Complete Original Dixieland Jazz Band (1917-1936)

Original Dixieland Jazz Band | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 25, 1995)
• Original Release Date: April 25, 1995
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000002WTQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,184 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Roots Revisited, December 26, 2001

By 

Peter Acebal (Christiansburg, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Original Dixieland Jazz Band (1917-1936) (Audio CD)

The Original Dixieland Jazz Band (ODJB)carry the distinction of being the First Jazz band to record in early 1917;I Had most of these sides on vinyl import Lp and the digital restoration on this set is superb,-what may present a slight problem for inexperienced ears are the whiplash tempos the ODJB employed in their 1917-1918 recordings (Jazz was thought to be a 'Novelty' at the time - chalk up another one for A & R folks); my only quibble is that The ODJB's 1919-1920 records for UK Columbia could not appear here (due no doubt to label conflicts) nor the bands superb 1917 Aeolian cylinders;but this is a minor quibble at the most.Anyone with any habit of even saying the word "Jazz" cannot bypass this critical body of music,and kudos are due to Amazon for making this tremendous collection easily available to all.Thanks!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ODJB plus more., November 6, 2000

By 

David Hansen (New Orleans, Louisiana USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Original Dixieland Jazz Band (1917-1936) (Audio CD)

This is one of the best compilation sets available on the ODJB. The band has an incredible history and was ground breaking. Jimmy LaRocca, the son of the original leader has a band under the same name that performs worldwide today with two new recordings that are available.

To compare the ODJB to Armstrong (who adored this band and Nick LaRocca)and others who didn't record for six or more years after the ODJB first recorded is unfair. The ODJB can hold their own and they made history & set up the foundation for recorded jass/jazz.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THE first - the FIRST - first....EVER!, January 22, 2007

By 

Annie Van Auken (Planet Earth) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Complete Original Dixieland Jazz Band (1917-1936) (Audio CD)

The history of recorded American jazz starts right HERE. No matter what else can be added, it is undeniable that the Original Dixieland Jass Band's March, 1917 "Livery Stable Blues" was THE very first ever-issued jazz A-side. Ability, style and performance notwithstanding, these guys were the pioneers, and the infinite variety of mechanically or electrically reproduced jazz, when traced back far enough, is all indebted in some way to this small group of men.

The album is called: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL DIXIELAND JAZZ BAND. OK, so the songlist's far from definitive-- certain labels go without any representation here. For that matter, this is only one of many types of jazz-- although Dixieland, in contrast to most others, has its origins in American antiquity. Again, a "first" of sorts.

If you like traditional New Orleans music, you'll enjoy this album. And if all-time "firsts" is your pleasure, then tracks one and two here represent a HUGE first-- you should be quite pleased. However, if full-range sound is your thing, be forewarned to look elsewhere. The several acoustically recorded sides here are about as low-fi as it gets.

Thus, sound quality on this set varies from OK to "OH MY!" The clarinet on the earliest sides tends to go through your head like a nail, while the pianist flails away and can hardly be heard. But, to quibble with these limitations would be akin to grousing that Neil Armstrong's historic "small" step on the moon should have been broadcast in "living color." Liner notes are in French and English and include personnel and studio dates.

TOTAL RUNNING TIMES --
DISC ONE -- 53:50
DISC TWO -- 52:25