JELLY’S JAM IS JAMMIN’
THAT’S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
Jelly Roll Morton was born Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe in New Orleans. Both his parents traced their Creole ancestry four generations back to the 18th century. He was a jazz and ragtime pianist, composer and bandleader who is regarded as the first arranger of jazz.
Nicholas Christopher
Allison M. Williams, Stephanie Pope Lofgren, Mamie Duncan
As a Creole, Morton believed he was superior to darker-skinned African Americans. As a musician he claimed to have invented jazz. In the musical Jelly’s Last Jam, bookwriter George C. Wolfe and lyricist Susan Birkenhead show the destructive nature of both these claims.
Nicholas Christopher, Joaquina Kalukango
While the musical makes the devastating result of denying who we are abundantly clear, the score, comprising Morton’s music as well as material written by Luther Henderson, does not make a case for the other musicians who, Wolfe and Birkenhead contend, were equally important in the development of jazz. Nor should it.
Nicholas Christopher and Cast
In fact, considering its sketchy plot and underdeveloped characters, the main reason for seeing Jelly’s Last Jam is to hear the magnificent jazz and blues score and watch the incredible dance it inspires. The Encores! revival now at New York City Center certainly does justice to both.
Tiffany Mann and Cast
Okieriete Onaodowan and Tiffany Mann
Directed by Robert O’Hara with choreography by Edgar Godineaux and tap choreography by Dormeshia, the show stars triple-threat Nicholas Christopher as Morton and the imperious Billy Porter as the Chimney Man who, having mysteriously encountered Morton after his death, guides him back through the major events of his life.
Leslie Uggams
We see Morton as a boy (Alaman Diadhiou) educated to play classical music but defying his staid Gran Mimi (the always luminescent Leslie Uggams) to frequent the dives of New Orleans, where he learns the blues of his poor black brethren. After his grandmother throws him out of her home, he goes on the road, meets fellow musician Jack the Bear (John Clay III), falls in love with the sassy but sensitive Anita (Joaquina Kalukango) and betrays them both.
Allison M. Williams, Stephanie Pope Lofgren, Billy Porter, Mamie Duncan-Gibbs
Paul Niebanck, Nicholas Christopher, James Patterson
Jelly’s Last Jam is held together by a fast-paced succession of duets, solos and an electrifying array of ensemble numbers, which may help some forget the boring book and generic characters. The poignancy of Morton’s dilemma as a Black man denying his heritage in a racist country is certainly effective, especially if you don’t know or care how much the musical diverges from the real story of Jelly Roll Morton, which is far more interesting than the one we see onstage. As a teenager, Morton began to play in the brothels of Storyville, the red-light district of New Orleans from 1897 to 1917. Later on, he supplemented his income as a card shark and pool hustler. In 1938 he was stabbed at a gig, and although he survived after the local all-white hospital refused him entry, he never completely recovered, succumbing to respiratory problems two years later in Los Angeles.
Nicholas Christopher and Billy Porter
You may not see much of that in Jelly’s Last Jam. But don’t let that hold you back. The infectious dance and glorious music led by Music Director Jason Michael Webb make for an unforgettable experience.
The Cast
The cast also features Mamie Duncan-Gibbs, Tiffany Mann, Stephanie Pope Lofgren, Okieriete Onaodowan, and Allison M. Williams.
The ensemble: Raymond Baynard, Shawn Bowers, Reese Britts, Amanda Castro, Joshua Dawson, John Edwards, Ari Groover, Holly James, Morgan McGhee, Jodeci Milhouse, Ramone Nelson, Paul Niebanck, James Patterson, Antonia Raye, Salome Smith, Funmi Sofola, Jordan Simone Stephens, Renell Anthony Taylor, Nasia Thomas, Sir Brock Warren, Chanse Williams, Topher J. Babb, and Charlotte McKinley.
photos by Joan Marcus
Jelly’s Last Jam
Encores!
New York City Center, 131 West 55th Street
ends on March 3, 2024
for tickets (from $45), call 212.581.1212 or visit NY City Center