The Original Dixieland Jazz Band

Formed by several young white New Orleans musicians, all working in Chicago, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, aided by widespread publicity, became known as the creators of jazz. Despite this hopelessly inaccurate description, the ODJB’s 1917 recordings of "Livery Stable Blues" and "Dixie Jass Band One-Step" did succeed in bringing the emergent music to the attention of millions. They were also able to make far more prestigious public appearances than would have been possible had they been black. The ODJB’s mixture of vaudeville eccentricity and good jazz helped to boost the music from its limited origins into worldwide popularity. By the mid 1920s, with the rise of artists such as Paul Whiteman and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, the ODJB were deemed passé and soon broke up.