[Dixielandjazz] ODJB Columbias (was Happy Anniversary)

[Bill Haesler]

> Actually, the  ODJB recorded two numbers - Darktown Strutters' Ball
> and Indiana earlier (inJanuary 1917)...

Dear Marek,
Sorry dear friend.
Back in the late 1990s, eminent discographer, Brian Rust, had access to the Columbia recording files and found that the date for the Columbia ODJB recording session, usually given as 30 January 1917, was in fact 31 May 1917, thus making the Victor session on 26 February 1917 the real date for the 'first ever jazz record."
Unfortunately, the January date is too well-entrenched in most of the jazz history books and will take decades to correct.

ORIGINAL DIXIELAND JAZZ BAND DISCOGRAPHY
Adapted from Brian Rust’s JAZZ & RAGTIME RECORDS (1897–1942)
© 2002, 2005 by MAINSPRING PRESS
Many anecdotal sources over the years have cited January 24, 1917, as the date of a
Columbia test session by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, the results of which were
supposedly resurrected for a belated September release on Columbia A2297.
However, no documentation of any such session has been found in Nick LaRocca’s
files or in Columbia’s files, which logged the matrices used on A2297 on May 31, 1917. 

Very kind regards,
Bill.