Jelly Roll Morton
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...