Original Dixieland Jass Band
ListenLivery Stable Blues · 1917
Original Dixieland Jass Band — “Livery Stable Blues,” 1917.
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1917 · Victor
Dixieland Jass Band One-Step / Livery Stable Blues
In 1917, a five-piece New Orleans band brought the sound filling its dance engagements into Victor’s recording studio. This early issue of “Dixieland Jass Band One-Step” and “Livery Stable Blues” belongs to the first commercially released jazz record. [1] [2]
| Accession | OMMA-0076 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Original Dixieland Jass Band |
| Release | 1917 · United States |
| Label | Victor · 18255 |
| Format | 10-inch shellac single · 78 rpm |
| Issue | Original “batwing” label issue |
| Runouts | A, stamped: T 18255A B, stamped: S 18255B |
| Recorded grade | VG · recorded assessment |
Release history and significance
The band had already become a sensation at New York’s Reisenweber’s Restaurant when it recorded for Victor on 26 February 1917. Capturing that energy was a practical challenge: the players had to balance their instruments around an acoustic recording horn. Cornetist Nick LaRocca later recalled engineer Charles Sooy carefully moving the musicians to accommodate Tony Sbarbaro’s powerful bass drum. [2]
The disc helped carry the band’s music from a crowded restaurant to listeners far beyond New York. Its place at the beginning of recorded jazz reflects an opportunity to record: jazz had already developed through the work of Black musicians in New Orleans. [2] [3]
The early labels preserve the full “Dixieland” title, the 75-cent price and the “Composed and played by” credit. Later issues altered those details. [1]
Market context
As of 13 September 2026, Discogs reported sales of this early label edition between US$40.00 and US$137.99, with a median of US$72.00. The most recent recorded sale was dated 9 September 2026. [1]
Physical Description
Black shellac with gold-on-black Victor “batwing” labels. Both labels carry the “75c. in U.S.A.” price notice. The A-side retains “Dixieland” in its title; the B-side includes “Composed and played by.” No picture sleeve accompanies the disc.
Condition
The earlier detailed assessment grades the disc VG. Both sides show even surface wear, fine scuffs and light scratches. No cracks, edge chips or other structural damage are recorded.
The labels are intact, with legible gold printing, handling wear and some spindle wear. No writing, stickers or paper loss are recorded.
Provenance
Purchased from collector Jeffrey Harvey in a private transaction on 11 December 2025.
Sources
- Discogs, Original Dixieland Jass Band — Victor 18255, release 10032046. Earliest label details, stamped runouts and reported sales statistics.
- David Sager, The First Jazz Recording: One Hundred Years Later, Library of Congress. Recording session, acoustic balance and the band’s New York engagement, 3 March 2017.
- Library of Congress, The Painful Birth of Blues and Jazz. The distinction between early jazz history and the first commercial jazz recording.
Catalogue text reviewed 13 September 2026.