Dominic James "Nick" La Rocca (April 11, 1889 in New Orleans, Louisiana – February 22, 1961 in New Orleans) was an early jazz cornetist and trumpeter and the leader of the Original Dixieland Jass Band. According to La Rocca himself, he was "The Creator of Jazz", "The Christopher Columbus of Music", and "The most lied about person in history since Jesus Christ".
La Rocca was the son of poor Sicilian-American immigrants. His father was Girolamo LaR...
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Dominic James "Nick" La Rocca (April 11, 1889 in New Orleans, Louisiana – February 22, 1961 in New Orleans) was an early jazz cornetist and trumpeter and the leader of the Original Dixieland Jass Band. According to La Rocca himself, he was "The Creator of Jazz", "The Christopher Columbus of Music", and "The most lied about person in history since Jesus Christ".
La Rocca was the son of poor Sicilian-American immigrants. His father was Girolamo LaRocca of Salaparuta, Sicily and his mother was Vita DeNina of Poggioreale, Sicily. Young Nick was attracted to the music of the brass bands in New Orleans and covertly taught himself to play cornet against the wishes of his father who hoped his son would go into a more prestigious profession. La Rocca at first worked as an electrician, playing music on the side.
From around 1910 through 1916 he was a regular member of Papa Jack Laine's bands. While not considered as one of the most virtuosic or creative of the Laine players, he was well...
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