Search - Original Dixieland Jazz Band :: First Jazz Recordings

Great Pioneer Jazz Recordings

Tom Moran | New York, NY United States | 02/20/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you like jazz, you might as well listen to this CD, and hear where it started.Okay, so it didn't exactly start here. The ODJB didn't invent jazz -- no matter what their leader, cornetist Nick LaRocca, says. But they were the first to record jazz, and they had an incalcuable influence on a lot of what came afterwards, simply because they put their music down on wax.These early recordings have been put out many times by many different labels, but according to the Penguin Guide, this issue has the best sound. Judging by the different versions I've heard, I'm inclined to agree with them. So if you like early Louis Armstrong, or Bix Beiderbecke in his Wolverine days, you might already have a different issue of this set. If so, you might want to buy this CD anyway, because it will almost certainly sound better than what you have. If you've never heard them, and you love jazz, don't hesitate. These guys will probably never sound better than on this disc. An essential purchase for any jazz collection."