Cameron Campbell

10/1/20
Jazz History
“The Inventor of Jazz” Reflection

While reading “The Inventor of Jazz” I was immediately drawn to what Jelly Roll

Morton was saying about how as he grew up his family never really considered being a

musician an option for work. First let me say that my family has always supported me

wanting to be a musician. But there have definitely been people who have said certain

things that may have been meant to discourage me from going down this path. Morton

also talked about how studying and playing piano was seen more as something that was

for women. So he studied multiple instruments until he saw another man playing the

piano which gave him confidence to play as well.

I think it’s really fascinating that Jelly Roll Morton was in New Orleans at 17

years old already around and working with the musicians who developed jazz. In the

biography section before the text starts it mentions all the different types of music

Morton was exposed to in his travels around America. He heard styles such as, ragtime,

blues, hymns, minstrel songs, Tin Pan Alley songs, and Caribbean music. I imagine that

is what New Orleans was like at the time, except all in one place. Morton says, “New

Orleans was the stomping ground for all the great pianists in the country. We had

Spanish, we had colored, we had white, we had Frenchmens, we had Americans, we had

them from all parts of the world…” and that was only referring to pianists. Imagine all

the different cultures they had there coming together and making music, especially at

this period in time.

Jelly Roll Morton continues to talk about New Orleans and mentions musicians

of the time by name. People like Emanuel Perez, and John Robichaux. People who were

playing ragtime, but also people who were writing arrangements for their bands.
Cameron Campbell
10/1/20
Jazz History
“The Inventor of Jazz” Reflection

Musicians in New Orleans weren’t making very much money at all but as Morton says

none of them wanted to leave New Orleans because they’d say “This is the best town in

the world.” Morton continues to talk about the development of jazz. He mentions

certain effects like vibrato that were used to imitate animals. He mentions how King

Oliver introduced various types of mutes to jazz.

I thought the story Jelly Roll Morton told about him kind of schooling another

piano player who was playing his songs incorrectly was funny. The other pianist didn’t

know Morton could play. So when Morton sat down at the piano he schooled the other

guy. I guess if you consider yourself the literal “inventor of jazz” then it’s easy for you to

walk around with that kind of attitude. Jelly Roll Morton definitely wasn’t the inventor

of jazz like he claimed to be, but he certainly was around to witness it’s development and

contribute to its development as well.