Jelly Roll Morton did not play
He caressed those notes
It sounded like a silk slip
sliding down a woman's body
His hands were butterflies
so light
He got his start in the famed
tenderloin districts of New Orleans
And did he learn to stroke
the keyboard in those whorehouses
People doing the deed upstairs
didn't want any uproar
They wanted music to slip behind
the curtains and under the beds
without disturbing the passion
That's the kind of music he played
And in that
he truly was the best
Bravo!
Your turn, sailor
Come on
What's he doing?
"Silent Night"?
Isn't that a Christmas carol?
Does he understand it's a contest?
"Silenet Night" is jazz?
Is it Christmas already?
Come on, Jelly Roll
show us what jazz is all about
What is wrong with you?
I can't help it. Music makes me cry
The whole crew bet on you
I put a year's pay on the line
Now you cut that out
and start thinking your music
Can I bet too?
No!
It's bad luck to bet on yourself
I don't want to bet on me. I want
to bet on him. He's the greatest
You are crazy, you know taht?
That way, if you lose
you'll get your money back
It's exactly
the same piece of music, darling
This is really the end of the line
Unbelievable
Come on
you can do better than that
Jelly, show them how to sink a ship
You stick this up your ass
Hey, Max
Give me a cigarette, will you?
You're not handling this well
Just give me a cigarette
You don't smoke
What is the matter with you? You
could lick this guy with one hand
Come on
Are you going to
give me a cigarette?
We'll be chucking coal
a couple hundred years
and all you can say is...
Give me a fucking cigarette
will you?
You asked for it, asshole
You smoke it
I don't know how
Jelly Roll Morton spend the rest
of that trip locked in his cabin
When we got to Southampton
he got off the Virginian
and went back to America
I remember Nineteen Hundred watched
him as he walked off down the dock
and all he said was
Fuck jazz too
And that's just what he said
"Fuck jazz too"
This is an incredible story
Did I miss anything important?
You couldn say that
Damn
Don't worry, our friend
will fill you in later. Won't you?
You can count on it
Thanks
He's so good at telling tales
This is no tale, sir
There's nobody here
Because there's too many of us
We scared him
You leave this ship
or I'll have to have you arrested
Get back to work. Quickly
Give me another chance
Piss off, friend. Noon tomorrow
this ship is history
Stop or I'll shoot
Gotcha
Pops, easy, it's me
You again?
Yes, lower that cannon, will you?
See your instrument
and then steal it back again
That's an old trick. I should have
guessed that you were a thief
I was looking for this
And what do you need that for?
It's a matter of life and death
And I need a phonograph too
A thief and a liar
Pops
I don't have a whole lot of time
Well, I do! Seeing as I have a gun
And now that I think of it
since when were records
made on board steamships
If that music
was played by your friend
it means that at some time in his
life he got off that ship! Correct?
Not a chance, pops
He cut this passionate
recording personally
I think it's his best work
But he didn't jump ship
to do it not even for a second
The sky's the limit
Mr. Nineteen Hundred
If this record sells like hotcakes
and we think it will
you'll go far, Mr. Nineteen
Do you mind if I call you Nineteen?
This is going to hurt, isn't it?
Ready now, gentelmen
On the count. And one, two, three
Nineteen
That is one amazing piece of music
What is it called?
It's going to
have people crying buckets
It's got to have the right title
though, something catchy like
"Swinging in the Breeze" or...
Great, as usual
"Sweet Nineteen," that's it
You are going to be bigtime
And all you got to do is
take that big step
What big step?
Getting off. Getting off
these lousy planks of wood
and going after...
going after your fame and fortune
I don't