Dominic James "Nick" LaRocca papers, 1885-1961 | Hogan Jazz Archive

By Samantha Bruner

Printer-friendly |

Collection Overview

Title: Dominic James "Nick" LaRocca papers, 1885-1961

Predominant Dates:1915-1961

ID: HJA/MS 008

Primary Creator: LaRocca, Nick

Extent: 100.0 Linear Feet

Arrangement: The materials have been arranged into twelve series according to medium or subject: newspaper clippings, correspondence, photographs, journals and magazines, sheet music, publicity, business and personal documents, deposition, oversize materials, scrapbooks, books, albums and test pressings. Each series has its own box and folder list.

Date Acquired: 05/18/1960

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The collection contains newspaper clippings, fliers, posters, programs and other publicity materials, along with photographs, books, test pressings of O.D.J.B. records, correspondence and sheet music. The collection also includes five scrapbooks, created by Nick LaRocca.

Biographical Note

Dominic James "Nick" LaRocca (1889-1961) was a self-taught New Orleans cornetist who became the leader of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, which made the first recording of jazz in New York City in 1917. Based on the popularity of the recording and live performances, the O.D.J.B. became a sensation, traveling to England in 1919. After returning to the U.S. in 1920, the band broke up in 1925 and then refomed briefly from 1936-38, after which LaRocca Returned to New Orleans to resume work as a contractor.

Administrative Information

Repository: Hogan Jazz Archive

Access Restrictions: This collection is open for research.

Acquisition Source: Dominic James "Nick" LaRocca

Acquisition Method: Donation

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Newspaper Clippings],
[Series 2: Correspondence, 1917-1960],
[Series 3: Photographs],
[Series 4: Journals and Magazines],
[Series 5: Sheet Music],
[Series 6: Publicity],
[Series 7: Business and Personal Documents],
[Series 8: Deposition],
[Series 9: Oversize Materials],
[Series 10: Scrapbooks],
[Series 11: Books],
[Series 12: Albums and Test Pressings],
[All]

Series 5: Sheet Music

Box 8

Item 1: "At the Jazz Band Ball", 1918: Composed by Nick LaRocca and Larry Shields.
Item 2: "Butcher Boy Blues": Composed by Nick LaRocca.
Item 3: "Down in Old New Orleans", 1958: Composed by Nick LaRocca.
Item 4: "I'll Always Wait for You": By Nick LaRocca and Henry Lodge. Annotated by LaRocca.
Item 5: "Is it True?", 1958: By James C. LaRocca and Nick LaRocca.
Item 6: "The King Tut Strut", 1921: Composed by Nick LaRocca. Copyrighted 1958. Two versions.
Item 7: "Let's Sing Again", 1936: Music by Jimmy McHugh, lyrics by Gus Kahn. On the back is a portrait of LaRocca by Will Willard.
Item 8: "Lorraine (My Beautiful Alsace-Lorraine)" / "When You Roll Those Dreamy Eyes": "Lorraine" by Alfred Bryan and Fred Fisher. "When You Roll Those Dreamy Eyes" by Nick LaRocca, dated 5/17/1918. Thelatter is copied onto the back of the former and annotated by LaRocca.
Item 9: "Melancholy Blues", 1923: Composed by Nick LaRocca. Cornet part.
Item 10: "Mournin' Blues": Music by Anthony Sbarbaro, lyrics by J. Russell Robinson. File only contains lyric sheet.
Item 11: "My Love for You", 1958: Composed by Nick LaRocca.
Item 12: "Original Dixieland One-Step", 1936: Composed by Nick LaRocca.
Item 13: "Ruthie", 1958: Composed by Nick LaRocca.
Item 14: "Some Rainy Night", 1921: Music by Nick LaRocca and Carey Morgan. Lyrics by Mitchell Parish.
Item 15: "Sugar Bowl Stomp": Composed by Nick LaRocca and Louis Escobedo. Includes sheet music and lyrics.
Item 16: "Tiger Rag", 1917, 1923: Composed by Nick LaRocca. Includes two editions, one from 1917 (cornet), another from 1923 (piano).
Item 17: "When You Hear that Dixieland Jazz Band Play", 1918: Composed by Shelton Brooks. Includes a commercial copy and a professional copy. The professional copy is badly damaged.

Tulane University Special Collections