5. Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers, “Black Bottom Stomp” (Jelly Roll Morton)

For use with Lesson #6.

 

Style: Classic New Orleans

Personnel: George Mitchell cornet, Omer Simeon clarinet, Edward “Kid” Ory trombone, Ferd “Jelly Roll” Morton piano, Johnny St. Cyr banjo, John Lindsay bass, Andrew Hilaire drums. Recorded in 1926.

Issued on Victor 20221.

Reissued on RCA Victor/Bluebird 2361-2-RB Disc 1, 66641 and 09026-68500-2.

Morton, one of the great jazz pianists and bandleaders and the first great jazz composer, made a series of milestone recordings featuring his intricate compositions. “Black Bottom Stomp” (named for a dance craze of the 20s) is a complex tour-de-force. Archetypal stylistic elements to listen for include the plunger cornet solo at 1:49 (with a “rip” at 1:53), and the prominent “slapped” bass at 0:54 and again behind the banjo solo. Morton’s piano solo at 1:31 builds to a frenzy, sounding almost like two players at its climax. The final outchorus is intensified by tom-tom backbeats, as well as a wild three-against-four trombone break at 2:50.

Included in the Traditional Jazz Curriculum Kit is a full transcription of this recording, for live performance.

Sequence for this track (with measure numbers corresponding to the transcription in the Traditional Jazz Curriculum Kit)

0:00 1 Ensemble intro (8 bars)

0:07 5 First strain: ensemble

0:22 21 First strain variation: ensemble (series of 1-bar cornet breaks in second half)

0:36 37 First strain variation: clarinet solo

0:50 53 Ensemble interlude (4 bars)

0:54 57 Second strain: ensemble (break by cornet/trombone)

1:13 77 Second strain: clarinet solo

1:31 97 Second strain: piano solo

1:49 117 Second strain: cornet solo (stoptime)

2:07 137 Second strain: banjo solo

2:25 157 Second strain: ensemble (break by choked cymbal)

2:44 177 Second strain: ensemble (break by trombone), “double ending”

Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers