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Episode 116: Jelly Roll Morton and his Compositions
Jelly Roll Morton claimed he invented jazz. Most other people claim
he didn’t. But unlike some public figures who brag a lot, so many of
the things he claimed he could do he actually did!
And there’s no doubt that he did create a style of jazz, and was the
first to combine so many influences that form the roots of today’s jazz
into some kind of ordered system.
Dave Brubeck once said, in the 1950’s, that you can’t call today’s
jazz ‘progressive’ because Jelly Roll Morton was already doing it 30
years ago.
I’ve heard a lot of Jelly Roll Morton tunes played by ‘hot’ jazz
bands that focus on duplicating the old style of playing. And I
wondered, how have those compositions of his been adapted to today. Do
players of ‘modern jazz’ ever play them?
The answer I got through going through a list of his tunes and
looking at the “Second Hand Songs” website, was ‘not very often’. But I
did find a few contemporary interpretations of some of his
compositions.
On this program I play recordings of 8 Jelly Roll Morton tunes, plus
one Mingus tune written in the ‘style’ of Jelly Roll. The recordings
range on the weirdness scale from really weird (Sun Ra) to very
traditional (Allen Toussaint). And there are lots in-between.
I also quote a few people who talk about Jelly Roll, and play some
excerpts from the man himself from those library of congress recordings
of Alan Lomax.
A fascinating program….and perhaps a refreshing change from the usual fare.
View all episodes
By Larry Saidman
4.4
4141 ratings
Jelly Roll Morton claimed he invented jazz. Most other people claim
he didn’t. But unlike some public figures who brag a lot, so many of
the things he claimed he could do he actually did!
And there’s no doubt that he did create a style of jazz, and was the
first to combine so many influences that form the roots of today’s jazz
into some kind of ordered system.
Dave Brubeck once said, in the 1950’s, that you can’t call today’s
jazz ‘progressive’ because Jelly Roll Morton was already doing it 30
years ago.
I’ve heard a lot of Jelly Roll Morton tunes played by ‘hot’ jazz
bands that focus on duplicating the old style of playing. And I
wondered, how have those compositions of his been adapted to today. Do
players of ‘modern jazz’ ever play them?
The answer I got through going through a list of his tunes and
looking at the “Second Hand Songs” website, was ‘not very often’. But I
did find a few contemporary interpretations of some of his
compositions.
On this program I play recordings of 8 Jelly Roll Morton tunes, plus
one Mingus tune written in the ‘style’ of Jelly Roll. The recordings
range on the weirdness scale from really weird (Sun Ra) to very
traditional (Allen Toussaint). And there are lots in-between.
I also quote a few people who talk about Jelly Roll, and play some
excerpts from the man himself from those library of congress recordings
of Alan Lomax.
A fascinating program….and perhaps a refreshing change from the usual fare.
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