Ma Rainey, originally named Gertrude Pridgett, was born on April 26th, 1886 in Columbus, Georgia. Her parents, Thomas and Ella Allen-Pridgett, were minstrel troupers.²   Ma Rainey followed in their footsteps, and by age fourteen was performing in minstrel and travelling Vaudeville shows all over the southern United States.² She continued entertaining as a blues singer with her husband, William Rainey, and after their split in 1916, she kept her travelling performances going with a variety of talented musicians until her eventual retirement from the music business in 1935.² She died four years later at the age of 53 in Rome, Georgia.³  

Ma Rainey, often referred to as the “mother of the blues,” was one of the first female black classic blues singers at a time when the majority of musicians were men. She made a name for herself as a singer not only because of her strong vocals but also because of her loud, boisterous personality.  She was a woman in a man’s industry, and she was an African American living in the southern states during racial segregation. These were hard times for most but to be successful as a black female singer in a white man’s world, Ma Rainey must have had grit, perseverance and a great, big personality. Despite these circumstances, she was able to thrive in the music industry and enjoyed a very successful career.

While she contributed not only stylistically to the classic blues genre, she was part of the first generation to record this type of  music. From 1923-1928, she made over 100 recordings in an exclusive contract with Paramount Records, recording with some of the greats like Louis Armstrong.² Her contract ended as a result of inevitable stylistic changes within the music industry, there was no longer the same amount of interest in classic blues but her contribution to the music industry was enormous in that it introduced the blues to a much wider audience and became more accessible to a variety of people.

Ma Rainey’s classic blues style included the “three defining aspects of the blues: it’s form, style and feeling.”¹ Other characteristics of classic blues include conventional 12 bar blues form with the singer calling and a response from the band, often from one of the brass instruments. The blues evolved from slaves during the plantation years when work songs and the ability to express themselves emotionally thought music truly began. While the blues may often describe personal hardship, it is also filled with lyrics of surviving everyday life, having fun and letting go. The power of blues music lies in its ability to express powerful emotions.

“Hey, bo-weavil¹, don’t sing them blues no more
Hey, hey, bo-weavil, don’t sing them blues no more
Bo-weavil’s here, bo-weavil’s everywhere you’ll go

I’m a lone bo-weavil, been out a great long time
I’m a lone bo-weavil, been out a great long time
I’m gonna sing these blues to ease the bo-weavil’s lonesome mind

I don’t want no man to put no sugar in my tea
I don’t want no man to put no sugar in my tea
Some of them’s so evil, I’m afraid they might poison me

I went downtown and bought me a hat
I brought it back home, I laid it on the shelf
Looked at my bed, I’m getting tired of sleeping by myself”

True to blues form and style is the song Bo-Weavil Blues written and recorded by Ma Rainey in December of 1923.³ It has lyrics that are rhyming couplets with the first line repeated. It is sung in a typical blues call and response style with Ma Rainey’s vocals being followed by a response from the jazz ensemble who is accompanying her. I chose the song Bo – Weavil Blues because I feel that the song is typical of the essence of the blues style. Ma Rainey’s vocal phrasing from high to low with a gravelly voice is typical of this style.

“ I’m gonna buy me a pistol

Just as long as I am tall

Lawd, lawd, lawd

Gonna kill my man and

Catch the Cannonball. 2

If he don’t have me

He won’t have no gal at all”

– Ma Rainey, See See Rider Blues

The second song that I have chosen as a reflection of Ma Rainey’s contribution to the music industry is See See Rider Blues. What I found intriguing about this song was the racy lyrics. While she sings this in a typical bluesy style with her booming, rough voice, she laments falling in love with a man who loves another woman but instead of simply moving on and leaving him, she plans to buy a gun and kill her man because if he won’t have her, he won’t have no one at all. Considering this is a song written in 1924, I was surprised to find these types of lyrics that even by today’s standards would be considered questionable.

