Did you know New Orleans born Jelly Roll Morton who was widely recognized as a pivotal figure in early jazz also lived in Washington? Morton is perhaps most notable as jazzs first arranger, proving that a genre rooted in improvisation could retain its essential spirit and characteristics when notated. In 1935, Morton moved to Washington, D.C., to become the manager/piano player of a bar called, at various times, the Music Box, Blue Moon Inn, and Jungle Inn in the African-American neighborhood of Shaw. (The building that hosted the nightclub stands at 1211 U Street NW.) Morton was also the master of ceremonies, bouncer, and bartender of the club. He lived in Washington for a few years; the club owner allowed all her friends free admission and drinks, which prevented Morton from making the business a success. In 1938 Morton was stabbed by a friend of the owner and suffered wounds to the head and chest. After this incident his wife Mabel demanded that they leave Washington. But during Mortons brief residency at the Music Box, the folklorist Alan Lomax heard the pianist playing in the bar. In May 1938, Lomax invited Morton to record music and interviews for the Library of Congress. The sessions, originally intended as a short interview with musical examples for use by music researchers in the Library of Congress, soon expanded to record more than eight hours of Morton talking and playing piano. Lomax also conducted longer interviews during which he took notes but did not record. Despite the low fidelity of these non-commercial recordings, their musical and historical importance have attracted numerous jazz fans, and they have helped to ensure Mortons place in jazz history. Lomax was very interested in Mortons Storyville days in New Orleans and the ribald songs of the time. Although reluctant to recount and record these, Morton eventually obliged Lomax. Because of the suggestive nature of the songs, some of the Library of Congress recordings were not released until 2005.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 19:00:01 +0000
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