10-12-2013, 02:22
The first true jazz band to record was the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1917 out of New Orleans (although the recordings were done in New York). They eventually changed the spelling of âjassâ to âjazzâ because kids kept blacking out the âJâ on their handbills. This convention, needless to say, has become the standard. These recordings became so iconic that they set the standard for how Dixieland jazz would sound to this day. There is no evidence that most jazz sounded this way at the time. The few recordings that followed ODJBâs debut gave us a panorama of just how different jazz sounded from band to band which means ODLB had a tremendous impact on the future sound of jazz just by being the first to record. The following is supposedly the very first jazz song every recorded.
[video=youtube;5WojNaU4-kI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WojNaU4-kI[/video]
There has been a charge of racism that the first jazz band to record was white and there may be some merit to the charge but from I can gather, the first jazzman offered a recording contract was a Creole of color named Freddie Keppard whom most people today would instantly identify as a black man. He was offered a contract in 1916 but turned it down. He was afraid other musicians would steal his licks. ODJB became the first jazz band to record simply because they were available and willing.
[video=youtube;5WojNaU4-kI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WojNaU4-kI[/video]
There has been a charge of racism that the first jazz band to record was white and there may be some merit to the charge but from I can gather, the first jazzman offered a recording contract was a Creole of color named Freddie Keppard whom most people today would instantly identify as a black man. He was offered a contract in 1916 but turned it down. He was afraid other musicians would steal his licks. ODJB became the first jazz band to record simply because they were available and willing.
