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American ragtime and early jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer, a pivotal figure in the transition from ragtime to jazz.Born Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe in New Orleans, Morton rose to prominence in the early 20th century. He was a flamboyant performer, a prolific composer of jazz standards like 'King Porter Stomp' and 'Wolverine Blues', and a key figure in documenting early jazz history through his Library of Congress recordings. He led influential groups like his Red Hot Peppers in the 1920s, showcasing sophisticated arrangements. Despite his claims of inventing jazz in 1902, his true legacy lies in his immense contributions to its development and popularization.

• He began playing piano professionally in New Orleans' brothels and gambling halls as a teenager, adopting the nickname 'Jelly Roll', slang with sexual connotations.
• Morton was notoriously flamboyant and boastful, famously claiming to have 'invented jazz in 1902'. While exaggerated, his early work was undeniably foundational.
• He faced significant financial hardship and copyright disputes later in life, struggling to regain the success he enjoyed in the 1920s.
• His career was severely impacted by the Great Depression and changing musical tastes towards Swing. He spent his later years managing a jazz club in Washington D.C. and trying to revive his career.
• Morton suffered from severe asthma and heart problems. While traveling to Los Angeles seeking better health and a comeback opportunity, he succumbed to heart failure exacerbated by asthma in 1941.
• His extensive 1938 interviews and performances recorded for the Library of Congress by Alan Lomax are an invaluable historical record of early jazz, its origins, and Morton's own life and music.