At The Jass Band Ball Aeolian Vocalion ODJB 1917

"At the Jazz Band Ball" is a 1917 jazz instrumental recorded by the

Original Dixieland Jazz Band The Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB) was a Dixieland jazz band that made the first jazz recordings in early 1917. Their "Livery Stable Blues" became the first jazz record ever issued. The group composed and recorded many jazz standards, the m ...

. The instrumental is one of the earliest and most recorded jazz compositions. It is a jazz classic and a standard of the genre. The instrumental was recorded by

Larry Shields Lawrence James Shields (September 13, 1893 - November 21, 1953) was an early American dixieland jazz clarinetist. He was a member of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, the first jazz band to record commercially. Background Shields was born in ...

, Tony Sbarbaro,

Henry Ragas Henry W. Ragas (January 1, 1891 – February 18, 1919) was a jazz pianist who was a member of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, the first jazz band to record commercially. Background He played piano with the Original Dixieland Jass Band o ...

, Nick LaRocca, and Eddie Edwards, the members of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. It was composed by Nick LaRocca and Larry Shields, and first recorded as "At the Jass Band Ball" by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band on September 3, 1917, in New York and released as an Aeolian Vocalion single, A1205. The instrumental was rerecorded on March 19, 1918, and was released as a Victor 78 single, Victor 18457, Matrix #B-21583/1, with "Ostrich Walk" as the flip side. A third version was recorded on April 16, 1919, in London, England and released as a 78 single as Columbia 735 with "Barnyard Blues" as the flip side. Lyricist

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallich ...

added lyrics to the original 1917 ODJB instrumental in 1950.

Other recordings

Bix Beiderbecke Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist and composer. Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical a ...

and His Gang recorded it in 1927.

Bobby Hackett Robert Leo Hackett (January 31, 1915 – June 7, 1976) was an American jazz musician who played trumpet, cornet, and guitar with the bands of Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Hackett was a featured soloist ...

and His Orchestra in 1938. Muggsy Spanier and His Ragtime Band and Bud Freeman and His Famous Chicagoans recorded in 1940. Spanier's recording was RCA Bluebird B-10518-A. In 1959, The

Dukes of Dixieland The Dukes of Dixieland was an American, New Orleans "Dixieland"-style revival band, originally formed in 1948 by brothers Frank Assunto, trumpet; Fred Assunto, trombone; and their father Papa Jac Assunto, trombone and banjo. Their first records ...

released an album entitled ''At the Jazz Band Ball'' featuring an instrumental version of the song as the opening track.

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

and Louis Armstrong recorded the song in 1960 for their album '' Bing & Satchmo''.

Pete Fountain Pierre Dewey LaFontaine Jr. (July 3, 1930 – August 6, 2016), known professionally as Pete Fountain, was an American jazz clarinetist. Early life and education LaFontaine was born to Pierre, Sr. and Madeline, in a small Creole cottage-style f ...

, Bob Crosby, George Barnes and his Octet, Phil Napoleon's Emperor's of Jazz, Nappy Lamare, Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen,

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of " Sing, Sing, ...

and his Chicago Jazz,

Eddie Condon Albert Edwin Condon (November 16, 1905 – August 4, 1973) was an American jazz banjoist, guitarist, and bandleader. A leading figure in Chicago jazz, he also played piano and sang. Early years Condon was born in Goodland, Indiana, the son of ...

, Art Hodes,

Sidney Bechet Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important Solo (music), soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His ...

Joe Venutti Giuseppe "Joe" Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was an American jazz musician and pioneer jazz violinist. Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie Lan ...

, the Sons of Bix, Nick LaRocca and His Dixieland Jazz Band,

Kid Ory Edward "Kid" Ory (December 25, 1886 – January 23, 1973) was an American jazz composer, trombonist and bandleader. One of the early users of the glissando technique, he helped establish it as a central element of New Orleans jazz. He was b ...

, the Belgrade Dixieland Orchestra, and Ted Heath are other recordings.At the Jazz Band Ball: Second Hand Song.
/ref> At the Jazz Band Ball ODJB sheet music Leo Feist

At the Jazz Band Ball ODJB sheet music Leo Feist

Sources

*Stewart, Jack. "The Original Dixieland Jazz Band's Place in the Development of Jazz." New Orleans International Music Colloquium, 2005. *Lange, Horst H. Wie der Jazz begann: 1916-1923, von der "Original Dixieland Jazz Band" bis zu King Olivers "Creole Jazz Band". Berlin: Colloquium Verlag, 1991. *Brunn, H.O. The Story of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1960. Reprinted by Da Capo Press, 1977.

References

External links

"At the Jazz Band Ball" on the Library of Congress National Jukebox.At the Jazz Band Ball: Second Hand Songs.Original Dixieland Jazz Band recordings online. archive.org.
{{Authority control Songs about jazz Songs about parties 1917 compositions Original Dixieland Jass Band songs Jazz compositions Instrumentals 1910s jazz standards