Tour Treme'

Jelly Roll Morten was born Ferdinand Joseph La Menthe and lived between 1885 and 1941. He claimed to have invented Jazz and while this was certainly exaggeration on his part, he was probably the best Ragtime piano player of his day. Jelly Roll’s self aggrandizement did not stop with music but extended into the realm of women, as his name suggest. The term “Jelly Roll” was black slang for vulva. It may derive from “Jelly” meaning semen and dates back to around 1622, when the term appeared in John Fletcher’s” The Begger’s Bush.” To “jerk one’s jelly” meant to masturbate. “Jelly Roll” would later appear in many Blues songs such as “I Aint Gonna Give Nobody My Jelly Roll.” In addition to meaning vulva, it could also refer to a man that appreciated such, or was a bit of a ladies’ man. By taking the name of Jelly Roll Morten, La Menthe was most likely stating his prowess with the women.

Sundays marked the gathering of slaves in a region of Treme’ that has since come to be known as Congo Square, located somewhere in what is modern Louis Armstrong park. These were days of song, dance, and the poly-rhythmic beat of the drum. Sundays were grand affairs that lured in people from all walks of life to participate in the open air market or perhaps engage in one of the dances. The songs the slaves sang in Congo Square were a mixture of African and French languages bound together by a circle of drums. The following is an example of just such a song that a traveler might have heard.

Ouende’, Ouende’, macaya!

Mo pas barrasse’, macaya!

Ouende’, ouende’, macaya!

Mo mange’ bon poulet, macaya!

ouende’, ouende’, macaya!

Mo pas barrasse’, macaya!

ouende’, ouende’, macaya!-macaya!

The loose translation; as detailed by the New Orleans’ writer, lafcadio Hearn is as follows.

Go on! go on! eat enormously!

I ain’t one bit ashamed-eat outrageously!

Go on! Go on! eat prodigiously!

I drink good wine! eat ferociously!

Go on! Go on! eat unceasingly!

I eat good chicken-gorging myself!

Go on! Go on!

I ain’t one bit ashamed-eat outrageously!

Norbert Rillieux, born 1806, was a free man of color and the first to crystallize sugar on a commercial scale. Despite his revolutionizing the sugar industry, Rillieux has long been over looked by the history books. During his life time, many of his engineering ideas were rejected; including a drainage plan for New Orleans, because of his race and he finally left for France where he would live out his days.

Dave Bartholomew was given a Trustee Award in honor of his numerous musical contributions. He was one half of the formidable musical duo that included Fats Domino. Together they co-wrote over 40 hits. He was also instrumental in metamorphosing big band and jump blues into rhythm and blues and rock and roll. A trumpet and tuba player, He has had a profound impact on American music.