The Big Huerta And Jelly Roll Morton

Jelly Roll Morton…now that’s a name from long ago .An early beginning of the 20th century New Orleans jazz pianist. His real name was Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe. I take it he got his nickname “Jelly Roll” as he got older and had success with women. Jelly roll happens to be slang for women’s genitalia.You be the judge of that one….(and speaking of judges, did you know that Isaac Parker was known as the “Hanging Judge”? Totally, no matter how often you tried to get a reply or an answer from him, he always replied, “let me get back with you”…never committed to anyone..sad..)

Mister Jelly Roll was big, I mean huuuge in the 1900’s. But dig, how do we treat him now? Do the members of One Direction know who Jelly Roll is? Does your postman know who Jelly Roll is? His “Jelly Roll blues” was known as the first jazz composition, yet 9 out of 10 peeps wouldn’t know him from Adam Sandler! (If anyone can find Adam Sandler, tell him he owes me for the mention and spark that I just gave his career.) He even claimed to have invented jazz! JRM (note hip/trendy way of making acronym) is even in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Is your postman in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame??? Is One Direction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame??? Is Adam Sandler in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame…check that, Iman said he saw Sandler valet parking cars there…So dig, here’s the real story on this ARTicle..how time will treat all of us….even the greats..

I was at work the other day, yeah I have a real job, and I heard “You’re My Angel” by Aerosmith (I know it’s an old song) on Pandora. Usually that song does nothing for me, does not move me too much but dig, it got me to thinking. Here is a band, Aerosmith, that grew up in the late 50’s and early 60’s and heard doo-wop, heard girl groups, heard the Tin Pan Alley style of great songwriters and dug up these influences to create a cool nice little hard rocking ballad. But check it out eses and esas, that is probably the last time you are going to hear those generations of influence on pop music. Different generations are growing up and being influenced by different generations. I know it’s an old song but dig another relation…like in the band Rockford, we are older guys and have Cheap Trick, The Beatles, The Who…even Wilco as some influences. We will probably be one of the last peeps to have these bands as influences (with the exception of The Beatles, for they may be like cockroaches and their influences will live forever). Do you still not get it? Okay, take Taylor Swift and call me in the morning or the above mentioned, One Direction, now I admit I have never listened to either artist, by choice, but dig, in a hundred or so years will either person be known to 50 percent of the masses? They may just be a blip, like your Jelly Roll Morton is in these modern times. The grandest man in jazz sadly a footnote and long forgotten by the public. So kids, stay in school, turn off that Taylor Swift and boyband crap, turn on Billy Madison and dig some Jelly Roll at least one time for me…and could you get off of my lawn, please!

This painting has a metallic spray paint background. I think I was trying to give him one of those Polaroid SX70’s type of look but with a cartoonish vibe…much like if he had a weekly Saturday morning cartoon show that kids would enjoy…like if the producers of Fat Albert distributed this but without all of the shame and bad vibes and ill feelings that the Cosby name and date rape drug illicits. Yes, that is exactly what I wanted.