Before being purchased as part of the Louisiana territory by the United States from Napoleon, the city was governed by both France and Spain.
Its geographical position and history endowed it with a kaleidoscopic variety of cultural influences, both European (French, Spanish, British, German, Italian), Indian, Caribbean and African. The latter was due to the fact that New Orleans was the most important entry point and trading station for slaves purchased by cotton plantation owners.
In this great melting pot all the culture imported from their countries of origin competed with each other and intertwined this giving birth to a local culture that could both refined and popular.
By the beginning of the 19th century New Orleans was inhabited by whites, blacks and creoles, often the offsprings or descendants of white slave owners and black slave women. These creoles mostly lived in the old French quarter, in houses with front porches and wrought iron balconies whose patterns resembled lacework.
Jazz was born and developed around 1900 in this city, in a musical climate laden with folkloristic influences ranging from ragtime to spirituals, from work songs to blues, from minstrel shows to marching bands, from the colorful Mardi gras celebrations to the picturesque funeral processions.
According to historians, the legendary Buddy V, a cornet player born in 1878, was the first jazz musician.
>From 1910 to 1917, night spots in Storyville, New Orleans' red light district, became the ideal environment for jazz.
Some piano players played in brothels in order to "turn on" their customers. Bands, instead, usually played in variety theaters and dance halls.
Small jazz bands, however, also played on the street corners, especially after Storyville was "shut down" by the authorities (1917). "Cutting contests" between various "kings" would take place in the streets and squares of the city, whereupon the would attempt to outblow and outdo each other, notes being their only weapons.
In this legendary city, greats like Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Sidney Bechet, Johnny Dodds, Honore Dutrey, Henry Allen, Albert Nichols, Baby Dodds, Kid Ory, Jimmy Noone, Papa Celestin and Omer Simeon walked their fist musical steps.
Among these was Louis Armstrong, who learned to play in reform school. Many of the solo artists left New Orleans looking for fame and fortune, some to Chicago or New York, others to Los Angeles and other cities, spreading their musical influence everywhere.
One of jazz's earliest recordings was made in was made in 1917 by the "Original Dixieland Jazz Band", originally of New Orleans.
Between the late thirties and the early forties, a return to the early jazz artists began, thus making such famous again old favorites as Kid Ory, Barney Bigard, Sidney Bechet, Papa Mutt Carey, Bunk Johnson and others.
In the 1950's many leading jazz musicians started playing "New Orleans style" again and met with great success. Among these were Kid Ory, Wilbur and Sidney De Paris, Paul Barbain, Teddy Buckner, Red Allen, Omer Simeon and many others.
Many musicians, like Louis Armstrong, Jack Teagarden, Sidney Bechet and Bobby Hackett never ceased to include in their recordings and live performances the most characteristic tunes of the New Orleans sound.
During jam sessions there are also some basic ground rules to follow. The cornet or trumpet soloist calls the tune with a great degree of freedom, to his own taste. The trombone player supports the melody with short but effective phrases, often resorting to glissando and growl. The clarinetist improvises on the chords and intertwines between the cornet-trombone conversation. The piano player marks the strong beat playing in octaves with the left hand, together with the tuba (or bass) and plays the weaker riff with the chords with the left hand [sic. but they may mean right?]. The banjo (or guitar) player, provides 4-4 accompaniment. The drummer, instead, accentuates the strong beat (at times 4-4) and the weaker one with the cymbals and rolling.
The drum set sometimes includes a wood block, a sonorous, wooden parallelepipid that is beaten on with the drum sticks.
The earliest jazz groups, instead of a drum set, used a washboard to provide the rhythm. this wide board was covered with corrugated sheet metal and held between the knees and played as a percussion instrument with a brush or pick.
