Storyville might not have been the birthplace of jazz, but it may have been its nursemaid. Every sporting palace of note had a band or a piano virtuoso called a professor to entertain the waiting clientele. The professors were encouraged to hone their skills and bring unique musical offerings to the party. Many musicians who got their start in the grand brothels of The District went on to achieve fame and fortune. Check out the jazz stylings of a few of the most notable district musicians by clicking on the videos below (3), (5).
Born Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe, Jelly Roll Morton is among the most famed of the Storyville pianists.
The naked dance was performed in the brothel parlors for the entertainment of the callers. A working girl simply danced to a jaunty tune played by the professor (5). Tony Jackson, famed Storyville musician wrote the song to accompany the dance, but it was Jelly Roll Morton who made it famous.
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As a boy, the incomparable Louis Armstrong delivered coal to businesses by day and played his coronet at night.
Joe "King" Oliver, Jazz great and teacher of Louis Armstrong, played in the cabarets, cafes and dance halls in Storyville during the early 1900's.
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