Born on this date in 1890: Ferdinand Joseph Lemott, better known to the world as Jelly Roll Morton, ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer ("King Porter Stomp," "Grandpa's Spells," "Wolverine Blues," "Black Bottom Stomp," "Jelly Roll Blues," "I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say," "Wild Man Blues," and many more). He claimed to have invented the genre and called himself "The Inventor of Jazz," and even if it's possibly not 100% true, he's one of the greatest pioneer and innovators of jazz music. Harvey Pekar and Robert Crumb, natch, were big fans, and here's the first page of Crumb's story on Jelly's Roll's belief that a voodoo curse caused his later decline in popularity:
from "Jelly Roll Morton's Voodoo Curse" in Raw (1980 series) #7 (Raw, May 1985), by Robert Crumb
Great musician and named after a great dessert? He's one of my favorites, too. Happy birthday, Jelly Roll, and keep on playin'.
"King Porter Stomp" by Jelly Roll Morton (Vocalion, 1926), written by Jelly Roll Morton
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