Jelly Roll Morton

Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, more commonly known as Jelly Roll Morton, is widely recognized as one of the first true jazz musicians. Jelly Roll was perhaps best known for his confident and arrogant personality. While Jelly Roll would often times attribute the creation of jazz to him self, the first recognized jazz musician was Scott Joplin. He was however one of the first to use a style similar to the Harlem Stride Piano. Jelly Roll was a true master arranger and took ragtime and jazz music to new heights between 1915-1931. His improvisational and creative style inspired countless jazz pianists to break away from the rigid uniformity of traditional ragtime music. Originally from New Orleans, Jelly Roll moved to New York in 1928. There he was able to continue playing and recording music until the great depression eventually forced him back on tour. While in New York, Jelly Roll was able to play live sets regularly with jazz legends such as Sidney Bechet, Bud Freeman, Artie Shaw, and Omar Simeon.