Nick LaRocca

Happy Birthday Nick LaRocca 1889-1961...Towards the end of his life, LaRocca wrote numerous letters to newspapers, radio and television shows claiming that he was, "The Creator of Jazz", "The Christopher Columbus of Music" and "The most lied about person since Jesus Christ." In truth, he did accomplish some "firsts" in early jazz but his insistence that he was the sole creator of the music form angered many jazz fans and players and overshadowed his accomplishments.

LaRocca was self taught and wasn't much of an improviser but he had good tone and a strong lip that allowed him to play for long periods or several gigs in a day. From 1910 to 1916 he was a regular player with Papa Jack Laine's brass bands in New Orleans. In 1916 he was a last minute replacement for a job in Chicago with Johnny Stein's band. Three months later he broke away from Stein and formed the Original Dixieland Jass Band which became very popular in Chicago.

LaRocca moved the band to New York in 1917 and became the first jazz band to record with "Livery Stable Blues". The recording was a huge success, selling over one million copies and making the band members instant celebrities. Their music sounds very primitive now. There was no improvisation, no solos and lots of repetition from chorus to chorus but they were unique in their day. The tunes were wacky and novelty based but they introduced a new audience to the new sound.

Between 1919 and 1920, LaRocca led the band on tours of the United States and England, introducing Europe to the new music sensation. But he was also very concerned about competition from other bands taking the trek out of New Orleans to the north and suffered a nervous breakdown in the early 1920's. He retired from music and became a contractor in New Orleans.In 1936 he reunited the band, touring successfully and making several new recordings but personality conflicts broke the band up and LaRocca retired from music permanently in 1937.

Besides making the first jazz recording and helping to introduce jazz to Europe, many of LaRocca's compositions have become classics. "Tiger Rag", written in 1917 is one of the most influential early jazz standards, covered by 136 different artists by 1942 alone. Other popular compositions by the band are "At the Jazz Band Ball", "Fidgety Feet" and "Jazz Me Blues".