Original Dixieland Jass Band

A band made the first jazz records.

They played music for dancing. Their songs were a big hit.

One famous song was "Tiger Rag."

Many people loved to hear it.

The band went to London. They played for a king there. The king laughed and clapped.

The band had five players. They were from New Orleans.

They helped make jazz a new kind of music. It was a very exciting time for music.

The Original Dixieland Jass Band was a famous group of five musicians.

They were from New Orleans. In 1917, they made the first jazz records ever sold. One of their big hits was "Livery Stable Blues."

Their music was a surprise hit. It gave many people their first taste of jazz.

The band played music for dancing. They were very successful in New York City. They even traveled to London.

They played a show for King George V. At first, the crowd was very quiet. But the King laughed and clapped to their song "Tiger Rag."

This helped the band win over the audience.

Many people loved their songs. One song, "Margie," was written by their pianist, J. Russel Robinson. Many other famous singers and bands played "Margie" later on. The band members helped make jazz a brand new style of music. They even called themselves "the Creators of Jazz." Their work helped start a huge craze for this new sound.

The Original Dixieland Jass Band was a famous group of five musicians.

They were the first group to record jazz music for people to buy. Their music was a huge surprise to many listeners. It gave many Americans their very first taste of this new sound. The band even called themselves "the Creators of Jazz." They played music that was perfect for dancing.

This style of music became a massive craze across the country.

To make their music, the band used different instruments. The group included a cornet player, a trombonist, a clarinetist, a pianist, and a drummer.

Nick LaRocca led the band on the cornet. They played songs like "Livery Stable Blues" and "Tiger Rag." In 1917, they recorded at studios in New York and New Jersey. These recordings were sold as novelty music at first. Later, the band changed the spelling of "jass" to "jazz." This helped define the new musical style for everyone.

This band had roots in New Orleans. Many members had played in bands led by Papa Jack Laine. In 1916, a promoter asked musicians to bring this New Orleans style to Chicago. The group eventually moved to New York City to play at Reisenweber's Cafe.

They were very successful in the big city. This success led to their first big recording session on January 31, 1917. The band stayed together for many years through different changes. Some members even left and came back later.

There are many interesting facts about the group's history. The band's first released record was "Livery Stable Blues" in May 1917. They also recorded a hit called "Dixieland Jass Band One-Step." One musician, J. Russel Robinson, joined the band later. He wrote the famous song "Margie." This song became a number nine hit in 1921. The original five members of the group disbanded in 1926. They later reunited for a big show in 1936.

The band's music reached people all over the world. In 1919, they traveled to London for a big tour. They even played a special show for King George V at Buckingham Palace. At first, the royal crowd was very quiet. However, the King laughed and clapped for their song "Tiger Rag." This helped the band become very popular in the United Kingdom. Many other famous musicians later played the songs this band made famous.

The Original Dixieland Jass Band, often called the ODJB, was a pioneering musical group. They are recognized for making the first commercial jazz recordings in early 1917. The band members called themselves "the Creators of Jazz." This group helped establish jazz as a specific musical idiom, or a distinct style of music. Their work turned a regional sound into a massive national craze.

Their success changed how the American recording industry functioned. Before them, jazz was not yet a widely recorded commercial genre.

The band's musical structure relied on a specific quintet of instruments. The group included a cornet, a trombone, a clarinet, a piano, and a drum set. Nick LaRocca served as the band leader and played the cornet. The musicians played music designed specifically for dancing. This style was a New Orleans-style sound. It was influenced by the integration of Sicilian sounds and regional African-American music. This cultural blending occurred because of direct shipping lines between Sicily and New Orleans.

The band's journey began with several shifts in membership and location. In early 1916, a promoter wanted to bring New Orleans music to Chicago. Musicians Alcide Nunez and Johnny Stein assembled a group including Eddie Edwards and Henry Ragas. Frank Christian was originally hired as a cornetist, but Nick LaRocca replaced him at the last minute. The group initially performed as Stein's Dixie Jass Band at Schiller's Cafe. Later, they became The Dixie Jass Band. In October 1916, Larry Shields joined the group after a clarinetist swap with Tom Brown's Band.

In 1917, the ODJB moved to New York City to play at Reisenweber's Cafe. This move was vital because the recording industry was centered in New York and New Jersey. On January 31, 1917, the band held a test session for the Columbia Graphophone Company. While that session was not released, they recorded two sides for the Victor Talking Machine Company on February 26, 1917. These tracks were "Livery Stable Blues" and "Dixieland Jass Band One-Step." Released in May 1917, "Livery Stable Blues" became the first jazz record ever issued.

The band's commercial success brought legal and professional challenges. A musician named Joe Jordan sued because "One Step" used parts of his 1909 ragtime song, "That Teasin' Rag." Consequently, record labels changed the credits to include his name. Another legal dispute over the authorship of "Livery Stable Blues" resulted in a judge declaring the tune to be in the public domain. Despite these issues, the band's popularity grew. Many other groups began to copy their sound. Musicians like Wilbur Sweatman even began calling their own groups "jazz" bands to follow the trend.

Over time, the band experienced significant changes in its lineup. Trombonist Eddie Edwards was drafted for World War I in 1918. Pianist Henry Ragas died from the 1918 influenza pandemic. He was replaced by J. Russel Robinson, who became a major contributor. Robinson composed the hit song "Margie," which reached number 9 on the charts in 1921. "Margie" became a massive standard, eventually being recorded by over one hundred artists. These artists included Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Ray Charles.

The ODJB also expanded their influence to the United Kingdom. In April 1919, they performed at the London Hippodrome. This was the first official live jazz performance in the United Kingdom. They even gave a command performance for King George V at Buckingham Palace. Although the aristocracy was initially quiet, the King's applause for "Tiger Rag" helped win them over. The band eventually returned to the United States in 1920. Their legacy remains tied to the very beginning of the jazz era and the birth of recorded jazz music.