Tuesday, 11 September 2012

Jelly Roll Morton and Make Me A Pallet On the Floor

The great old, old tune Make Me A Pallet On the Floor...among my favorite versions are John Hurt's, Willie Brown's, and Sam Chatmon's. I'm thinking that many of you have heard those renditions but have not yet heard Jelly Roll Morton's - the self-proclaimed, contentiously so, inventor of jazz. Whatever his credentials in that regard truly are, there's no doubt that he was a key figure in the history of jazz and also played a key-role (much like Lead Belly) in accounting for the aural history of black American music from before the recording era.

Honestly, the lyrics that he puts onto this monumentally long version are, to me, amusing in a "did he actually just say that?" way...just cuz it's Jelly Roll Morton and I have a shameful sense of humor (which I blame on my internet generation). You'll see what I mean...I've never had to say this, but please use discretion in choosing to listen to this if vulgarity does not jive with you...btw, Mr Lomax recorded this.

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