Jimmy LaRocca’s
Original Dixieland Jazz Band®
www.odjb.com
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Founded in 1916
Recorded First Jass/Jazz Recordings in 1917
Led by Jimmy LaRocca with four new CD’s
Hansen Music Productions, LLC
David Hansen
(504) 283-3786 office
(504) 286-1111 fax
PO Box 24369, New Orleans, LA 70184
bookings@odjb.com
www.ODJB.com
Jimmy LaRocca’s father, Dominic James “Nick” LaRocca organized and led the Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB) in 1916 with five musicians, all from New
Orleans, performing a steady “gig” in Chicago. They were seen by a promoter who offered them an engagement to perform at a supper club in New York City.
While in New York they were asked to record cover songs for Columbia records and they did! … Columbia shelved the recording saying it would not sell. Then
Victor Records recorded the ODJB on February 26, 1917 where they recorded their own original compositions with “Dixie Jass Band One-Step” and “Livery Stable
Blues”
A quick note here: Ragtime began in the late 1800’s and was first published on sheet music in 1897, John Phillip Sousa was hugely popular from the 1890’s through
the 1930’s. Enrico Caruso, an opera tenor, was the first million seller in 1904. There were many styles of music being performed and then along came this new style
of music that no one had heard.
In 1917 the ODJB outsold Enrico Caruso and became the first “Pop” band to sell over a million 78’s. Their music was for dancing, Fox-Trot, and they were so huge
that bands changed instrumentation and compositions to try and match their success.
From 1917 through 1923 you can look in any Victor records catalogues and see only two jazz bands listed. The ODJB recorded eight Victor 78’s in 1917 alone and by
1918 they are called the Original Dixieland Jazz Band both in letters of correspondence and on the recording labels. This five member band was true Dixieland jazz
– “the music that made New Orleans famous!sm” If you don’t have the opportunity to hear this style of jazz then you are not hearing “real” New Orleans jazz. The
ODJB recorded fifty-two 78’s from 1917 until 1936 that are still sold today on various CD compilations.
The ODJB began the jazz era in 1917 with the first recorded “jass” for both Columbia and Victor Records. Their “hit” recordings of “Dixie Jass Band One-Step,”
“Livery Stable Blues,” “Darktown Strutters’ Ball,” and “Indiana” sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide and began the jazz era. Their hit recordings introduced the
word “jass” to the world and in 1918 the name changed to “Jazz” on the ODJB recordings securing the word as a musical definition or term worldwide and the rest is
history!
On February 8, 2006 the Original Dixieland Jazz Band was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for their 1917 recording of the “Darktown Strutters’ Ball.”
Jimmy LaRocca’s father had retired from the music business by the time he was born but his father’s influence was still very impressionable. From the time that
Jimmy opened his father’s cornet case, as a young boy, and smelled the brass horn, he had a passion to learn, play and perform. Jimmy’s father, Nick, was
completely self taught and played by ear. He could not read or write music and would hire professional musicians to write his music down. In later years, Jimmy
studied music and would write his father’s new compositions onto manuscript paper.
Jimmy has kept the band performing over many decades and in the mid 1990’s Jimmy LaRocca and David Hansen teamed up to promote and perform the music of
the ODJB. Jimmy owns the registered trademark name: Original Dixieland Jazz Band and is very particular in keeping the sound, style and feel of the music as
correct as possible. Jimmy says the tempo, style, feel, sound and especially the form of the songs are vital to the integrity. The musicians in the band are able to
solo and have their musical say, but the basic melody, harmony and form of each song has to be honored.
Since 1996, the (neo) ODJB has performed concerts and jazz festivals all over the world.
The (neo) 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.
Selections you might hear at an ODJB performance include “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.
To hear samples of the band please select an album cover (above) …
or select the link below (you can also copy and paste the link into your web browser)
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/OriginalDixielandJazzBand
http://youtu.be/ABWrjhBVnAk
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3EB8BCFD23166A25
(ODJB videos playlist link!)
(Select each photo or the YouTube links)
Stage: 16 to 24 feet wide X 16 to 20 feet deep (20 X 16 or 16 X 16)
Two (2) standard 20 amp electrical outlets
One (1) case (12) of bottled water (does not need to be on ice) at the side of the stage.
Electrical Outlet
(Near bass amp)
Drums, Bass and Piano should be tight.
