.Original Dixieland Jazz Band - Jazz Archives 1921 - 1936
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Original Dixieland Jazz Band
La "Original Dixieland Jazz Band", fue una formación originaria de New Orleáns históricamente muy importante para el desarrollo del jazz.
No en vano suyas fueron las primeras grabaciones oficiales del jazz en el año 1917.
La ODJB -abreviatura por la que se le conoce- se estructuró fundamentalmente sobre los cánones del New Orleáns progresivo.
Su instrumentista mas destacado fue el clarinetista, Larry Shields, pero quien le dio el impulso rítmico necesario fue el cornetista, Nick La Rocca.
Completaban el quinteto, el trombonista, Eddie Edwards, el pianista, Henry Ragas y el baterista, Tony Sbarbaro.
Su repertorio básico creado por los propios componentes del grupo, incluía temas de ragtime y de blues.
La andadura de la banda comenzó en 1916, con la llegada a Chicago desde New Orleáns, de la "Stein' Dixie Jazz Band", en la que figuraba, Nick La Rocca y que dirigía, el baterista, Johnny Stein, que daba nombre al grupo.
Disidencias internas provocaron que los músicos abandonaran a Stein y formaran con La Rocca, la ODJB, actuando así pocos meses después - en noviembre de 1916- en el Casino Garden de Chicago.
En junio de 1917, tras el clamoroso éxito de Chicago, la banda fue contratada en New York por el restaurante "Reisenweber" donde el éxito se sucedió y provocó la atención de los dirigentes de la casa Columbia.
Firman con Columbia y quince días después, entran en el estudio para realizar las dos primeras grabaciones oficiales de jazz, "Livery Stable Blues" y "Dixieland Jass Band One Step" y al mes siguiente graban para Víctor, los temas que compondrían el primer álbum de jazz publicado: "Dixie Jazz Band"; "One Step" y "Livery Stable Blues".
En abril de 1919, el quinteto -con el trombonista, Emilie Christian, ocupando el puesto de Eddie Edwards, que fue movilizado por el ejercito - viajó a Londres contratada para una serie de conciertos que fueron grabados en su mayoría por Columbia y a su vuelta a los Estados Unidos, una serie de cambios sucesivos entre los componentes del quinteto dan al traste con el grupo y Nick La Rocca, lo abandona regresando a New Orleáns.
La ODJB, se divide en dos formaciones, una dirigida por Tommy Sbarbaro, que tomó el nombre de "Cindarella Ballroom" en New York y la segunda afincada en New Orleáns, liderada por Eddie Edwards.
Fue el principio del fin y la histórica New Orleáns Jazz Band, un quinteto blanco creado en contraposición a la música que hacían los negros de New Orleáns, se perdió para siempre con sus músicos peleando por ostentar la titularidad de las siglas.
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The Original Dixieland Jazz Band, who billed themselves "The Creators of Jazz", have long been been dismissed as the White guys who copied African-American music, and called it their own.
There is a lot of truth to that statement, but on the other hand, The Original Dixieland Jazz Band's recordings still hold their own unique charm, over 80 years after their initial release. However unfair and indicative of the racism of the era, the record
"Livery Stable Blues", coupled with
"Dixie Jass Band One Step" became the first Jazz record ever released on February 26, 1917 for the Victor Talking Machine Company.
It was wildly successful. Its release signaled the beginning of the Jazz age and helped define the wild, exuberent era we call the "Roaring Twenties". The Original Dixieland Jazz Band had recorded for Columbia in January 1917, but the session was unsuccessful and the band had to come back and re-record the songs, thus the release of the Columbia sides did not come about until after the amazing success of the Victor records.
The group had formed in New Orleans, all of the musicians had played in
Papa Jack Laine's Reliance Brass Band at one time or another.
In 1916 the band moved from New Orleans to Chicago, just like so many of the African-American and Creole musicians from that city. In Chicago, they played a season at the Booster Club under the name of
Stein's Dixie Jass Band.
At the beginning of the following year the band ditched Stein and moved to New York where, on the recommendation of Al Jolson, they landed a gig at Reisenweber's Café on Columbus Circle and 58th Street, a fashionable restaurant and night-spot.
The band created quite a stir and Columbia rushed to record the band only two weeks after they had arrived in the city. The band was an immediate success, with their wacky stage antics, like wearing top hats that spelled out "Dixie", playing the trombone's slide with the foot, and so on.
The band's slogan was "Untuneful Harmonists Playing Peppery Melodies", and their leader
Nick La Rocca and cornet player delighted in stirring up the press, describing themselves as musical anarchists and coining fun statements like "Jazz is the assassination of the melody, it's the slaying of syncopation".
After the Reisenweber's Café engagement end the band played at the Alamo Cafe (148th Street) and the College Inn at Coney Island. The Original Dixieland Jazz Band went on to record and play in London, producing 20 tracks for Columbia, including another big hit,
Soudan.
They returned to America in July of 1920. They signed a new record contract with Okeh, but the public began to tire of them and they never regained the sales or popularity of their initial success.
The group broke up in 1925 after
La Rocca suffered a nervous breakdown. The surviving members briefly re-formed in 1936 and recorded some sides for Victor.
In 1940 the band re-formed yet again, but this time without
La Rocca and recorded six sides for Bluebird and played up until 1940. Eddie Edwards formed a version of the band that recorded a V-Disc during World War II and for Commodore Records in 1945 and 1946.
Temas
01. Jazz Me Blues.mp3
02. St. Louis Blues.mp3
03. Royal Garden Blues.mp3
04. Dangerous Blues.mp3
05. Bow Wow Blues.mp3
06. Skeleton Jangle.mp3
07. Clarinet Marmelade.mp3
08. Bluin' The Blues.mp3
09. Tiger Rag.mp3
10. Barn Yard Blues.mp3
11. Original Dixieland One-Step.mp3
12. Bluin' The Blues (2).mp3
13. Tiger Rag (2).mp3
14. Ostrich Walk.mp3
15. Original Dixieland One-Step (2).mp3
16. Satanic Blues.mp3
17. Toddlin' Blues.mp3
18. Who Loves You.mp3
19. Fidgety Feet.mp3
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