1) Jelly-Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers - Dr. Jazz (Oliver) 3'23 2) New Orleans Feetwarmers - Sweetie Dear (Ladnier) 2'49 3) Louis Armstrong's Hot Seven - Alligator Crawl (Waller) 3'01 4) Johnny Dodds' Orchestra - Too Tight (Dominique) 2'51 5) New Orleans Owls - That's a plenty (Pollack) 3'01 6) Henry Allen & his New York Orchestra - Pleasin' Paul (H.Allen-P.Barbain) 2'55 7) Monk Hazel & his Bienville Roof Orchestra - High Society (Steele - Melrose) 2'58 8) Jones & Collins Astoria Hot Eight - Astoria Strut (l.Collins - D. Jones) 2'29 9) Louis Armstrong & Earl Hines - Weather Bird (L. Armstong) 2'42 10) Jelly-Roll Morton Trio - Turtle Twist (Morton) 3'07 11) New Orleans Feetwarmers - Maple Leaf Rag (S. Joplin) 2'52 12) New Orleans Wanderers - Perdido Street Blues (Armstrong) 3'06 13) Original Dixieland Band - Clarinet Marmalade (Shields-Ragas) 2'43 14) Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra - Apex Blues (Noone-Williams) 3'02 15) Louis Armstrong's Hot Five - Ory's Creole Trombone (Ory) 3'04 16) Johnny Dodds' Black Bottom Stompers - New Orleans Stomp (J.Dodds) 2'44 17) King Oliver's Jazz Band - Sweet Lovin' Man (Melrose-Hardin) 2'45 18) New Orleans Kings as Friars Society Orchestra - Tiger Rag (Original Dixieland Jazz Band) 2'21 19) Jones & Collins Astoria Hot Eight - Duet Stomp (Collins-Jones) 2'50 20) Jelly-Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers - Cannon Ball Blues (Bloom-Morton) 2'52 21) Omer Simeon with Earl Hines - Beau Koo Jack (Simeon) 2'39 22) Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra - I Know That You Know (A. Caldwell-V.Youmans) 2'55 23) Louis Dumaine's Jazzola Eight - Franklin Street Blues (Dumaine-Jackson) 3'18 24) Celestin's Original Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra - As You Like It (Barnes) 3'09 25) New Orleans Rhythm Kings - Panama (Lambert-Dolan) 2'57 Total Time: 72'33
1) Jelly-Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers - Dr. Jazz (Oliver) 3'23 recorded: Chicago, 11/16/26 George Mitchell (cn) - Kid Ory (tb) - Omer Simeon (cl) - Jelly-Roll Morton (p/vcl) - Johnny St Cyr (g/bjo) - John Lindsay (sb) - Andrew Hilaire (d) 2) New Orleans Feetwarmers - Sweetie Dear (Ladnier) 2'49 recorded: New York, 9/04/29 Tommy Ladnier (tp) - Teddy Nixon (tb) - Sidney Bechet (cl/ss) - Henry Duncan (p) - Wilson Myers (sb) - Morris Morland (d) 3) Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven - Alligator Crawl (Waller) 3'01 recorded: Chicago, 5/10/27 Louis Armstrong (cn) John Thomas (tb) - Johnny Dodds (cl) - Lil Armstrong (p) - Johnny St Cyr (g/bj) - Baby Dodds (d) - Pete Briggs (bb) 4) Johnny Dodds' Orchestra - Too Tight (Dominique) 2'51 recorded: Chicago 2/07/29 Natty Dominique (cn) Honore Dutrey (tb) Johnny Dodds (cl) - Lil Armstrong (p) - Baby Dodds (d) - Bill Johnson (sb) - 5) New Orleans Owls - That's a plenty (Pollack) 3'01 recorded: New Orleans, 4/15/27 Bill Padron (cn) - Frank Netto (tb) - Pinky Vidacovich, Benjie White (cl/as) - Lester Smith (ts) - Sigfre Christensen (p) - Rene Gelpi (bjo/g) - Dan le Blanc (bv) - Paul Barbairn (d) 6) Henry Allen & his New York Orchestra - Pleasin' Paul (H.Allen-P.Barbain) 2'55 recorded: New York 9/4/29 Henry Allen (tp) - J.C. Higginbotham (tb) - Albert Nicholas, Charlie Holmes, Teddy Hill (reeds) - Luis Russell (p) - Will Johnson (g/bjo) - Pops Foster (sb) - Paul Barbarin (d) 7) Monk Hazel & his Bienville Roof Orchestra - High Society (Steele - Melrose) 2'58 recorded: december 1928 Sonny Bonano (tp) - Sidney Arodin (cl) - Hal Jordy (as) - Freddy Newman (p) - Joe Cupero (g) - Luther Lamar (bb) - Monk Hazel (d) 8) Jones & Collins Astoria Hot Eight - Astoria Strut (l.Collins - D. Jones) 2'29 recorded: New Orleans 11/15/29 Lee Collins (cn) Sidney Arodin (cl) - Theodore Purnell (as) - David Jones (ts) - Joe Robechaux (p) - Emmanuel Sayles (bjo) - Al Morgan (sb) - Joe Strode-Raphael (d) 9) Louis Armstrong & Earl Hines - Weather Bird (L. Armstong) 2'42 recorded: Chicago 12/05/29 Louis Armstrong (tp) - Earl Hines (p) 10) Jelly-Roll Morton Trio - Turtle Twist (Morton) 3'07 recorded: New York 12/17/29 Barney