L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano LIFE PEOPLE MOVIES MUSIC BOOKS VALERIO VIALE O n February 26 th 1917, c l a r i n e t i s t a n d b a n d - l e a d e r N i c k L a R o c c a ( b o r n i n N e w O r l e a n s , Louisiana, from Sicilian par- ents) passed into the annals of jazz history. In fact, that day in New York City, his Original Dixieland Jass (Jazz) Band - that featured also drummer Tony Sbarbaro (of Sicilian parents) - recorded two tracks, Livery Stable Blues (a foxtrot) and Original Dixieland one step. That 78 rpm disc - the first jazz recording ever - inaugurat- ed the successful history of that shape-shifting musical genre. With the centennial quickly approaching, I had the chance to talk with Nick's son, Jimmy LaRocca, who has been follow- ing in his father's steps, by play- ing the trumpet and leading his very own Original Dixieland Jazz Band across the world. Here is Jimmy's definition of the early Dixieland jazz style: "Dixieland jazz is the origi- nal form. It differs from other styles played after 1917, in that it is based on the opera. Three horns, with clarinet corresponding to soprano, trum- pet to tenor, trombone to bass, calling and responding to each other, plus drums and piano, playing in the jazz idiom. My father was an innovator and his recordings show this. It took several years before the o t h e r b a n d s c o u l d p l a y t h i s unorthodox syncopation." Let's hear Jimmy reminisc- ing about how he first got fasci- nated by jazz and the fundamen- tal lessons from his father: "My father had a major influ- ence in my upbringing, affecting the way I am now today. 'Be yourself, be honest, be respect- ful to others even if you dis- agree.' As for playing music, 'don't copy, play it your way' (sometimes this got me in hot water with other musicians). He taught me how to play the trumpet when I was very young, before I was 12. Then, he sent me to have lessons from a trum- p e t t e a c h e r t h a t ' c o u l d r e a d music exactly because he could n o t r e a d o r w r i t e m u s i c . ' I learned from him how to play by ear. I like Latin as well as other types of ballads, but the music my dad played is my favorite b e c a u s e i t ' s a h a p p y m u s i c , makes you want to tap your feet, dance etc." And now let's delve deeper into this fascinating chapter of musical history, led by jazz his- t o r i a n a n d j o u r n a l i s t , G i g i Razete, from Palermo, Italy. F e b r u a r y 2 6 t h 2 0 1 7 , marked the centennial of the first jazz singles ever record- ed, Livery Stable Blues and Original Dixieland One Step, p l a y e d b y t h e O r i g i n a l Dixieland Jass Band, whose leader and cornetist was first generation Sicilian-American, Nick La Rocca. What can you tell us about his role in the his- tory of jazz? N i c k L a R o c c a p l a y e d a n essential role, because, thanks to his recording, jazz – back then a language still young and regard- ed with suspicion – suddenly managed to have the youthful b u t f i e r c e r e c o r d i n d u s t r y ' s doors open. Jazz deeply changed the musical landscape, that had been until then dominated by classical, particularly opera, and country music. That historical 78 rpm disc by the Original Dixieland Jass Band, featuring two tracks, one per side – Livery stable blues and Dixieland jass one step – reached one and a half million copies (sold at ¢75 each), win- ning over concurrent bestselling hits (e.g., Enrico Caruso and John Philip Sousa). This unexpected chart-topper m a n a g e d t o e n t i c e s e v e r a l l a b e l s ' i n t e r e s t a n d g r e e d . Despite that music was regarded as a coarse product of the "wild" A f r o - A m e r i c a n s ' a n d i m m i - grants' creativity, the record companies "smelled" tempting opportunities. Namely, to earn new segments of listeners and expand the market of reproduced music, definitively winning the c o m p e t i t i o n w i t h T h o m a s Edison's phonograph cylinders, that still threatened the hegemo- ny of Berliner's gramophone and discs made of a shellac- based compound. LaRocca's band's recording, t h u s , s h o o k t o t h e c