Fig & Fox: A Remembrance of Nat Morison, Patriarch of Welbourne

Nat Morison - patriarch, devotee of early New Orleans jazz, Mets fan, host of the annual Welbourne Cakewalk/Stoke Stomp, and treasured friend of many in the jazz communities of New York City and New Orleans - passed away at his home in Middleburg, VA on October 10 at the age of 83. Nat supported jazz and jazz artists for many decades by attending performances in New York City - where he spent most of his youth - and New Orleans - the birthplace of his beloved music - and by hosting an annual, by-invitation-only, Great-Gatsby-esque outdoor house party on the Saturday after Labor Day. On even-numbered years, the "Welbourne Cakewalk" would take place on the grounds of Nat's stately farmhouse in Middleburg, VA, “Welbourne”. In 1833 Nat's great-great-great-grandfather, John Peyton Dulany, purchased the original building, which had been constructed in 1770, and substantially enlarged it. Further renovations in the 1850s and 1870s turned it into the majestic structure that stands today, whose grandeur is reminiscent of something out of Gone with the Wind. On odd-numbered years the "Stoke Stomp" would take place at Nat's brother George's home, “Stoke”, in neighboring Aldie, VA. Inspired by a passion for early jazz that their father had instilled in them, Nat and George began hosting the parties in 1974. Two or three bands would alternate sets, beginning in the late afternoon