Red Hot Peppers

The Red Hot Peppers were a recording jazz band led by Jelly Roll Morton from 1926–1930. They were a seven- or eight-piece band formed in Chicago which recorded for Victor and featured some of the best New Orleans-style freelance musicians available, including cornetist George Mitchell, trombonist Kid Ory, clarinetists Omer Simeon and Johnny Dodds, banjoists Johnny St. Cyr and Bud Scott, double bass player John Lindsay, and drummers Andrew Hilaire and Baby Dodds.

Recordings made by the group in Chicago in 1926–27, such as "Black Bottom Stomp", "Smoke-House Blues" and "Doctor Jazz" set a standard for small group jazz that is still unrivaled. Morton's skills as a composer and arranger are apparent in the structure of the pieces, which combines clarity with variety and manages to maintain a balance between ensemble and solo playing while allowing for a substantial solo from every band member. The quality of the recordings is further enhanced by the band's careful rehearsals, which were uncommon in early jazz performances. A number of Morton's best piano solos can also be heard on these recordings.

In 1928, Morton moved to New York, where he continued to make recordings under the name Red Hot Peppers, but collaborated with musicians from his regular band or from other orchestras. By 1930, the name Red Hot Peppers was no longer used.

Recordings made by the Red Hot Peppers constituted a significant contribution to the race records industry, at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. The masterful blend of composition and improvisation demonstrated by Morton and his colleagues set a precedent for early jazz.

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1926 - 1930

Roles Represented in DAHR: Musical group

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-59 of 59 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-62183 10-in. 6/2/1930 Load of coal Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-62184 10-in. 6/2/1930 Crazy chords Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-62185 10-in. 6/2/1930 Primrose stomp Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-62339 10-in. 7/14/1930 Low gravy Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-62340 10-in. 7/14/1930 Strokin' away Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-62341 10-in. 7/14/1930 Blue blood blues Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-62342 10-in. 7/14/1930 Mushmouth shuffle Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-64313 10-in. 10/9/1930 Gambling Jack Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-64314 10-in. 10/9/1930 Fickle Fay creep Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
(Results 51-59 of 59 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Red Hot Peppers," accessed March 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106012.

Red Hot Peppers. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106012.

"Red Hot Peppers." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106012

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