by John R.T. Davies
(from the liner notes of Ragtime To Jazz 2 1916 – 1922 on Timeless Records)
One does not normally associate Vincent Lopez with Jazz, but at the outset of his career, he co-led with clarinetist Billy Hamilton a successful five-piece Jazz band at the Tokio Cafe in New York. Emulating the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, even down to the titles chosen for recording, they turn in a creditable performance on Bluin' The Blues, taken from the rare take A. At the same session, they also recorded the Original Dixieland Jazz Band's Dixieland One-Step (entered in the Edison daybook simply as "Dixieland"), but this title was unissued, the Edison files giving the reason as "Unable to gain copyright approval." This was undoubtedly because the Original Dixieland Jazz Band's composition was the subject of a legal case, as the third strain was lifted from Joe Jordan's "Teasin' Rag", and our thanks are due to The Edison National Historical Site and to Joe Moore, who made a tape from a test pressing on a visit to the site.

If you would like to order the Timeless Records' CD of Ragtime To Jazz 2 1916 – 1922 you can do so through Worlds Records or direct from Timeless Records.

Thanks to Dominic Combe and Robert English for the other recording on this page. Check out Robert's Music Page for more great streaming audio on the web