“ I want to see that dance you call the black bottom

I wanna learn that dance

Don’t you see the dance you call your big black bottom

That’ll put you in a trance”

– Ma Rainey, Black Bottom

The final song of Ma Rainey’s I have chosen is Black Bottom, recorded in 1927. Once again, she uses risque lyrics to draw attention to her “black bottom”. Recorded later in her career, this song displays her big, bold personality.  This song is different, because while many blues songs evoke strong emotions, this one displays the more fun and playful side of classic blues. However, It is like many of the other blues songs, written in the 12 bar blues style featuring dominant gravelly vocals, a pianist and a jazz ensemble. When I first started researching blues singers, I expected most of their songs to have sullen, almost depressing lyrics, or to be more similar to church music, very religious and uplifting. In reality, much of their blues music is suggestive with controversial lyrics which I found surprising and interesting.  

Ma Rainey was an inspiration not only to other musicians but to artist of all sorts including poets and authors. For example, Alice Walker, who wrote the novel The Colour Purple, was influenced by Ma Rainey’s cultural contribution towards women of African- American descent.² In my research, it seems to me like she would have been a modern day diva. She was described as  perhaps not the most attractive singer but her big personality and powerful performances commanded the stage. She wore gowns, ostentatious jewelry and mesmerized the crown with her gold front teeth. Her performance style can be compared to current pop artists like Cardi-B or Nicki Minaj in that they display personality traits similar to Ma Rainey. Songs such as Black Bottom and the message delivered can be seen in current songs, such as Anaconda by Nicki Minaj, where suggestive lyrics are used to shamelessly flaunt personal characteristics. Ma Rainey’s gritty, bluesy vocals, controversial lyrics and diva persona had a significant and profound effect not only on the people of her era but on numerous entertainers and artists that would come after her.

Bibliography:

1. Campbell, Michael. Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes on. Boston, MA: Cengage, 2019.
2. “Ma Rainey.” Biography.com. April 28, 2017. Accessed July 17, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/ma-rainey-9542413.
3.  “Visions & Voices: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom:.” Research Guides. Accessed July 18, 2018. http://libguides.usc.edu/c.php?g=571084&p=3936619

Pictures Link

https://www.google.ca/search?q=ma+rainey&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA803CA803&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjxmsqo96fcAhWPTsAKHbaqCJYQ_AUICigB&biw=1368&bih=807#imgrc=iApNPl7r5-19MM:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=ma+rainey&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA803CA803&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjxmsqo96fcAhWPTsAKHbaqCJYQ_AUICigB&biw=1368&bih=807#imgrc=9oe6V0BiSuBHUM:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=ma+rainey&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA803CA803&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjxmsqo96fcAhWPTsAKHbaqCJYQ_AUICigB&biw=1368&bih=807#imgrc=s44aMmuPSSeKFM:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=nicki+minaj+and+cardi+b&hl=en-CA&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA803CA803&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiohoqG-KfcAhWQX8AKHYhsDJEQ_AUICigB&biw=1368&bih=807&dpr=2#imgrc=beiEjcrcy5XpLM:

Born 1941 in Ottawa, Canada, to Camelia and Andrew, Paul Anka’s story of success can be linked to his youthful endeavours into music. In his earliest years Anka sang choir at his families church, as well as studied the piano. At the age of 13 Anka contributed his vocal stylings to a band called the Bobbysoxers, where he and his band would preform at amateur events as often as possible. It wasn’t long after that Anka had devised a plan to move in with his uncle in Los Angeles and try to score a record deal. He had his first ever meeting with Modern Records where he recorded his first single “Blau-Wile Deverest Fontaine” which although was not a successful release, (and frankly, a repetitive and uninspired track) was a commendable attempt from a extraordinarily young man, which exemplified Anka’s persistence and determination to succeed in the world of popular music.

One year later Anka decided to try his luck in the rapidly expanding city of New York, which is where he got a big break and landed a meeting with ABC-Paramount Records artist and repertoire man Dan Costa where he played for him some of his songs. One of the songs Anka showcased for Costa was ‘Diana’, which was impressive enough to not only spot him a record deal but a number one single as ‘Diana’ settled on the top of the charts in 1957 just months after Anka had moved to the big apple and released the track. The first hurdle had been cleared for Anka on his path to stardom and, just as most other notable artists who achieve a number one single this early in their career, released a handful of [career best] tracks, including ‘Lonely Boy’ and ‘Put Your Head on My Shoulder’. Touring with big name acts like Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry, the young man had solidified his position with the big dogs of the industry.

