New Orleans Jazz - this band is exciting, fun, unique
and very musical.
Direct from New Orleans - Established in
1916
Dominic James "Nick"
LaRocca
Jimmy LaRocca
1889-1961
Continuing the tradition
In
1917, under the leadership of Nick LaRocca, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (ODJB)
made the first
jazz recording. This first and many to follow were instant sensational
“Hits” that were inspirational and influential beyond imagination. The
success of the ODJB recordings was immense and musicians worldwide changed
instrumentation to emulate the sound and style they made famous. From
1917 to 1936 they recorded fifty-two 78’s that are still sold today on various
CD compilations.
(Click on the photo below for a printable 8 X 10.)
On
February 8, 2006 the Original Dixieland Jazz Band was inducted into the
Grammy Hall of Fame for their 1917 recording of the “Darktown Strutter’s
Ball.”
The ODJB is back in full swing under the direction of the original
leader’s son, Jimmy LaRocca, on trumpet and vocals, with a fine ensemble of
New Orleans musicians. They have performed concerts and jazz festivals worldwide
and have two nationally selling CD’s on the Louisiana Red Hot Records label.
Jimmy and the ODJB are dedicated to jazz education through clinics, lectures and
workshops. The ODJB shines the brightest on a concert stage and it is refreshing
to see so many people tap feet, clap hands, smile and comment on how good they
feel when they listen to this music from New Orleans.
Think of visiting a famous New Orleans restaurant and wanting to taste
everything on the menu … this is what you get in an ODJB performance with selections
such as “Dixie Jass Band One-Step,” “Livery Stable Blues,” “Fidgety
Feet,” “Clarinet Marmalade,” “Tiger Rag,” “St. Louis Blues,”
“St. James Infirmary,” “Bourbon Street Parade,” “When It’s Sleepy
Time Down South,” “Basin Street Blues,” “When the Saints Go Marching
In” and many other great New Orleans classics.
Over 90 years of tradition place Jimmy LaRocca's
Original
Dixieland Jazz Band®
in a
spotlight of their own.
1916 to present
INCREDIBLE, UNFORGETTABLE ... JAZZ
Notable quotes:
… wonderfully evocative of the era, …The front line … is so well versed in traditional jazz polyphony that the band’s fundamental inspiration was always evident.
- Mike Joyce, The Washington Post, Monday, August 5, 2002
“Jimmy LaRocca leads a fine contemporary New Orleans band”
- Jack Sohmer, Mississippi Rag, 2001
“I have never heard anyone play trumpet like Jimmy LaRocca. He is the best in the world for this style of music.”
- Presenter, German Postal Conference, 2000
“Your band is fantastic. It is rare for any band performing here to get a standing ovation like you have received.”
- Ake Bjorange, Sandviken Big Band Bang, Sweden, 1999
“The first great jazz orchestra was formed in New Orleans by a cornet player named Dominick James LaRocca. They were the hottest five pieces that had ever been known before. They all came to be famous players and the Dixieland Band has gone down now in musical history.”
- Louis Armstrong, Swing That Music, 1936
Contact Information:
- Telephone
- 504-283-3786 / 1-800-668-7429
- Postal address
- PO Box 24369, New Orleans, LA 70184-4369 USA
- Email: Please use the
booking inquiry form or the feed back form located on the top or left
menu bar to contact us.
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