•Bass pushed back
•Drums and Piano pushed up
(so a visual line of sight
is established)
2 monitors for:
•Trumpet
1 monitor each for:
•Clarinet
•Trombone
•Piano
•Drums
•(no monitor for bass)
Piano, Bass & drums
mic as needed.
(prefer Earthworks)
•D/I & mic for bass
Clarinet
1 Instrument Mic
Trumpet 1 Vocal Mic
& 1 Instrument Mic
Trombone
1 Instrument Mic
For technical or set up questions Contact: David Hansen 504-283-3786
Radio Eviva Interview
Zurich, Switzerland 2006
Jimmy LaRocca and Max Wirtz
Verona Jazz Festival
Italy June, 2007
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2011, (August 18/19) Trapani, Sicily (Italy) Sicilian Festival of
Traditional Jazz and Swing (guest artists)
2011 (February 11) Pinehurst, North Carolina, Heart N’ Soul of Jazz
Festival
2009, (June 23 & 24) Rimini, Jazz Festival, Italy (guest artists)
2009, (May) New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - Economy Hall
2009, (February) Palm Beach, Florida
2008, (August 16) Salaparuta, Sicily (Italy) (guest artists)
2007, (June) Northern Italy Performances:
2007, June 18 - Ferrarra, Italy VenetoJazz - Information on Ferrarra
2007, June 17 - Verona Jazz Festival, Verona Italy Information
2006, December 9 - Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts Michigan Tech University - (www.mtu.edu)
2006, May 2 & 3 - Schützenhaus Albisgütli Zurich - 18th
International Dixie & Blues Festival Zurich, Switzerland
2005, December 17 - Arts Harmony Hall - Ft. Washington, MD
2004, July & August European Summer Tour, Ireland and Scotland
Cork Opera House, Half Moon Theatre, 9pm, Wednesday July 28th
Belfast Waterfront Hall, 8pm, July 29th
Dublin - Vicar Street, 8pm, Friday July 30th
Dublin - (Private Event), Saturday, July 31st
Edinburgh, Edinburgh International Jazz Festival, The Hub,
Castlehill, Sunday, August 1st
2004, Saturday, May 1 - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Economy Hall
2004, Sunday, January 4 - LSU Alumni Association - Sugar Bowl
Pre-Event at Antoine's Restaurant New Orleans.
2003, Saturday, November 1 - New Orleans Investment Conference
2003, Saturday, April 12 - French Quarter Festival, New Orleans.
2002, Saturday, August 3 - Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
2002, Sunday, August 4 - MusikFest - Bethlehem, PA
2002, May 31 - Old US Mint/LA State Museum, Release of the
Louisiana Quarter.
2002, May 4 - The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
2002, April - Pensacola Jazz Festival
2002, January 19 - The American Library Association.
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2001, August 3 - New Orleans Jazz Centennial Celebration Satchmo Club Strut.
2001, May 2 - New Orleans Jazz Club at Storyville District.
2000, June - Natl. Assn. Of Mortgage Brokers.
2000, June 24 - New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.
2000, May 21 - Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World.
2000, December 14 & 15 - Memorial da America Latina, Sao Paulo,
Brazil - Louis Armstrong Centennial Concert
2000, October 16 - Deutsche Post "Party" - Harrah's Casino New
Orleans.
2000, August - The Nick LaRocca Tribute Festival in Partanna,
Italy. Tributo A Nick La Rocca - I concerti si terrano nel Castello di
Partanna (guest artists)
2000, May - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
2000, April 25 - Red Room, CD Release.
2000, April - French Quarter Festival, New Orleans.
1999, July 24 - New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park & the
Louis Armstrong Foundation.
1999, July - Storyville Happy Jazz Club, Helsinki, Finland
1999, June & July - Imatra Big Band Festival, Imatra, Finland
1999, June - Sandviken Big Band Bang Jazz Festival, Sweden
1999, June 22 - Natchez Riverboat
1999, April 10 - French Quarter Festival, New Orleans
1999, March 14 - Pavilion of Two Sisters
1999, March 10 - Fairmont Hotel - VISA Conference
1999, December 6 - Pat O’Brien’s
1998, November - Yokosuka, Japan
1998, November 14 - Tulane University
1998, April 24 - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
1998, April 23 - Snug Harbor (CD Release)
1997, April - French Quarter Festival, New Orleans
Hansen Music Productions, LLC
David Hansen
(504) 283-3786 office
(504) 286-1111 fax
PO Box 24369, New Orleans, LA 70184
bookings@odjb.com
www.ODJB.com