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 1-25 of 59 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-36239 10-in. 9/15/1926 Black bottom stomp Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-36240 10-in. 9/15/1926 Smoke-house blues Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-36241 10-in. 9/15/1926 The chant Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-36283 10-in. 9/21/1926 Sidewalk blues Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band, with talk Musical group  
Victor BVE-36284 10-in. 9/21/1926 Dead man blues Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band, with talk Musical group  
Victor BVE-36285 10-in. 9/21/1926 Steamboat stomp Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band, with talk Musical group  
Victor BVE-37254 10-in. 12/16/1926 Someday sweetheart Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-37255 10-in. 12/16/1926 Grandpa's spells Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-37256 10-in. 12/16/1926 Original Jelly-Roll Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-37257 10-in. 12/16/1926 Doctor Jazz stomp Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BVE-37258 10-in. 12/16/1926 Cannon ball Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-38627 10-in. 6/4/1927 Hyena stomp Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band, with laughing Musical group  
Victor BVE-38628 10-in. 6/4/1927 Billy goat stomp Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band, with goat imitations Musical group  
Victor BVE-38629 10-in. 6/4/1927 Wild man blues Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-38630 10-in. 6/4/1927 Jungle blues Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-38661 10-in. 6/10/1927 Beale Street blues Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-38662 10-in. 6/10/1927 The pearls Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-45619 10-in. 6/11/1928 Georgia swing Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-45620 10-in. 6/11/1928 Kansas City stomps Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-45621 10-in. 6/11/1928 Shoe shiner's drag Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-45622 10-in. 6/11/1928 Boogaboo Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-45623 10-in. 6/11/1928 Shreveport Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance ensemble Musical group  
Victor BVE-45624 10-in. 6/11/1928 Mournful serenade Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
Victor BVE-45625 10-in. 6/11/1928 Honey babe Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo Musical group  
Victor BVE-45626 10-in. 6/11/1928 Sidewalk blues Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band Musical group  
(Results 1-25 of 59 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Red Hot Peppers," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106012.

Red Hot Peppers. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106012.

"Red Hot Peppers." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106012

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