This release officially celebrates 100 years of recorded jazz music.

A journey inside the Sicilian chromosome of jazz, forgotten by the official history; the incredible story of a Sicilian who became the world’s first man in Jazz.

Sicily Jass - The world’s first man in Jazz is a film directed by Michele Cinque, about the life, the music and times of Nick La Rocca, a son of Sicilian immigrants, a self taught cornet player and leader of the Original Dixieland Jass band, the New Orleans based combo which eventually recorded the first Jazz record, in New York, in 1917. Moving between fiction and documentary, while travelling from a timeless Sicily through New Orleans past and present, the film follows the infectious rhythms of early Jazz and goes deep into an introspective journey narrated by the voice, the gestures and the puppets of Sicilian master Mimmo Cuticchio.

Thanks to the special contribution of historians and Jazz critics and along with the discovery of precious archive materials, the film will give the audience the chance to relive both the incredible success and the sad decline of La Rocca and his fellow musicians. The voice of Nick La Rocca himself, caught in a hitherto unpublished interview, together with the intimacy of the tale of Nick’s son, Jimmy, will lead the viewer to discover why La Rocca and his men are often forgotten within the official history of jazz.

Needless to add that Sicily Jass comes with an amazing soundtrack, curated by Mark Berenford and carefully remastered by Nick Dellow. The accompanying CD features the ODJB’s historical 1917 recordings, along with a selection of extra tracks by illustrious contemporaries such as Louis Armstrong, Joe Venuti, Bix Beiderbeck, Fletcher Henderson and others, amazing recordings from the beginning of jazz, over 100 years old. Mark Berenford who also curated the extensive liner notes, is considered one of the most respected experts and most passionate collectors of early Jazz and Blues. Since 1990, Mr. Berenford has been the editor of Vintage Jazz Mart, the world’s leading means for buying and selling rare Jazz and Blues 78’s.

Sicily Jass, the film and the soundtrack, come together in two formats (CD+DVD and LP+DVD), the LP version is a gorgeous gatefold LP including the film’s original poster.

DVD Language: English // Subtitles: Italian, English, French, Portuguese, Japanese

Track list: 1. Livery Stable Blues – ODJB 2. Livery Stable Blues - Fletcher Henderson 3. Original Dixieland One-Step – ODJB 4. Original Dixieland One-Step - Red Nichols 5 Pennies 5. At The Jazz Band Ball – ODJB 6. At The Jazz Band Ball - Bix Beiderbecke & His Gang 7. Ostrich Walk – ODJB 8. Ostrich Walk - Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra 9. Tiger Rag – ODJB 10. Tiger Rag - Louis Armstrong Orch (1929) 11. Sensation Rag – ODJB 12. Sensation Rag - Joe Venuti 13. Clarinet Marmalade – ODJB 14. Clarinet Marmalade - Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra 15. Fidgety Feet – ODJB 16. Fidgety Feet - Fletcher Henderson