The late 50’s was an unfortunate time period for Anka to enter the scene considering his style of music, as the uprise of psychedelia and rock led by the Rolling Stones and the Beatles was taking over and attracting young people all around the planet. Anka, although still preforming, cleverly invested his musical talents into the world of lyrical construction and song writing alongside his performances as a sort of fall-back. Anka wrote and co-wrote songs for some high profile acts such as Tom Jones, and Michael Jackson which is a showcase of the versatility Paul Anka possesses.

One of Anka’s most recent releases “Rock Swings”, landed on the top 10 in the UK and sold more than 500,000 copies.

Put Your Head on My Shoulder – Paul Anka

Put Your Head on My Shoulder, released May of 1959 on ABC/Paramount Records is a shining example of the tremendous quality of music released and preformed by musicians during the conception of rock music. It’s no wonder the popularity of rock music compounded and flowered into the mammoth industry it is today. Put Your Head on My Shoulder features a 4/4 time signature with a consistent tempo of about 116 beats per minute which was generally standard practice in popular music of the 50’s, and actually still, for the most part, the norm today in popular music. The song begins with a very short intro and leaps into the chorus about 9 seconds in, where Anka introduces his vocals with the title of the track, this is the hook of the song and is sung every second time immediately before the chorus begins and after a whole rest by the band. Although this strategy of lyrical placement is not groundbreaking in anyway, it is beautifully executed and an example of the alluring simplicity of Anka’s earlier releases. Behind Anka’s lead vocal stylings is the harmonizing backup vocals which act as the melody in the song alongside the reverberating guitar and steadily chattering piano. The song features painfully simple percussive work as the kick and snare consistently pound at beats 2 and 4 respectively, throughout nearly the entire song, yet although the beat is simple, the track still provokes a swaying feeling in me which I would attest to the synergy of the backup vocals and piano.

In comparison to artists of similar general song structure such as the likes of Frank Sinatra and Nat Cole, Anka’s music is much more distinct due to the higher frequencies and faster tempo, but to compare two complete monsters like Sinatra and Nat Cole to Paul Anka is fairly straightforward; the truth is, Anka is not even in the same league musically. The masterfully crafted music of Sinatra and Cole compared to Anka’s repetitive immature compositions alongside teenage romance lyricism, is insultingly cheap when standing next to monstrous tracks like Fly Me to The Moon by Frank Sinatra or When I Fall In Love by Nat Cole. The similarity in the three artists is all of their music is driven by vocals, and I would say that is about it. The instrumentation in nearly all of Anka’s tracks are laughably simply while you experience impossibly intricate orchestrated masterpieces in nearly all of Sinatra’s and Cole’s tracks. It’s like trying to compare a wine cooler to a 15 year aged single malt scotch whiskey, it’s clear which one is of better taste, but each has it’s own appeal and seductiveness.

Anka’s real talent lies in his songwriting ability. Writing and co-writing for big name acts like Tom Jones, Micheal Jackson, and Sinatra, Anka made a living with his simplistic song lyrics that fit so well in popular music throughout the late 20th century. His significance in Canadian culture can be explained by this. It is the reason for his admittance to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and success later on in his career.

The 1966 album Pet Sounds, by the Beach Boys (the undisputed best album of all time) has a similarly titled track named “Dont Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)” which bears a resemblance in it’s theme to Paul Anka’s Put Your Head on My Shoulder, although it is slower and more endearing.

Campbell, Michael. Popular Music in American The Beat Goes On. Boston, MA: Schirmer Cengage Learning, 2013.

“Paul Anka – Singer, Songwriter, Television Actor, Film Actor, Guitarist, Pianist, Actor – Biography.” Accessed July 12, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/paul-anka-3424.

