Red Hot Peppers was a recording jazz band led by

Jelly Roll Morton Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a gen ...

from 1926–1930. It was a seven- or eight-piece band formed in Chicago that recorded for Victor and featured the best New Orleans-style freelance musicians available, including cornetist George Mitchell, trombonist

Kid Ory Edward "Kid" Ory (December 25, 1886 – January 23, 1973) was an American jazz composer, trombonist and bandleader. One of the early users of the glissando technique, he helped establish it as a central element of New Orleans jazz. He was ...

, clarinetists

Omer Simeon Omer Victor Simeon (July 21, 1902 – September 17, 1959) was an American jazz clarinetist. He also played soprano, alto, and baritone saxophone and bass clarinet. Biography The son of a cigar maker, Omer Simeon was born in New Orleans, Louisian ...

and

Johnny Dodds Johnny Dodds (; April 12, 1892 – August 8, 1940) was an American jazz clarinetist and alto saxophonist based in New Orleans, best known for his recordings under his own name and with bands such as those of Joe "King" Oliver, Jelly Roll Morto ...

, banjoists Johnny St. Cyr and Bud Scott, double bass player

John Lindsay John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, mayor of New York City, and candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regular ...

, and drummers Andrew Hilaire and

Baby Dodds Warren "Baby" Dodds (December 24, 1898 – February 14, 1959) was an American jazz drummer born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He is regarded as one of the best jazz drummers of the pre-big band era, and one of the most important ...

. Recordings made by the group in Chicago in 1926–27, such as "

Black Bottom Stomp "Black Bottom Stomp" is a jazz composition. It was composed by Jelly Roll Morton in 1925 and was originally entitled "Queen of Spades". It was recorded in Chicago by Morton and His Red Hot Peppers, for Victor Records on September 15, 1926. __TO ...

", "Smoke-House Blues" and " Doctor Jazz" set a standard for small group jazz that is still unrivaled. Morton's skills as a composer and arranger are apparent in the structure of the pieces, which combines clarity with variety and manages to maintain a balance between ensemble and solo playing while allowing for a substantial solo from every band member. The quality of the recordings is further enhanced by the band's careful rehearsals, which were uncommon in early jazz performances. A number of Morton's best piano solos can also be heard on these recordings. In 1928, Morton moved to New York, where he continued to make recordings under the name Red Hot Peppers, but collaborated with musicians from his regular band or from other orchestras. By 1930, the name Red Hot Peppers was no longer used. Recordings made by the Red Hot Peppers constituted a significant contribution to the

race records Race records were 78-rpm phonograph records marketed to African Americans between the 1920s and 1940s.Oliver, Paul. "Race record." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. 13 Feb. 2015. They primarily contained race music, comprising various Afri ...

industry, at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. The masterful blend of composition and improvisation demonstrated by Morton and his colleagues set a precedent for early jazz.

Discography

A partial discography for the Red Hot Peppers is available from the Discography of American Historical Recordings, a database edited by the

University of California, Santa Barbara The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduates and 2,983 graduate students enrolled in 2021–2022. It is part of the U ...

. * Victor BVE-36239
"

" (

)
Recorded September 15, 1926, at the Webster Hotel in Chicago, Illinois
Jelly Roll Morton (piano), Andrew Hilaire (drums), John Lindsay (bass), George Mitchell (cornet),

(trombone), Johnny St. Cyr (banjo),

(clarinet) * Victor BVE-36284
"Dead Man Blues" (Jelly Roll Morton)
Recorded September 21, 1926, at the Webster Hotel in Chicago, Illinois
Jelly Roll Morton (piano, voice),

Barney Bigard Albany Leon "Barney" Bigard (March 3, 1906 – June 27, 1980) was an American jazz clarinetist known for his 15-year tenure with Duke Ellington. He also played tenor saxophone. Biography Bigard was born in New Orleans to Creole parents, Ale ...

(clarinet), Marty Bloom (sound effects), Andrew Hilaire (drums), Darnell Howard (clarinet), John Lindsay (bass), George Mitchell (cornet), Kid Ory (trombone), Johnny St. Cyr (banjo, voice), Omer Simeon (clarinet) * Victor BVE-37256
" Original Jelly-Roll Blues" (Jelly Roll Morton)
Recorded December 16, 1926, at the Webster Hotel in Chicago, Illinois
Jelly Roll Morton (piano), Andrew Hilaire (drums), John Lindsay (bass), George Mitchell (cornet), Kid Ory (trombone), Johnny St. Cyr (banjo), Omer Simeon (clarinet) * Victor BVE-37257
" Doctor Jazz" (

King Oliver Joseph Nathan "King" Oliver (December 19, 1881 – April 8/10, 1938) was an American jazz cornet player and bandleader. He was particularly recognized for his playing style and his pioneering use of mutes in jazz. Also a notable composer, he wr ...

)
Recorded December 16, 1926, at the Webster Hotel in Chicago, Illinois
Jelly Roll Morton (piano), Andrew Hilaire (drums), John Lindsay (bass), George Mitchell (cornet), Kid Ory (trombone), Johnny St. Cyr (banjo), Omer Simeon (clarinet) * Victor BVE-38661
"

Beale Street Blues "Beale Street Blues" is a song by American composer and lyricist W.C. Handy. It was named after Beale Street, a center of African-American music in Memphis, Tennessee, and was published in 1917. Background The title refers to Beale Street in Memp ...

" ( W. C. Handy)
Recorded June 10, 1927, at 952 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Jelly Roll Morton (piano),

(drums),

(clarinet), Stump Evans (alto saxophone), George Mitchell (cornet), Gerald Reeves (trombone), Bud Scott (guitar),

Quinn Wilson Quinn Brown Wilson (December 26, 1908 – June 14, 1978) was an American jazz bassist and tubist. Wilson played violin as a child, and studied composition and arrangement in his youth. He had his first professional experience in the mid-1920s, ...

(tuba) * Victor BVE-45619
"Georgia Swing" (Jelly Roll Morton, Santo Pecora)
Recorded June 11, 1928, at Liederkranz Hall, New York, New York

References

External links

Jelly Roll Morton Recordings and Discography
at Monrovia Sound Studio
Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers
at Red Hot Jazz Archive {{Authority control American jazz ensembles from Illinois Musical groups from Chicago Jazz musicians from Illinois