Louisiana Five & the Original Indiana Five

Louisiana Five in the Shadow of the ODJB

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Ballroom dancing had been around since the 16th century, ballet and the jig as well. Come the minuet in the 17th century, popular especially with French nobility, the square dance for folks with barns in England about the same period, that to go country in the US and country western upon the influence of swing. In the latter 18th century Charles III had allowed Spanish gypsies to present flamenco to the general public. In the early 19th century came the waltz as formal dance spread from palaces to the general population [see Johann Strauss I]. The waltz remains widely popular to this day, as well as the tango originating in Argentina at about the same time. But the waltz had not so fervent the popularity as the foxtrot in association with ragtime. The invention of the foxtrot is often credited to vaudeville actor, Harry Fox, as of 1914.

Harry Fox Startled by a Suddenly Brighter Past

Foxtrot Initiator

Source: Wikipedia

The foxtrot was also introduced to the American public by ballroom dancers, Irene and Vernon Castle, about the same time.

Irene & Vernon Castle Frozen Stiff by Light so Bright

Foxtrot Initiators

Source: Ballroom Chick

The foxtrot followed ragtime toward jazz, the later jitterbug to arrive with swing. Major to rock n roll some twenty years after was the twist in the early sixties. Groups like the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (ODJB) and the Louisiana Five were ragtime operations which existed primarily for dancing, in particular the foxtrot (aka One-Step), excepting their early flourishes of jazz added to the popular repertoire of hotels which were beginning to become major venues of music. At this early stage jazz surfaced more as afterthought given a little rein than a genre. "Jazz" was in the air as the ODJB made apparent by its name, and though that was a sprinkle of Dixieland where jazz has its roots, it was not yet raining jazz. People more had dancing on the brain on Saturday nights than listening to wild music. Albeit the ODJB landed numerous titles on the popularity charts the Louisiana Five placed none. Nor is the fame of the Louisiana Five based in its longevity, for it disbanded in 1920. Existing for only a couple of years, the Louisiana Five probable was and is known more for its similarity to the ODJB than itself. It was an "also" to the ODJB that was and remains the main story along that particular avenue bridging ragtime to jazz yet quite early both in development and to the ears of the general public. Tom Lord doesn't list the Louisiana Five in his jazzology at all.

The Louisiana Five originated in New York City with drummer, Anton Lada, its leader. Other members were pianist, Joe Cawley, trombonist, Charlie Panelli, banjoist, Karl Berger and clarinetist, Alcide "Yellow" Nunez, who had briefly performed with the ODJB in 1916 prior to the latter's first recordings in 1917. Interesting to note is a lawsuit brought against Nunez and Ray Lopez in 1917 by Nick LaRocca and the ODJB over 'Livery Stable Blues'. Though Nunez and Lopez had previously copyrighted the melody, it was tossed out of court on grounds that if one couldn't read music, as apparently neither Nunez nor Lopez did, then one couldn't steal a song. Following this curious decision the Louisiana Five scratched their first records in latter 1918 toward issue the next year on Emerson [Alexander]. The Louisiana Five also played as Ben Kelly's Jass Band which became the Frisco Five in January of 1919 and recorded several titles for Emerson from February to circa May of 1919 [Rust].

'A Good Man Is Hard to Find'   Louisiana Five

Recorded Dec 1918 in NYC   Emerson 9158 / Medallion 847

Composition: Eddie Green

'Alcoholic Blues'   Louisiana Five

Recorded 23 June 1919 in NYC   Emerson 9158 / Medallion 847

Composition: Albert Von Tilzer

'Clarinet Squawk'   Louisiana Five

Recorded 12 Sep 1919 in NYC   Matrix 6928   Edison cylinder 3896 / disc 50609

Composition: Anton Lada / Yellow Nuñez / Joe Cawley

'Yelping Hound Blues'   Louisiana Five

Recorded 12 Sep 1919 in NYC   Matrix 6929   Edison cylinder 3909 / disc 50622

Composition: Anton Lada / Yellow Nuñez / Joe Cawley

'Slow and Easy'   Louisiana Five

Recorded 16 Dec 1919 in NYC   Columbia A2949

Composition: Russel Robinson / Spencer Williams

'Weary Blues'   Louisiana Five

Recorded Jan 1920 in NYC   Emerson 10116

Composition: Artie Matthews

'Weeping Willow Blues'   Louisiana Five

Recorded Jan 1920 in NYC   Emerson 10172

Composition: Robert King

Lada went on to form other bands after the demise of the Louisiana Five, one of which was the Original Louisiana Five in 1924. He made his last recordings in Los Angeles in 1925 with his Louisiana Lads. Living as a popular drummer in NYC, he eventually moved to Los Angeles in 1941, apparently to work in film though there is no mention of him at IMDb. He there died on 28 August 1944.

Nunez played in bands in Chicago for a short time before returning to Louisiana where he'd been born. He there performed with several outfits including the New Orleans police band, dying in New Orleans on 2 September 1934.

Panelli (trombone) moved onward to eventually join the Original Indiana Five (OIF) for a brief time in 1925. The OIF was a later configuration of the briefly existing Indiana Syncopators, of which the Jazz Masters was a pseudonym which Konig has recording 'Bees Knees' on 15 January of 1923 toward issue on Black Swan 2109 with 'Sweet Lovin' Mama' flip side. Titles by the Indiana Syncopators followed on 1 April of 1923 toward release on Olympic. The Indiana Syncopators also issued on La Belle, perhaps from the same matrices as for Black Swan but that's more an imagined notion than founded in sessionography. Be as may, the OIF quickly followed in April if not May, which group issued numerously until the band evaporated in 1929, though reunited occasionally for another twenty years. As Panelli was with the OIF only a short time in 1925 he isn't participant to recordings below.

'Bees Knees'   Indiana Syncopators

Recorded 15 Jan 1923 in NYC   La Belle 1418

Composition: Ted Lewis / Ray Lopez

'Mean, Mean Mama'   Original Indiana Five

Recorded 7 Sep 1923 in NYC   Pathe Actuelle 021070 A

Composition: Eleanor Young / Harry Squires / Mitchell Parish

'I'd Rather Be Alone'   Original Indiana Five

Recorded 13 Jan 1926 in NYC   Harmony 101-H / Velvet Tone 1101-V

Composition: Milton Ager

'Delilah'   Original Indiana Five w Tony Pace

Recorded 24 Dec 1926 in NYC   Harmony 327-H / Velvet Tone 1327-V

Music: Fred Fisher   Lyrics: Billy Rose

Though neither the Louisiana Five nor Original Indiana Five made much noise in comparison to the ODJB, they together well represent the decade of the Roaring Twenties from beginning to end.

Recordings by the Louisiana Five: Catalogues:

45 Worlds   Discogs   Edison Blue Amberol   RYM

Recordings by the Louisiana Five: Sessions:

Scott Alexander   DAHR   Brian Rust (also Frisco Five)

Recordings by the Original Indiana Five: Catalogues:

45 Worlds   Discogs

Recordings by the Original Indiana Five: Sessions:

Scott Alexander (also Indiana Syncopators)

DAHR

Brian Rust (also Indiana Syncopators)

Dance: Twenties   Thirties   Sixties

The Tango: Dance Facts   Dance Facts

Ragtime:

Library of Congress   New World Encyclopedia   Wikipedia