o r e t h e record industry, greatly favoring the diffusion and success of jazz and enabling the new musical language to become a favorite soundtrack to our time. You collaborated with jazz musician and expert, Claudio Lo Cascio, who penned the book, Una storia nel jazz - Nick La Rocca (Edizioni Novecento, 2004). What could you tell us about your researches? What role did Sicilians immigrants to the United States play in the b i r t h a n d d e v e l o p m e n t o f jazz? I n h i s b o o k , C l a u d i o L o Cascio traces at last an exhaus- tive biographical and critical profile of Nick LaRocca, avail- ing himself of a considerable a m o u n t o f d a t a ( o b t a i n e d through field surveys in the US) on the main musicians, who, between the end of 1800s and the start of 1900s, emigrated from Sicily to Louisiana, greatly contributing to the development of jazz. LaRocca himself was born in 1 8 8 9 i n N e w O r l e a n s , f r o m recently immigrated Sicilian parents (his father, Girolamo L a R o c c a , w a s n a t i v e o f Salaparuta, in the province of Trapani, while his mother, Vita De Nina, was of Poggioreale, in the same province). I n h i s s t u d y , L o C a s c i o - thanks to his direct access to microfilms' archives stored by the US Immigration Services – gives us a detailed account of the huge migratory surge com- ing in those years from Sicily. Lo Cascio's researches show h o w , b a c k t h e n , t h e r e w e r e direct shipping lines between New Orleans and Palermo. Over one hundred, among cargo ships and steamers, transshipped or docked at Palermo's seaport as their final destination. One of those was the Montebello, large- sized merchant steamship, that, in 25 days, brought citrus fruits and migrants (about one thou- sand at a time) to Louisiana, and c o t t o n b a l e s b a c k t o S i c i l y . From there, those were trans- ported to Genoa, where they were turned into jean fabric, before being shipped back to the US. Towards the end of the nine- teenth century, there were over twelve thousand Italians in New Orleans, mostly coming from T e r m i n i I m e r e s e , C e f a l ù , T r a b i a , A g r i g e n t o , S c i a c c a , Monreale, Trapani and other Sicilian villages. F o r i n s t a n c e , i n 1 8 9 7 , Angelina Caravella of Ustica, emigrated to New Orleans as a baby aboard the Montebello. She was the future mother of Louis Prima, Italian-American singer, actor, songwriter, band- l e a d e r , a n d t r u m p e t e r , w h o w o u l d m a k e a b i g n a m e f o r himself with songs, such as Oh Marie, Just a Gigolo and Sing, S i n g , S i n g ( W i t h a S w i n g ) , which in 1937 became a hit for Benny Goodman and his band. Therefore, it was a foregone conclusion that, as documented by Claudio Lo Cascio, such a substantial presence of Sicilians had a crucial impact on the evo- lution of jazz, not only for the f o r c e d i n t e g r a t i o n b e t w e e n i m m i g r a n t s a n d A f r i c a n - Americans (deemed on a par by the US middle class), but also a n d a b o v e a l l f o r I t a l i a n s ' - r e m a r k a b l y s o u t h e r n e r s ' - instrumental artistry, sense of rhythm, bent for improvisation, o p e n s o u n d s , i n c l i n a t i o n t o dance, taste for form (quality often deriving from the march- ing bands' legacy), which we all find in the new musical lan- guage. It's no coincidence that, how L o C a s c i o a l l u d e s t o i n h i s book, many were the Sicilians who enhanced the jazz of their time. Pete Rugolo, born in San Piero Patti, became a legendary arranger for Stan Kenton, who headed one of the most musical- ly progressive big bands of the era. Vido Musso, born in Carini, who played as first jazz tenor saxophonist of renowned bands, such as Benny Goodman's and Harry James'. Original Dixieland Jazz Band. 1918 promotional postcard showing (from left), drummer Tony Sbarbaro (aka Tony Spargo), trombonist Edwin "Daddy" Edwards, cornetist Dominick James "Nick" LaRocca, clarinetist Larry Shields, and pianist Henry Ragas First Recording in Jazz History has strong Sicilian roots

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