Nick La Rocca

Nick La Rocca was an American musician and cornet player who was a key figure in the development of Dixieland jazz. He led the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (ODJB), which, in 1917, made the first jazz recording, "Livery Stable Blues." This recording became a million-seller and significantly popularized the Dixieland style. La Rocca's band incorporated elements from ragtime and marching band music, contributing to the "white style" of jazz, which was technically proficient but less experimental than contemporary Black jazz styles. The ODJB's recordings, though influential, presented a somewhat misleading picture of true New Orleans jazz.