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This five-CD set contains the very best band recordings of Jelly Roll Morton's career. There are 111 performances in this reissue, including all of the alternate takes. Bypassed are the pianist's recordings with the vaudevillian clarinetist Wilton Crawley, singers Lizzie Miles and Billie Young, and two songs he performed on a radio broadcast in 1940; otherwise, all of his Victor recordings are here. The classics (most from the 1926-1928 period) include the remarkable "Black Bottom Stomp," "Grandpa's Spells," "The Pearls," "Wolverine Blues" (a trio with clarinetist Johnny Dodds and drummer Baby Dodds), "Shreveport Stomp," "Low Gravy," "Strokin' Away," and "I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say," but listeners will have their own favorites. In general, this is New Orleans jazz at its best, with Jelly Roll Morton (as with the best jazz composer/bandleaders) creating his own world of music.
Disc: 1
1. Black Bottom Stomp
2. Smoke House Blues
3. The Chant (Take 1)
4. The Chant (Take 3)
5. Sidewalk Blues (Take 2)
6. Sidewalk Blues (Take 3)
7. Dead Man Blues (Take 1)
8. Dead Man Blues (Take 2)
9. Steamboat Stomp
10. Someday Sweetheart (Take 2)
11. Someday Sweetheart (Take 2)
12. Grandpa's Spells (Take 2)
13. Grandpa's Spells (Take 3)
14. Original Jelly-Roll Blues (Take 1)
15. Original Jelly-Roll Blues (Take 2)
16. Doctor Jazz
17. Cannon Ball Blues (Take 1)
18. Cannon Ball Blues (Take 2)
19. Hyena Stomp (Take 2)
20. Hyena Stomp (Take 3)
21. Billy Goat Stomp (Take 1)
22. Billy Goat Stomp (Take 3)
Disc: 2
1. Wild Man Blues (Take 1)
2. Wild Man Blues (Take 3)
3. Jungle Blues (Take 2)
4. Jungle Blues (Take 3)
5. Beale Street Blues (Take 1)
6. Beale Street Blues (Take 2)
7. The Pearls (Take 2)
8. The Pearls (Take 3)
9. Wolverine Blues (Take 1)
10. Wolverine Blues (Take 2)
11. Mr. Jelly Lord
12. Georgia Swing
13. Kansas City Stomps
14. Shoe Shiner's Drag
15. Boogaboo
16. Shreveport (Take 1)
17. Shreveport (Take 2)
18. Mournful Serenade
19. Red Hot Peppers
20. Deep Creek
21. Pep
22. Seattle Hunch (Take 1)
23. Seattle Hunch (Take 2)
Disc: 3
1. Frances
2. Freakish (Take 1)
3. Freakish (Take 2)
4. Burnin' The Iceberg (Take 1)
5. Burnin' The Iceberg (Take 2)
6. Courthouse Bump (Take 1)
7. Courthouse Bump (Take 2)
8. Pretty Lil (Take 1)
9. Pretty Lil (Take 2)
10. Sweet Anita Mine (Take 1)
11. Sweet Anita Mine (Take 2)
12. New Orleans Bump (Take 1)
13. New Orleans Bump (Take 2)
14. Down My Way
15. Try Me Out
16. Tank Town Bump (Take 1)
17. Tank Town Bump (Take 2)
18. Sweet Peter (Take 1)
19. Sweet Peter (Take 2)
20. Jersey Joe (Take 1)
21. Jersey Joe (Take 2)
Disc: 4
1. Mississippi Mildred (Take 1)
2. Mississippi Mildre (Take 2)
3. Mint Julep
4. Smilin' The Blues Away
5. Turtle Twist
6. My Little Dixie Home
7. That's Like It Ought To Be
8. Each Day (Take 1)
9. Each Day (Take 2)
10. If Someone Would Only Love Me
11. That'll Never Do
12. I'm Looking For A Little Bluebird
13. Little Lawrence
14. Harmony Blues
15. Fussy Mabel
16. Ponchatrain
17. Oil Well (Take 1)
18. Oil Well (Take 2)
19. Load Of Coal (Take 1)
20. Load Of Coal (Take 2)
21. Crazy Chords (Take 1)
22. Crazy Chords (Take 2)
Disc: 5
1. Primrose Stomp (Take 1)
2. Primrose Stomp (Take 2)
3. Low Gravy
4. Strokin' Away (Take 1)
5. Strokin' Away (Take 2)
6. Blue Blood Blues (Take 1)
7. Blue Blood Blues (Take 2)
8. Mushmouth Shuffle
9. Gambling Jack (Take 1)
10. Gambling Jack (Take 2)
11. Fickle Fay Creep
12. Oh, Didn't He Ramble (Take 1)
13. Oh, Didn't He Ramble (Take 2)
14. High Society
15. I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say
16. Winin' Boy Blues (Take 1)
17. Winin' Boy Blues (Take 2)
18. Climax Rag (Take 1)
19. Climax Rag (Take 2)
20. Don't You Leave Me Here (Take 1)
21. Don't You Leave Me Here (Take 2)
22. West End Blues
23. Ballin' The Jack
