Classic Jelly Roll Morton recording from the 1920s. Gunther Schuller's Early Jazz has increased my respect for the contributions of Jelly Roll Morton to the evolution of jazz. Looking past his boastful claim to have invented jazz, one can see how his best work with his Red Hot Peppers represented the height of the New Orleans polyphonic ensemble style in terms of composition. Through the musical stew of New Orleans, Morton drew from all genres to offer the world something new. Of course, one could also discuss the influence of "Latin" music on Morton, who was a descendant of Saint Dominguans, knew of Cuban music, and had a father who ended up in Haiti during the US Occupation.
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