Jelly Roll Morton – “Smoke House Blues” (mp3)
Sassy piano sounds fill the room while listening to one of the first great composer and piano player of Jazz, Jelly Roll Morton. With a charismatic and driven spirit, Jelly Roll Morton worked as a piano player in a whorehouse as a teenager, a pimp, and even a comedian before coming a well known member of his band Red Hot Peppers. In this song “Smokehouse Blues,” you can hear his composing at his best. From the engaging sound of the piano throughout the song to the resonating solos of the other instruments, “Smokehouse Blues” really throws you back into the times of the late 20s.
Jelly Roll Morton – “Black Bottom Stomp” (play/download)
The great Jelly Roll Morton and his incredible band ladies and gents. “Black Bottom Stomp” is the lead-off cut from the “Birth Of The Hot” CD, which compiles Morton’s Chicago recordings from 1926-27. During Jelly Roll Morton’s prestigious career he played and mentored some of the greatest masters of jazz. Known for producing songs that fit perfectly onto a 78 RMP pressing, his legendary band and recordings live on in the mp3 format. Pick it up, it’s a real treasure.
Born in 1885 – Ferdinand Joseph Lemothe, aka Jelly Roll Morton, was Americas most envisioned Ragtime/Jazz pianist of his time. His career spanned a grueling period of history in America. He died in 1941 battling what Jelly Roll himself called “a voodoo spell.”
Jelly Roll Morton & his Red Hot Peppers – “Little Lawrence” mp3
