FERDINAND "JELLY ROLL" MORTON (1890-1941) Having worked alternately as a gambler, pool shark, pimp, vaudeville comedian, and a pianist, "Jelly Roll" Morton (born Ferdinand Joseph LaMenthe) is perhaps the most colorful figure in the history of early jazz. Born into sophisticated Creole culture, Morton received classical piano training as a child, but he launched his career in the whorehouses and bordellos of New Orleans. Travelling through the South and the Midwest, Morton worked as an arranger and pianist for jazz bands in Chicago, St. Louis, and Los Angeles. Along with his solo work, Morton made a number of recordings with the Chicago Red Hot Peppers in the late 1920s. Morton's style was distinctive in its blend of jazz and ragtime.