ABSTRACT
American jazz pianist, one of the pioneers of jazz composition and arrangement, born Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (Morton was his stepfather’s name) in Gulfport, Louisiana. He played in the brothels of New Orleans until around 1906, then moved up to New York by 1911 and Chicago by 1914. After further travel he settled in Chicago in 1923. Morton began to record in 1923, with an orchestra of his own, doing “Big Foot Ham” for Paramount (#12050) followed by “Muddy Water Blues”; and then appearing with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings in “Sobbin’ Blues” (Gennett 5219; 1923), followed by “Clarinet Marmalade” and “Mr. Jelly Lord” on the same date. He did more Gennett records in Richmond, Indiana, on the next day, then went on to work for various labels. Morton was one of the first artists to make electrical recordings for the Autograph label in 1924. From 1926 he was with Victor in Chicago with his Red Hot Peppers group and made his finest discs. “Black Bottom Stomp” has become legendary (Victor #20221; 1926), and most of his records of that period are classics. These and later somewhat less exciting records made in New York, are included on Great Original Performances (BBC #604). Alan Lomax recorded Morton’s piano playing and reminiscences for the Library of Congress in 1938 (later issued in the 1950s on several LPs by Riverside, and then in the 1990s on CD by Rounder Records). This led to a small revival in interest in Morton and a few commercial recording sessions. Some of his best solo piano performances, made for the General label in 1939, are on Commodore #8-24062. However, his health was failing, and Morton died in Los Angeles two years later.
