One of the most important musicians to emerge from the New Orleans style was the pianist and composer “Jelly Roll†Morton (1885-1941). His career is typical of the successful musicians of his time. He was born in New Orleans. He learned the skills of a ragtime pianist there. As an adult, he traveled throughout the country. In Chicago, around 1926, he founded a New Orleans-style jazz band. They were named the “Red Hot Peppers.†He made a series of important recordings with the group. Morton was an unusual New Orleans musician. His music was composed and often written down before a performance. This aspect of his work clearly comes from his background in ragtime. Many of his pieces were first written for piano and later copied for jazz band. Toward the end of his life, the American folklorist, Alan Lomax, interviewed him. This interview left a valuable record of Jelly’s activities. At this time, he made the claim that he was the inventor of jazz.
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