Around 100 years ago two boxers competed for the “heavyweight king of the world” in a wooden arena in Reno, Nevada. James Jackson Jeffries was referred to as the “Boilermaker”. After retiring from his undefeated career he started farming. Age 35, six foot one and a half inches, 227 pounds. John “Jack” Arthur Johnson was referred to as the “Galveston Giant”, a previous title winner. Age 32, five foot eleven inches, and lighter than Jeffries. Johnson had everything going for him, except that he was African-American. Going into the fight Jeffries stated: “I am going into this fight for the sole purpose of proving that a white man is better than a Negro”. Johnson on the other hand had equal rights on the line and he would not back down (Walsh, 2010).

The only thing Scott Joplin had in common with Johnson is that he too was African-American. Joplin was born in 1867 in Texas on the “black side of town”. He studied piano and European musical culture and became famous in 1899 for his work “Maple Leaf Rag”. Joplin was in New York City around the time of the fight of the century completing his opera: Treem

onisha. Ragtime got a different spin put on it by Joplin; he added African syncopation and opera lyrics  (Walsh, 2010).

Joplin wanted more than fame. As did Johnson.

Newspapers lit up the following day to rehash what occurred once the fight had ended. Most of the twenty six people dead and hundreds injured were black  (Walsh, 2010).

Johnson went on to get married a number of times, lose more fights, and go to prison. In 1946 he crashed while racing and died at age 68  (Walsh, 2010).

Joplin couldn’t find publishers for his work, his health failed, his pia

no rags dwindled, and in 1917 he died at age 49. His work Treemonisha finally got its world depute in 1972  (Walsh, 2010).

Optimism for the African-American Community

Joplin was hopeful when President Roosevelt had Booker T. Washington at the White House for dinner in 1901. Joplin honoured this event in his work. However his optimism was not shared by othe

rs as racist newspapers spread the following day (Walsh, 2010). Joplin continued to compose music that referenced important events and ones that related to the harsh realities of African-American.

In 1910 black migrants began to learn of the opportunities that they had been kept from in the past: sports and entertainment. These outlets allowed immigrants to work towards “the American dream” (Walsh, 2010). All-black musicals on Broadway began to flourish; Clorindy, the Origin of th

e Cakewalk, and In Dahomey. The Harlem renaissance began in the 1920s encompassing poets, painters, writers, and musicians. Joplin missed it by a few years (Walsh, 2010). The dramas, shows, songs, and art culture get-togethers aimed to make the relationship between the races less violent.

Sports too, especially boxing, allowed for the mingling of races though

white America viewed the heavyweight title as a symbol of white supremacy. The fight was viewed in theatres everywhere. Jeffries couldn’t keep up to Johnson’s quick movements. In the 15^th round Jeffries finally got floored and lost for the first time.  Johnson reflected the growing sense of optimism in a less humbling way than Joplin did but they for the same reasons. Equal rights. Johnson’s successes encouraged other African-American athletes to compete against white people in American stadium

s to demand equality. Johnson taking down Jeffries was a huge shock to the nation, an African-American boxer won the heavyweight title again in 1937  (Walsh, 2010).

Stereotypes

Johnson used his fame with an attitude of “anything you can do I can do better”. Throughout the fight he taunted Jeffries nonstop (Walsh, 2010). Johnson challenged racial stereotypes by fighting a well-known boxer and winning, becoming famous, attaining wealth, working his

butt off, and getting with the ladies. He bought fast cars, dated and married white women, and opened cafes and nightclubs to prove his point  (Walsh, 2010).

Philosophy

 “In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.”  – Booker T. Wa

shington

Joplin intentionally adhered to the philosophy of Booker T. Washington while Johnson unintentionally embraced the philosophy. Joplin’s Treemonisha reflected Washington’s lesson because the young female character lead her people, defeated obstacles, and advocated for education. Washington believed training and education were the keys to racial advancement and that one should demonstrate equality with patience

, industry, thrift, and usefulness. Johnson embraced the philosophy through his boxing training and overcame obstacles by winning the heavyweight championship (Walsh, 2010).

