Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton was an early American jazz musician specializing in the piano. I know I normally do write about guitar player, but Dixieland jazz influenced lots of blues guitarist and hence I have a bit of debt for my playing style ( when I get one)
There is debate over his life, similar to that of Robert Johnson, but he was born in New Orleans, LA in 1885 or 1890. His grandmother kicked him out of the house over playing jazz. She, and lots of people at the time, reffered to it as "devil music". He was also playing at a local cathouse. He toured from Chicago to New York and major places with large communities of African Americans ( this was segregation times). He actually did a bunch of interviews in D.C. and they are now house at the library of congress.
He died of complications from asthma. He was in NewYork when they first started to get bad but he stubbornly went on with his tour to Los Angeles. He died while there, My favorite piece by him is the jelly roll blues.
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