This “remarkable” biography of the pioneering jazz composer offers “a truly fresh, clear-eyed view of the musician’s career” (Houston Chronicle). Jelly’s Blues vividly recounts the tumultuous life of Jelly Roll Morton, born Ferdinand Joseph Lamonthe in 1890 to a large extended family in New Orleans. A virtuoso pianist with a larger-than-life personality, he composed such influential early jazz pieces as “Kansas City Stomp” and “New Orleans Blues.” But by the late 1930s, Jelly Roll Morton was nearly forgotten as a visionary jazz composer. Instead, he was caricatured as a braggart, a hustler, and, worst of all, a has-been. He was ridiculed by the white popular press and robbed of due royalties by unscrupulous music publishers. His reputation at rock bottom, Jelly Roll Morton seemed destined to be remembered more as a flamboyant, diamond-toothed rounder than as the brilliant architect of that new American musical idiom: jazz. But in 1992, the death of a New Orleans memorabilia collector unearthed a startling archive. Here were unknown later compositions as well as correspondence and court and copyright records, all detailing Morton’s struggle to salvage his reputation, recover lost royalties, and protect the publishing rights of black musicians. Morton was a much more complex and passionate man than many had realized, fiercely dedicated to his art and possessing an unwavering belief in his own genius, even as he toiled in poverty and obscurity. An immediate and visceral look into the jazz worlds of New Orleans and Chicago, Jelly’s Blues is the definitive biography of a jazz icon, and a long overdue look at one of the twentieth century’s most important composers. “A standout achievement . . . an invaluable record of Morton’s brilliant rise and bitter fall.”—The Boston Globe
In a playful, lyrical collection of poetry inspired by the rhythms of the blues, the poet blends traditional lyric diction with African-American idiom to create such lighthearted verses as "Stride Piano," "Gutbucket," and "Can-Can.
In Dead Man Blues, Phil Pastras sets the record straight on the two periods (1917-1923 and 1940-1941) that Jelly Roll Morton spent on the West Coast.
Dead Man Blues tells both these tales admirably, drawing on a treasure-trove of previously unknown material. It is both an important contribution to jazz scholarship and a fascinating piece of storytelling.
This work is a must for any Jelly Roll or Jazz enthusiast.
These puzzles are so simplified that one can tackle them and appreciate their meaning without using any complicated math. This book aims to take the reader on a journey to unravel the laws of the universe through fun puzzles.
"Let Freedom Swing is a wonderful title for a book and the contents also swing."-Marian McPartland --
Dramatizes the life of Jelly Roll Morton, pianist, composer, and self-proclaimed inventor of jazz.
A biography of Ferdinand 'Jelly Roll' Morton, one of the world's most influential composers of jazz.
"Jelly Roll Blues" by Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, arrangement for Clarinet Quintet (intermediate level) by Francesco Leone .
Among the hundreds of old-time musicians recorded by Gennett were Bradley Kincaid, Vernon Dalhart, Ernest Stoneman, Fiddlin' Doc Roberts, and Gene Autry. At the same time, Gennett became an important supplier to the “race” record market ...