Livery Stable Blues
| "Livery Stable Blues" | |
|---|---|
First pressing of the Victor release of "Livery Stable Blues"
Performed by ODJB, 18255-B, 1917 |
|
| Single by Original Dixieland Jass Band | |
| A-side | "Dixie Jass Band One-Step" |
| B-side | "Livery Stable Blues" |
| Released | March 7, 1917 |
| Recorded | February 26, 1917 |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Length | 3:10 |
| Label | Victor |
| Writer(s) | Ray Lopez (1889–1979) Alcide Nunez |
"Livery Stable Blues" is a jazz composition copyrighted by Ray Lopez (né Raymond Edward Lopez; 1889–1979) and Alcide Nunez in 1917. It was recorded by the Original Dixieland Jass Band on February 26, 1917 and, with the A side "Dixieland Jass Band One-Step" or "Dixie Jass Band One-Step" (a tune later better known as "Original Dixieland One-Step"), became widely acknowledged as the first jazz recording commercially released. It was recorded by the Victor Talking Machine Company in New York City at its studio at 46 West 38th Street on the 12th floor – the top floor.
The Original Dixieland Jazz Band was a group of white musicians from New Orleans. They had gained popularity playing at Schiller's Cafe in Chicago and Reisenweber's Restaurant in New York City, and became largely responsible for making the New Orleans style popular on a national level.
The ODJB made test recordings for Columbia on January 30, 1917, but no usable recordings resulted. On February 26 the ODJB recorded "Livery Stable Blues" for the Victor label. "Dixie Jazz Band One-Step" was recorded in the same session. Victor executives quickly released the record, which became an instant hit.
The record was a big hit, and was possibly the first popular music recording to sell a million copies. It established jazz as popular music and spawned demand for small jazz bands in New York and Chicago, at a time when it was getting harder and harder for musicians to find employment in New Orleans.
Both sides of the record were originally labeled as compositions by members of the band. However two other New Orleans musicians, Nunez and Lopez, beat the ODJB in registering a copyright on the tune. Alcide Nunez had been clarinetist with the ODJB until a few months earlier. Trumpeter Ray Lopez had worked with most of the ODJB musicians in New Orleans, especially in the bands of Papa Jack Laine. The members of the ODJB published the piece copyrighted as their own composition under the alternative title "Barnyard Blues". The two parties and their respective publishers sued each other. The case resulted in the judge declaring neither party had copyright over the work, that it was based on a pre-existing melody, and declared it to be in the "public domain". The judge also expressed doubt that musicians unable to read or write music could be said to have "composed" anything.
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Wikipedia