ABSTRACT
The compositions of Jelly Roll Morton make up one of the largest collections of early jazz music by any single composer or songwriter. From the first tunes he copyrighted in 1915, such as Jelly Roll Blues up to his 1930s numbers such as Sweet Peter, Morton developed ragtime ideas into jazz, with a particular sense of time and swing. A small number of pianists round the world specialize in interpreting his music, and foremost among them is Butch Thompson, from Minnesota. Morton's talent was to suggest the notes, without making it necessary to play all the parts in every single line. The Original Jelly Roll Blues, for example, from 1915, although it had an extra vocal line added for a singer, sounds just like Morton playing the piano in terms of its voicings and chord structure.
