Jelly Roll Morton Records with the Red Hot Peppers for Victor

In 1926, Jelly Roll Morton began recording his Red Hot Peppers for Victor Records in Chicago—sessions widely considered among the finest performances in New Orleans ensemble jazz. 'Black Bottom Stomp' and other recordings showcased Morton's compositional mastery, incorporating the 'Spanish tinge,' stops, breaks, riffs, and dynamic variation. Morton became the first major jazz composer to apply formal structural thinking to the improvised music.