JELLY ROLL MORTON | CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY | FINAL RECORDING SESSION | 1940

Jelly Roll Morton’s appearance on NBC’s The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street was broadcast on July 14, 1940, and is regarded as his last known performance. The program featured Morton in both piano and voice, beginning with Winin’ Boy Blues, followed by a short spoken bridge from the host, and then King Porter Stomp, before concluding with closing thanks directed to Morton. Surviving radio logs and circulating audio confirm this specific broadcast, placing it in the program’s first season. Discographical references consistently identify it as the final documented record of Morton at the piano. As such, this broadcast has become an essential artifact in his legacy.

Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton (1890–1941) was born in New Orleans and rose to prominence as one of the earliest jazz composers and arrangers. His 1926–27 Red Hot Peppers recordings in Chicago demonstrated a new approach to ensemble jazz, balancing individual improvisation with carefully structured arrangements. Pieces like King Porter Stomp would later be taken up by swing-era big bands, cementing his influence well beyond his own career. Though he enjoyed commercial success in the 1920s, Morton struggled through the Depression years, often at odds with shifting tastes and changing industry fortunes. Yet his reputation as a key figure in the evolution of jazz never diminished, and his final years continued to attract attention. Less than a year after this radio date, he died in Los Angeles on July 10, 1941.

Morton’s later period is best known through the 1938 Library of Congress sessions recorded by Alan Lomax, which preserved his piano style, his voice, and his recollections of early jazz. These sessions brought renewed interest to his name, even as his health declined after a stabbing incident in Washington, D.C. in 1939. Still determined to perform, Morton carried on as best he could, and his New York appearance in July 1940 shows both his resilience and his artistry at the edge of decline. The pared-down performances that survive from this broadcast have an intimate, almost stark quality, stripped of the larger bands he once directed. In hindsight, the timing lends a powerful sense of finality to what was, in fact, his last known recorded appearance.

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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:38 Whinin' Boy Blues
2:49 Host Commentary
2:58 King Porter Stomp
4:49 Closing Remarks (Thanks to Jelly Roll Morton)

The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street itself was a clever parody of serious classical programming, launched by NBC’s Blue Network in 1940. Hosted by Gene “Dr. Gino” Hamilton, the series juxtaposed mock-formal commentary with serious musicianship from ensembles like Henry “Hot Lips” Levine’s jazz group and Paul Laval’s chamber orchestra. Guest artists such as Morton were introduced with humor and given a chance to perform two or three numbers within the format. The show’s blend of light satire and authentic jazz musicianship made it unique, and Morton’s guest spot remains one of its most historically important moments. The broadcast’s closing words of thanks to Morton now stand as a poignant farewell, underscoring the historical weight of his last known performance. We hope you enjoy!