Jelly Roll Morton Research Paper

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Jazz has shaped the world we know today. Jazz would have never been as popular without the help of the famous musicians: Jelly Roll Morton, Joe King Oliver, Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. These people helped spread the new genre through radio, railroads, and the records that they played. Where did this all start? The jazz age began in New Orleans where a certain King was born.

Joe King Oliver was born in New Orleans, 1885. He spent his youth as a trombonist playing in brass bands. During this time, Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet, and Louis Armstrong, were all born in New Orleans. All of them learned and played different instruments and had inspiration from the bands that had started playing this new genre of music. Joe King Oliver invited Armstrong to join his band in Chicago along with Sidney. They played many performances and recorded many songs until the band went their separate ways. Jelly, Oliver, Sidney, Louis, and Duke all moved to New York since the city is the capital of mainstream. They all traveled around the country and even the world. These musicians had many similarities, but they also had differences too.

One difference is that Duke Ellington was born in Washington DC. He was taught how to play piano instead of learning on his own. Him and all the other musicians traveled around the world except …show more content…

I really think it’s interesting that all of them, besides Duke, were born in New Orleans. That’s where it all started, but all of them ended differently. Duke was considered a genius and since he was born in Washington DC it was much more easy for him to become popular. He traveled and died happy. The others, such as Sidney, went bankrupt and moved to France. Even though they were all great musicians not all of them were super popular amongst the people. I think that had a major impact on their futures. Though they are still remembered as genius Jazz musicians that shaped the