Vulture Tone

The tone of the article by Mark Harris suggests that everybody feels sorry for themselves and no one takes responsibility. Comparing it

to the article by Michael Walsh it is a lot more negative. Walsh’s article was hopeful regarding the future of sport and music for African-Americans, it encompassed the attitude of “it can only get better (Walsh, 2010).  In contrast, Harris’s article expresses that hope for humanity

is lost because we are a materialistic society and instead of caring about natural disasters and poverty we are tuning in to watch two men make millions of dollars by beating each other half to death  (Harris, 2017).

Eras of History

Harris’s article suggests that celebrities, and as a result, people in general, are constantly re-branding themselves in the era of Trump. Pop culture embodies a man who is self-selling, ignorant and cynical (Harris, 2017). We live by the retraction of personal responsibility, we clear ourselves from blame. Pop culture wouldn’t be popular if it weren’t for us. We share the fault. This statement highlights what the forefront issues are in our society “seeking fame, not love, because, after all, when you’re a star, they let you do anything” (Harris, 2017).  Wealth and power are the be-all, end-all.

Walsh’s article suggests that people were held responsible for their actions. The era, for African-Americans, embodied Washington’s philosophy where each finger had to be contribute to the hand. One should be patient and useful whereas Harris’s article suggests the opposite (Walsh, 2010).

Influence on Popular Music

Reading the article makes me think twice about listening to popular music these days. I wasn’t thinking about Taylor Swift in that light at all. I own many of her cds but I have realized that she promotes being a victim and she has branded herself promiscuously so that I can no longer take her seriously. When you turn on the radio you should try to understand what the artist is getting at and what story they are trying to tell. I’m positive my interest in songs played on C95 will dwindle now that I have the Trump era mindset in my head.

#M2Q2

Harris, M. (2017). Taylor Swift’s ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ Is the First Pure Piece of Trump-Era Pop Art. Vulture. Retrieved from http://www.vulture.com/2017/08/taylor-swift-look-what-you-made-me-do-pure-trump-era-pop-art.html

Walsh, M. (2010). A Year of Hope for Joplin and Johnson. Smithsonian. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-year-of-hope-for-joplin-and-johnson-123024/

Hello everyone.

My name is Virgil Sun. For my first blog post, I would like to talk about Jelly Roll Morton, so-called the inventor of Jazz.

However, the first time that I know this man was from the movie: The Legend of 1900.  During the piano duel, Jelly Roll Morton played Big Foot Ham, The Crave and Finger breaker which shocked me in my young age.

Background

Jelly Roll Morton was born on October 20, 1890, in New Orleans, Louisiana, “a mix of African, French, and Spanish—he eventually adopted the last name of his stepfather, Morton.”  He was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, an early innovator in the jazz genre, he rose to fame as the leader of Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers, also known for influencing the formation of modern-day jazz during the 1920s.

He was recognized as a pivotal figure in early jazz, he is perhaps most notable as jazz’s first arranger, and he is believed to have been the first jazz musician to put his arrangements to paper.  Morton’s claim to have invented jazz in 1902 aroused resentment, the lies left a terrible impression on the fans, which is also a significant reason why he has long been despised.

Morton learned to play piano at age 10, and within a few years he was playing in the red-light district bordello, where he earned the nickname “Jelly Roll.” He played in Los Angeles from 1917 to 1922 and later moved to Chicago, where he reached the peak of his career for the next six years.

Original Jelly Roll Blues

“Original Jelly Roll Blues” usually shortened to and known as “Jelly Roll Blues,” composed by Jelly Roll Morton.  “The Red Hot Peppers version is a typical New Orleans jazz presentation where the trumpet, clarinet, and trombone play lead melody and counterpoint, with the piano, guitar, string bass and drums providing the rhythmic accompaniment. However, Morton varies and enriches this basic structure by providing many instrumental breaks in suspended rhythm, as well as giving the horns and the piano solo passages”.

Mixed with tango-like rhythm and flavor, Jelly Roll Blues is a prime example of the mixture of the international cultural influences that produced New Orleans jazz.  “In this record and several other Morton recordings of 1926-7, the New Orleans early jazz style, as a collective blend of instruments varying the basic melody using both composed, written notes and improvisation, reached its peak of artistic development”.

