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Original Dixieland Jass Band

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Original Dixieland Jass Band was a band of white musicians from New Orleans that in 1917 released the first jazz record ever. In early 1916 a promoter from Chicago brought a group of New Orleans musicians to his city. After quarrels and changes, the band consisted of Nick LaRocca on cornet, Eddie Edwards on trombone, Larry Shields on clarinet, Henry Ragas on piano and Tony Sbarbaro on drums. Several members had previously played with the New Orleans bandleader Papa Jack Laine. LaRocca and Sbarbaro were children of Sicilian immigrants.

Music and breakthrough

In early 1917 the band played for dancers in a café in New York. On 26 February of that year the group recorded the songs Livery Stable Blues and Dixieland Jass Band One-Step for Victor. The record was released in May and was a surprising success: for many Americans it was their first encounter with jazz. The music was busy and cheerful, with three horns playing in and out of one another at once. At the end of 1917 the band changed the spelling of its name to Jazz. The group also wrote and played standards such as Tiger Rag.

Influence

The band called itself the creators of jazz, but that was not true. The music had arisen in the Black community of New Orleans. Even so, the ODJB was the first to put jazz on record and score hits with it, and in this way it helped spread the new music across America. In 1926 the group broke up.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Livery Stable Blues and try to hear the animal noises that the horns imitate, such as the neighing of a horse. Notice too how cornet, clarinet and trombone each play their own line at the same time.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsNew Orleans jazz