The Jazz Life — Jelly Roll Morton: Born in New Orleans

The Inventor of Jazz

Jelly Roll in New York. Image: 64 Parishes

Ferdinand Joseph Morton was born in New Orleans in 1885, and at a very young age was knocking out a tune or two on any instruments he could get his hands on, and teaching himself the rudiments of music:

At the age of seven, I was considered among the best guitarists around, and sometimes I played in the string bands that…