Vol. 17 |
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rec 14 Sept 1939 traditional song, arr. Morton. this is a cleaned-up version of a song Morton played often in his early days as pianist for brothels. To hear an extremely obscene version of this song listen to the version he did for Alan Lomax |
| Jelly Roll Morton |
The Crave |
Last Sessions: The Complete General Recordings |
Commodore |
rec 14 December 1939 another Morton composition from his very early days |
| Jelly Roll Morton Seven |
Good Old New York |
Last Sessions: The Complete General Recordings |
Commodore |
rec 4 January 1940 the Morton Seven and Morton Sextet were a series of fine recordings with Henry "Red" Allen in 1940, shortly before Morton's death |
| Jelly Roll Morton |
King Porter Stomp |
The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street |
radio transcription |
rec 14 July 1940 this is Morton's final recording, a radio broadcast where he played "Winin' Boy Blues" and this |
| Jelly Roll Morton |
Original Jelly Roll Blues |
The Complete Library of Congress Recordings |
Rounder |
this was Morton's first published composition and arguably the first published jazz composition, writtenin 1905 and published 1905. While singing here Morton adds lyrics that illiustrate the braggadicio persona he put forth throughout his life |
