Jelly Roll Morton

It's a trip back to the origins of Jazz music this week in our artist spotlight as we take a listen to one of the early pioneers of the music - Jelly Roll Morton.

Morton's Creole roots in New Orleans meant he was exposed to a myriad of cultural influences at a very young age.  Like most musicians of the minstrel circuit in the early 1900's, he started playing as a teenager - mostly in brothels.  But Jelly Roll Morton was a special player, highly regarded by his peers for his virtuosic technique.  Soon, he was touring North American - bringing his own ragtime stylings to audiences from East to West. 

Throughout his career, Morton was a constant innovator in his piano technique, and a terrific composer as well - penning over 30 different early Jazz standards.