Search - Jelly Roll Morton :: Volume 1

He claimed to have invented jazz, an overstatement much closer to a boast than a lie, because pianist Jelly Roll Morton was right there in the thick of things when jazz was born, and he certainly did as much as anyone to popularize it. A prolific composer, essential bandleader, and terrific soloist, Morton could do it all, and these earliest recordings document his strengths. Most of the material here is comprised of the piano solos--dense, orchestral performances designed to imitate the sound of a full band. The band recordings, with a variety of backups from duos and trios (with kazoo) to a full orchestra, anticipate Morton's historic recordings with the Red Hot Peppers. --John Swenson