The Crave

The Crave is the first jazz music that I have ever listened to and also my favorite.  In the movie The Legend of 1900, the main character 1900 can’t help crying and re-played this music in his own style.

“Jelly Roll Morton did not play, he caressed those notes, his hands were butterflies, so light.”

In this composition, Jelly makes use of Spanish rhythms for a piano style that he refers to as “Spanish Tinge.”  “Now in one of my earliest tunes, New Orleans Blues, you can notice the Spanish tinge. In fact, if you can’t manage to put tinges of Spanish in your tunes, you will never be able to get the right seasoning, I call it, for Jazz”. —— Jelly Roll Morton

Black Bottom Stomp

Another of Morton’s rhythmic penchants was the use of “stop time,” which used short intervals of suspenseful silence to build the momentum of a song or dramatically introduce a solo. These diverse elements, along with Morton’s flair for intricate and energetic arrangements, are all evident on compositions like “Black Bottom Stomp,” which Morton recorded with his Red Hot Peppers between 1926 and 1930.

Later Career

When the Great Depression came, Morton’s days became harder, and he gradually went downhill. Like other characters in classical jazz, his music was considered obsolete. Morton’s fate seems to be more unfortunate than many of the early jazz masters. In New York, he has few real friends because of his poor reputation. No one is willing to give him a rescuing hand during difficult times. Moreover, Morton, who has a strong personality, is not willing to work as a spare, it is a shame for him to accompaniment for others. In his view, glory is more important than work, so he has been in a state of unemployment for a long time.

Ironically, classical jazz re-emerged shortly after his death. The revival of New Orleans Jazz and Dixieland Jazz was carried out vigorously. As the famous trombone player Kid Ory said, if he can live for a few more years, he may also achieve the glory of his most prosperous period.

References

Jelly Roll Morton Biography. (2014, April 2). The Biography. https://www.biography.com/people/jelly-roll-morton-9415945

Jelly Roll Morton AMERICAN MUSICIAN. (2018, July 6).  The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica.  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jelly-Roll-Morton

Sandmel, Ben “Jelly Roll Morton.” In knowlouisiana.org Encyclopedia of Louisiana, edited by David Johnson. Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, 2010–. Article published February 25, 2013. http://www.knowlouisiana.org/entry/jelly-roll-morton.

Ragtime · Blues · Hot Piano Ferd “Jelly Roll” Morton [Digital image]. Retrieved July 10, 2018, http://www.doctorjazz.co.uk/jelly24.html

The Crave Jelly Roll Morton. 20sJazz. http://www.20sjazz.com/videos/jelly-roll-morton/the-crave-1.html

The Cambridge History of Twentieth-Century Music, September 2004, Cambridge University Press, p. 131

Hello everyone.

My name is Virgil Sun. For my first blog post, I would like to talk about Jelly Roll Morton, so-called the inventor of Jazz.

However, the first time that I know this man was from the movie: The Legend of 1900.  During the piano duel, Jelly Roll Morton played Big Foot Ham, The Crave and Finger breaker which shocked me in my young age.

Background

Jelly Roll Morton was born on October 20, 1890, in New Orleans, Louisiana, “a mix of African, French, and Spanish—he eventually adopted the last name of his stepfather, Morton.”  He was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, an early innovator in the jazz genre, he rose to fame as the leader of Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers, also known for influencing the formation of modern-day jazz during the 1920s.

He was recognized as a pivotal figure in early jazz, he is perhaps most notable as jazz’s first arranger, and he is believed to have been the first jazz musician to put his arrangements to paper.  Morton’s claim to have invented jazz in 1902 aroused resentment, the lies left a terrible impression on the fans, which is also a significant reason why he has long been despised.

Morton learned to play piano at age 10, and within a few years he was playing in the red-light district bordello, where he earned the nickname “Jelly Roll.” He played in Los Angeles from 1917 to 1922 and later moved to Chicago, where he reached the peak of his career for the next six years.

