Original Dixieland Jass Band

The Original Dixieland Jass Band was a white New Orleans–style ensemble whose 1917 recording of “Livery Stable Blues” became the first jazz record released commercially.

New Orleans jazz: An early jazz tradition that developed in New Orleans through the interaction of African American musical practices and other influences. The band adapted this city’s ensemble style before taking it to national audiences.
Eddie Edwards: A trombonist and founding member of the Original Dixieland Jass Band. His trombone supplied the ensemble’s characteristic counterline beneath the lead.
Collective improvisation: A performance practice in which multiple musicians improvise simultaneously around a shared musical framework. The band’s overlapping cornet, clarinet, and trombone lines exemplified this practice.
Jazz: A musical tradition rooted in African American communities, characterized by improvisation, rhythmic flexibility, and distinctive phrasing. The band’s record helped introduce the word and sound of jazz to mass audiences.
Chicago jazz: A jazz scene that grew in Chicago during the 1920s, shaped by New Orleans musicians and local performers. The band’s relocation helped carry New Orleans jazz into Chicago’s music scene.
Larry Shields: A clarinetist who played with the Original Dixieland Jass Band. His clarinet helped define the band’s bright, interweaving front line.
Cornet: A brass instrument similar to the trumpet, with a more compact, conical bore. LaRocca’s cornet typically carried the melody above the ensemble lines.
Jazz Age: A name for the period in the 1920s when jazz became a major feature of popular culture. The band’s hit preceded the decade in which jazz entered national popular culture.
Nick LaRocca: A cornetist and composer who led the Original Dixieland Jass Band. LaRocca’s leadership and publicity shaped the band’s recordings and public image.
Henry Ragas: A pianist and founding member of the Original Dixieland Jass Band. Ragas anchored the group’s rhythm section on its early recordings.

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