[Dixielandjazz] Louis and Jelly

[Ken Mathieson]

Hi Steve et al,

Steve wrote:
Another factor in Morton's choice could well have been the tremendous  
popularity of Armstrong as compared with all other jazz musicians at  
that time. Armstrong overshadowed everyone he played with. No matter  
how good they were, Louis dominated them all and perhaps JRM did not  
wish to be put into direct competition with him. Surely JRM wanted his  
own personal ensemble stamp on his music, and Armstrong even had he  
played precisely as JRM wanted, might well have still detracted from  
Morton's desire for personal fame and recognition.

You're spot on there, Steve! JRM wasn't exactly deficient in ego, so having an acknowledged superstar as a sideman could cause some clashes. Jelly liked his players to do precisely as instructed, so having a mercurial and highly-inventive trumpeter on the gig might easily lead to irritation and/or confrontation. Mind you, Jelly was known to settle matters like that by putting his revolver on top of the piano!

Another obvious reason for Jelly preferring to use George Mitchell was that Armstrong was under contract to Okeh and by 1927 they were becoming increasingly protective of their star performer. On top of that, Jelly's Creole pride and colour prejudice might have played a part. There's a generation thing too: Jelly was possibly more comfortable working with King Oliver, who was of the same generation, than with an upstart youngster who hadn't played a note before Jelly left New Orleans for good. While a pairing of Louis and Jelly would be fantastic to hear, I suspect it was never realistically likely to happen.

Cheers,
Ken Mathieson