The ODJB Story Needed to be Told
As Mr. Barnes indicated in his earlier review, it's unfortunate that Nick La Rocca's bias minimizes or even negates the African-American/Creole contributions to jazz, but many other historians, including Ed Burns, are inclined to play down the white musicians' role in jazz development. Harry Brunn's book,which I own in both editions, makes use of some sources which parallel stories that my friend, the late Tony Sparbaro (Spargo), the drummer for the ODJB told me. Clearly, in the multicultural blend in New Orleans, it's difficult to isolate contributions, but Brunn makes a case for the pioneers of recorded jazz. It's not the last word on the ODJB, but it's a word that needs to be heard.