Original Jelly Roll Blues

“Original Jelly Roll Blues” usually shortened to and known as “Jelly Roll Blues,” composed by Jelly Roll Morton.  “The Red Hot Peppers version is a typical New Orleans jazz presentation where the trumpet, clarinet, and trombone play lead melody and counterpoint, with the piano, guitar, string bass and drums providing the rhythmic accompaniment. However, Morton varies and enriches this basic structure by providing many instrumental breaks in suspended rhythm, as well as giving the horns and the piano solo passages”.

Mixed with tango-like rhythm and flavor, Jelly Roll Blues is a prime example of the mixture of the international cultural influences that produced New Orleans jazz.  “In this record and several other Morton recordings of 1926-7, the New Orleans early jazz style, as a collective blend of instruments varying the basic melody using both composed, written notes and improvisation, reached its peak of artistic development”.

The Crave

The Crave is the first jazz music that I have ever listened to and also my favorite.  In the movie The Legend of 1900, the main character 1900 can’t help crying and re-played this music in his own style.

“Jelly Roll Morton did not play, he caressed those notes, his hands were butterflies, so light.”

In this composition, Jelly makes use of Spanish rhythms for a piano style that he refers to as “Spanish Tinge.”  “Now in one of my earliest tunes, New Orleans Blues, you can notice the Spanish tinge. In fact, if you can’t manage to put tinges of Spanish in your tunes, you will never be able to get the right seasoning, I call it, for Jazz”. —— Jelly Roll Morton

Black Bottom Stomp

Another of Morton’s rhythmic penchants was the use of “stop time,” which used short intervals of suspenseful silence to build the momentum of a song or dramatically introduce a solo. These diverse elements, along with Morton’s flair for intricate and energetic arrangements, are all evident on compositions like “Black Bottom Stomp,” which Morton recorded with his Red Hot Peppers between 1926 and 1930.

Later Career

When the Great Depression came, Morton’s days became harder, and he gradually went downhill. Like other characters in classical jazz, his music was considered obsolete. Morton’s fate seems to be more unfortunate than many of the early jazz masters. In New York, he has few real friends because of his poor reputation. No one is willing to give him a rescuing hand during difficult times. Moreover, Morton, who has a strong personality, is not willing to work as a spare, it is a shame for him to accompaniment for others. In his view, glory is more important than work, so he has been in a state of unemployment for a long time.

Ironically, classical jazz re-emerged shortly after his death. The revival of New Orleans Jazz and Dixieland Jazz was carried out vigorously. As the famous trombone player Kid Ory said, if he can live for a few more years, he may also achieve the glory of his most prosperous period.

References

Jelly Roll Morton Biography. (2014, April 2). The Biography. https://www.biography.com/people/jelly-roll-morton-9415945

Jelly Roll Morton AMERICAN MUSICIAN. (2018, July 6).  The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica.  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jelly-Roll-Morton

Sandmel, Ben “Jelly Roll Morton.” In knowlouisiana.org Encyclopedia of Louisiana, edited by David Johnson. Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, 2010–. Article published February 25, 2013. http://www.knowlouisiana.org/entry/jelly-roll-morton.

Ragtime · Blues · Hot Piano Ferd “Jelly Roll” Morton [Digital image]. Retrieved July 10, 2018, http://www.doctorjazz.co.uk/jelly24.html

The Crave Jelly Roll Morton. 20sJazz. http://www.20sjazz.com/videos/jelly-roll-morton/the-crave-1.html

The Cambridge History of Twentieth-Century Music, September 2004, Cambridge University Press, p. 131

Hello everyone.

My name is Virgil Sun. For my first blog post, I would like to talk about Jelly Roll Morton, so-called the inventor of Jazz.

However, the first time that I know this man was from the movie: The Legend of 1900.  During the piano duel, Jelly Roll Morton played Big Foot Ham, The Crave and Finger breaker which shocked me in my young age.

Background

Jelly Roll Morton was born on October 20, 1890, in New Orleans, Louisiana, “a mix of African, French, and Spanish—he eventually adopted the last name of his stepfather, Morton.”  He was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, an early innovator in the jazz genre, he rose to fame as the leader of Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers, also known for influencing the formation of modern-day jazz during the 1920s.

