Morton, Jelly Roll, 1890-1941

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Jelly Roll Morton, composer. George C. Wolfe, librettist. Susan Birkenhead, lyricist. Additional music and musical adaptation by Luther Henderson.

From the description of Jelly's last jam: typescript, 1992. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122533067

Jelly Roll Morton is believed to have been born on September 20, 1885, in Gulfport, Mississippi. His family moved to New Orleans, where Morton had both formal training in music and exposure to the leading jazz performers of the day. By 1904, he was working as a jazz pianist, comedian, and vaudevillian. Starting in 1923, Morton made Chicago his base of operations. During that time he made piano rolls (for Wurlitzer and Imperial) and a number of disc recordings. In the years 1926-1927, he recorded with his seven- or eight-man band, the Red Hot Peppers. When he moved to New York in 1928, he continued recording, and his music reached an ever wider audience. During the 1930's Morton's popularity waned. Alan Lomax recorded Morton in performance at the Library of Congress in 1938. These recordings sparked a revival of interest in Morton and his music. He continued to compose and record until his death in Los Angeles in July 1941.

From the description of Jelly Roll Morton collection, 1905-1941 (bulk 1905-1941). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71129975

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Williams, Martin T. Papers, 1945-1992. Columbia College Chicago
referencedIn Southern Folklife Collection Artist Name File, 1940-2005 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Folklife Collection.
creatorOf Morton, Jelly Roll, 1890-1941. King porter stomp. Bibliothèque nationale de France, BnF
creatorOf Morton, Jelly Roll, d. 1941. Big foot ham : 1923 / by Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton ; arranged for string quartet by Leo Smit. SUNY at Buffalo, University at Buffalo
referencedIn Squibb, Francis P. Francis P. Squibb papers, 1894-2003 (inclusive). University of Chicago Library
referencedIn American Vaudeville Museum collection, 1845-2007, (bulk 1910-1940) University of Arizona Libraries, Library Special Collections
referencedIn Squibb, Francis P. Papers, 1894-2003 Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library,
referencedIn Smith, Harrison. [Papers regarding copyright ownership of Jelly Roll Morton's songs] Harvard University, Loeb Music Library
creatorOf Morton, Jelly Roll, d. 1941. King Porter stomp / [Jelly Roll Morton ; arr. for dance orchestra by Paul Crawford]. Tulane University, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library
creatorOf Morton, Jelly Roll, 1890-1941. The pearls. Bibliothèque nationale de France, BnF
referencedIn Woodberry Poetry Room (Harvard College Library) poetry readings, 1931- (ongoing). Woodberry Poetry Room, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
creatorOf Morton, Jelly Roll, d. 1941. Jelly's last jam: typescript, 1992. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Duke Ellington recordings collection Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library, Harvard College Library
creatorOf Morton, Jelly Roll, 1890-1941. I thought I heard Buddy Bolden say [Multimédia multisupport]. Bibliothèque nationale de France, BnF
creatorOf Morton, Jelly Roll, d. 1941. Big foot ham : 1923 / by Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton ; arranged for string quartet by Leo Smit. SUNY at Buffalo, University at Buffalo
creatorOf Canaday, John, 1907-1985. John Canaday collection of music recordings [sound recording], 1925-1945. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Morton, Jelly Roll, d. 1941,. The history of up and down, I and II : choreographic notes used by Twyla Tharp in creating her dance, 1971. Ohio State University Libraries
creatorOf Love, Kermit,. Eight jelly rolls : music scores used by Twyla Tharp for her dance, 1971. Ohio State University Libraries
referencedIn Bill Spilka collection of jazz videorecordings [videorecording] The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
creatorOf Shaw Festival Collection (University of Guelph). Danny Grossman Dance Company / choreographed by Danny Grossman ; music by Jelly Roll Morton and Joe Turner, 1983 - videocassette. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
creatorOf Morton, Jelly Roll, d. 1941. Jelly Roll Morton collection, 1905-1941 (bulk 1905-1941). Library of Congress
creatorOf Morton, Jelly Roll, 1890-1941. I thought I heard Buddy Bolden say [Multimédia multisupport]. Bibliothèque nationale de France, BnF
creatorOf Floyd Levin Jazz Reference Collection National Museum of American History (U.S.). Archives Center
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith American Museum of Vaudeville corporateBody
associatedWith Birkenhead, Susan. person
associatedWith Canaday, John, 1907-1985. person
associatedWith Carew, Roy J. person
associatedWith Cook, J. Lawrence. person
associatedWith Crawford, Paul R., 1925- person
associatedWith Cullen, Frank, 1936- person
associatedWith Dodge, Joseph Jeffers person
associatedWith Henderson, Luther, 1919-2003. person
associatedWith Lomax, Alan, 1915-2002. person
associatedWith McNeilly, Donald, 1945- person
associatedWith New York Public Library, Billy Rose Theatre Collection, Theatre on Film and Tape Archive. corporateBody
associatedWith Shaw Festival Collection (University of Guelph) corporateBody
associatedWith Smith, Harrison. person
associatedWith Smit, Leo, 1921-1999 person
associatedWith Spilka, Bill person
associatedWith Squibb, Francis P. person
associatedWith Squibb, Francis P. person
associatedWith Williams, Martin T. person
associatedWith Wolfe, George C. person
associatedWith Woodberry Poetry Room (Harvard College Library). corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Music
Names, Personal
String quartets, Arranged
Occupation
Composers
Performer
Activity

Person

Birth 1890-10-20

Death 1941-07-10

Birth 1885-10-20

Death 1941-07-10

Americans

English

Information

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