Today is the birthday of Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, a.k.a. Jelly Roll Morton (1890-1941), widely regarded as one of the originators of jazz. He started out as a teenager playing piano in sporting houses in his native New Orleans, where he learned a risque repertoire and aquired a filthy nickname. He began writing music and touring [...]
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:29AM on October 20, 2012