[Dixielandjazz] Is Nick LaRocca the creator of Jazz

[John Petters]

Hi Marek,
Whilst I disagree with La Rocca's claim to be the inventer of jazz, same 
as I disagree with Jelly, it is easy for folk to overlook what he did 
achieve.
The ODJB was a hard driving band. Yes their improvisations may have been 
limited - but these were early days and the world had not had the joy of 
Armstrong.
Notice how rhthmically free the band was compared to early Fletcher 
Henderson for example - or the the Wolverines.

I think being born in New Orleans at that time had more to do with 
playing jazz than the race card although I will maintain it was the Afro 
Americans who were the superior players in those days.

For my money the 1936 sides by the ODJB are desert Island discs, 
especially Tiger Rag. There is a pretty rough transcription here
http://www.redhotjazz.com/songs/ODJB/tigerrag3.ram
but if you don't have the record give it a spin.
The rideout chorus is a gas.
La Rocca sounds a bit like Keppard. Sbarbaro is magnificent.

Cheers
John

Marek Boym wrote:
> It seems that the sarcasm is unwarranted, as is making fun of Ms.
> LaRocca.  She is family, so she tries to reestablish Nick LaRocca's
> place in history.  And the New Orleans source is family, too.
> 
> I've read a bookabout the ODJB, written apparently in the 1950's, in
> which the author reiterated Nick LaRocca's claim to have invented jazz
> as absolute truth.
> So?
> OK, we know better, but we don't know everything.  Whites in New
> Orleans have been playing jazz at least almost as long as blacks.  So
> that LaRocca's claim to have invented jazz is not more preposterous
> than Jelly Roll Morton's.  And if neither really sired jazz, they sure
> were there on time to rock the cradle.
> Cheers,
> Marek
> 
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-- 
John Petters
Amateur Raduio Station G3YPZ
www.traditional-jazz.com