Bigard (cl) - Jelly-Roll Morton (p) - Zutty Singleton (d) 11) sidney bechet and his New Orleans Feetwarmers - Maple Leaf Rag (S. Joplin) 2'52 recorded: New York, 9/15/32 Tommy Ladnier (tp) - Teddy Nixon (tb) - Sidney Bechet (cl/ss) - Henry Duncan (p) - Wilson Myers (sb) - Morris Morland (d) 12) New Orleans Wanderers - Perdido Street Blues (Armstrong) 3'06 recorded: Chicago 7/13/26 George Mitchell (cn) - Kid Ory (tb) - Johnny Dodds (cl) - Lil Armstrong (p) - Johnny St. Cyr (bjo) 13) Original Dixieland jass Band - Clarinet Marmalade (Shields-Ragas) 2'43 recorded: New York 7/17/18 Pick La Rocca (cn) - Eddie Edwards (tb) - Larry Shields (cl) - Henry Ragas (p) - Tony Sbarbaro (d) 14) Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra - Apex Blues (Noone-Williams) 3'02 recorded: Chicago 8/23/28 Jimmie Noone (cl) - Joe Poston (as) - Earl Hines (p) - Bud Scott (g/bjo) - Lawson Buford (bb) - Johnny Wellls (d) 15) Louis Armstrong's Hot Five - Ory's Creole Trombone (Ory) 3'04 recorded: Chicago, 9/02/27 Louis Armstrong (cn) - Kid Ory (tb) - Johnny Dodds (cl) - Lil Armstrong (p) - Johnny St. Cyr (bjo) 16) Johnny Dodds' Black Bottom Stompers - New Orleans Stomp (J.Dodds) 2'44 recorded: Chicago 4/22/27 Louis Armstrong (cn) Roy Palmer (tb) - Johnny Dodds (cl) - Barney Bigard (ts) - Earl Hinies (p) Bud Scott (bjo) - Baby Dodds (d) 17) King Oliver's Jazz Band - Sweet Lovin' Man (Melrose-Hardin) 2'45 recorded: Chicago 6/22/23 King Oliver, Louis Armstrong (cn) - Honore Dutrey (tb) - Johnny Dodds (cl) - Lil Hardin (p) Bud Scott (bjo) - Baby Dodds (d) 18) New Orleans Kings as Friars Society Orchestra - Tiger Rag (Original Dixieland Jazz Band) 2'21 recorded: richmond, indiana 8/30/22 Paul Mares (cn) - George Brunies (tb) - Leon Rappolo (cl) - Jack Pettis (C- melody sax) - Elmer Shoebel (p/arr/dir) - Lou Black (bjo) - Steve Brown (sb) - Frank Snyder (d) 19) Jones & Collins Astoria Hot Eight - Duet Stomp (Collins-Jones) 2'50 recorded: New Orleans 11/15/29 Lee Collins (cn) - Sidney Arodin (cl) - Theodore Purnell (as) - David Jones (ts) - Joe Robechaux (p) - Emmanuel Sayles (bjo) - Al Morgan (sb) - Joe Strode-Raphael (d) 20) Jelly-Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers - Cannon Ball Blues (Bloom-Morton) 2'52 recorded: Chicago, 12/16/26 George Mitchell (cn) - Kid Ory (tb) - Omer Simeon (cl) - Jelly-Roll morton (p) - Johnny St. Cyr (g/bjo) - John Lindsay (sb) - Andrew Hilaire (d) 21) Omer Simeon with Earl Hines - Beau Koo Jack (Simeon) 2'39 recorded: Chicago 9/11/29 Omer Simeon (cl) - Earl Hines (p) - Claude Roberts (bjo) 22) Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra - I Know That You Know (A. Caldwell-V.Youmans) 2'55 recorded: Chicago 5/16/28 Jimmie Noone (cl) - Joe Poston (as/cl) - Earl Hines (p) - Bud Scott (g/bjo) - Johnny Wells (d) 23) Louis Dumaine's Jazzola Eight - Franklin Street Blues (Dumaine-Jackson) 3'18 recorded: New Orleans 3/07/27 Louis Dumaine (cn) Earl Humphrey (tb) - Willie Joseph (cl) - Louis James (ts) - Morris Rouse (p) - Leonard Mitchell (bjo/vcl) - Joe Howard (bb) - James Willigan (d) 24) Celestin's Original Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra - As You Like It (Barnes) 3'09 recorded: New Orleans 4/11/27 Papa Celestin, Richard Alexis (cn) - August Rousseau (tb) - Paul Barnes (cl/as) - Sid Carrere (ss/ts) - Earl Pierson (ts) - Jeanette Slavant (p) - John Marrero (bjo) - Simon Marrero (bb) - Abby Foster (d) 25) New Orleans Rhythm Kings - Panama (Lambert-Dolan) 2'57 recorded: New York 9/24/34 Wiggy Manome (tp) - George Brunies (tb) Sidney Arodin (cl) - Terry Shand (p) - Benny Pottle (sb) - Bob White (d) Total Time: 72'33
[interesting to note that only 6 of 25 tracks from this compilation were actually recorded in New Orleans, though this is probably in part due to easier access to recording devices (pre-tape decks!) in New York and Chicago in that era.
(Please note that liner notes are copyrighted by album publishers and/or authors; we include these notes as proof of a potential service that the industry could offer to earn warm fuzzy points from the jazz listening community... well, we can dream :-)