He was recognized as a pivotal figure in early jazz, he is perhaps most notable as jazz’s first arranger, and he is believed to have been the first jazz musician to put his arrangements to paper.  Morton’s claim to have invented jazz in 1902 aroused resentment, the lies left a terrible impression on the fans, which is also a significant reason why he has long been despised.

Morton learned to play piano at age 10, and within a few years he was playing in the red-light district bordello, where he earned the nickname “Jelly Roll.” He played in Los Angeles from 1917 to 1922 and later moved to Chicago, where he reached the peak of his career for the next six years.

Original Jelly Roll Blues

“Original Jelly Roll Blues” usually shortened to and known as “Jelly Roll Blues,” composed by Jelly Roll Morton.  “The Red Hot Peppers version is a typical New Orleans jazz presentation where the trumpet, clarinet, and trombone play lead melody and counterpoint, with the piano, guitar, string bass and drums providing the rhythmic accompaniment. However, Morton varies and enriches this basic structure by providing many instrumental breaks in suspended rhythm, as well as giving the horns and the piano solo passages”.

Mixed with tango-like rhythm and flavor, Jelly Roll Blues is a prime example of the mixture of the international cultural influences that produced New Orleans jazz.  “In this record and several other Morton recordings of 1926-7, the New Orleans early jazz style, as a collective blend of instruments varying the basic melody using both composed, written notes and improvisation, reached its peak of artistic development”.

The Crave

The Crave is the first jazz music that I have ever listened to and also my favorite.  In the movie The Legend of 1900, the main character 1900 can’t help crying and re-played this music in his own style.

“Jelly Roll Morton did not play, he caressed those notes, his hands were butterflies, so light.”

In this composition, Jelly makes use of Spanish rhythms for a piano style that he refers to as “Spanish Tinge.”  “Now in one of my earliest tunes, New Orleans Blues, you can notice the Spanish tinge. In fact, if you can’t manage to put tinges of Spanish in your tunes, you will never be able to get the right seasoning, I call it, for Jazz”. —— Jelly Roll Morton

Black Bottom Stomp

Another of Morton’s rhythmic penchants was the use of “stop time,” which used short intervals of suspenseful silence to build the momentum of a song or dramatically introduce a solo. These diverse elements, along with Morton’s flair for intricate and energetic arrangements, are all evident on compositions like “Black Bottom Stomp,” which Morton recorded with his Red Hot Peppers between 1926 and 1930.

Later Career

When the Great Depression came, Morton’s days became harder, and he gradually went downhill. Like other characters in classical jazz, his music was considered obsolete. Morton’s fate seems to be more unfortunate than many of the early jazz masters. In New York, he has few real friends because of his poor reputation. No one is willing to give him a rescuing hand during difficult times. Moreover, Morton, who has a strong personality, is not willing to work as a spare, it is a shame for him to accompaniment for others. In his view, glory is more important than work, so he has been in a state of unemployment for a long time.

Ironically, classical jazz re-emerged shortly after his death. The revival of New Orleans Jazz and Dixieland Jazz was carried out vigorously. As the famous trombone player Kid Ory said, if he can live for a few more years, he may also achieve the glory of his most prosperous period.

References

Jelly Roll Morton Biography. (2014, April 2). The Biography. https://www.biography.com/people/jelly-roll-morton-9415945

Jelly Roll Morton AMERICAN MUSICIAN. (2018, July 6).  The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica.  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jelly-Roll-Morton

Sandmel, Ben “Jelly Roll Morton.” In knowlouisiana.org Encyclopedia of Louisiana, edited by David Johnson. Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, 2010–. Article published February 25, 2013. http://www.knowlouisiana.org/entry/jelly-roll-morton.

Ragtime · Blues · Hot Piano Ferd “Jelly Roll” Morton [Digital image]. Retrieved July 10, 2018, http://www.doctorjazz.co.uk/jelly24.html

The Crave Jelly Roll Morton. 20sJazz. http://www.20sjazz.com/videos/jelly-roll-morton/the-crave-1.html

The Cambridge History of Twentieth-Century Music, September 2004, Cambridge University Press, p. 131