King Features Weekly Service - March 1993

Entertainment Extra

Question: I recently saw the play "Jelly’s Last Jam" in New York and I loved it. But when I got back and told my friends about it, one of them said he read that Jelly Roll tried to hide the fact that he was black, and tried to blend in with the white music world. Can you give us some answers on that?

Answer: I spoke with Mark Birnbaum, also known as television’s "Dr. Jazz." He’s the renowned jazz pianist with a Ph.D., and a recognized authority on Jelly Roll Morton’s music, which he’ll be featuring on his return engagement in Birdland in New York City on March 14.