Notes on playing the banjo uke (and the regular ukulele), as well as some of my favorite songs and videos, but mostly, you'll find information here on my particular obsession - the many models of banjo ukulele offered by Stromberg-Voisinet in the 1920's to 1931.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

"Why" Jelly Roll Morton



Not a lot to say about this number, learned from listening to Leon Redbone and Stovepipe Daddy.  Try finding the music for this one, I dares ya.

It's a tune I'm told is from 1938, though it feels like Jelly Roll Morton might have written it earlier, but not published it before then.  Jelly Roll always used to make statements like "I invented jazz" and even though you have to figure a large ego was at work, when you take everything he wrote and recorded into account, he may actually be judged as correct.

"Why?" is played in C, on Prince Wong's Martin Style 2 from the early 20's.  By the way, the uke was stained dark by Prince Wong or someone on his behalf, in case you're wondering why it is nearly black.

Enjoy, if possible.

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