This ensemble was among the first groups to record jazz. It made tests for Columbia in early 1918, and its first records to be issued–on the Emerson label–were recorded later that year. The group consisted of clarinetist Alcide “Yellow” Nuņez; pianist Joe Cawley, trombonist Charlie Panelli, banjoist Karl Berger and drummer Anton Lada, who served as the band’s manager.

It was the second New Orleans ensemble to make jazz records, entering a studio only months after the Original Dixieland Jass Band made the first jazz record (Victor 18255) on February 26, 1917. Nuņez had played clarinet for the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1916 in Chicago but had been replaced by Larry Shields. Relations between Nuņez and Original Dixieland Jass Band members had soured, and soon after the Original Dixieland Jass Band debut disc was issued, Nuņez further antagonized the others by filing a copyright for “Livery Stable Blues” (the song was copyrighted for the Original Dixieland Jass Band under the name “Barnyard Blues“), claiming credit along with Ray Lopez.

The Louisiana Five recorded for various companies, including Emerson, Columbia and Edison. The March 15, 1919 issue of Talking Machine World features a photograph of the five musicians and states, “Among the many new additions to the Emerson staff of artists the Emerson Phonograph Co. present the group whose photograph appears here. The Louisiana Five are an entirely new combination….They have recently closed a tour of Keith’s Orpheum circuit and are now under contract to tour the world. The first of their recordings to be listed in the Emerson catalog are ‘Orange Blossom Rag‘ and ‘Heart Sickness Blues‘ on Emerson record No. 9150.” Emerson 501, featuring “Yelping Hound Blues” and “High Brown Babies’ Ball,” is a twelve-inch disc, one of the few issued by the company.

The first Columbia disc was made on April 1, 1919: “Just Another Good Man Gone Wrong” backed by “Yelping Hound Blues.” During a session later in 1919, a cornetist (either Doc Behrendson or Alfred Laine) is added for “Slow and Easy” (A2949), enriching the band’s sound. “Slow and Easy” has a fullness and variety that other Louisiana Five records lack.

The band’s first Edison session was on April 14, 1919, recording “Foot Warmer” and “B-Hap-E.” It returned on September 12, 1919, to cut “Clarinet Squawk” and “Yelping Hound Blues.” The jacket for the latter when issued on Diamond Disc 50622 states, “By a clever manipulation of the clarinet the effect of a yelping hound is realistically brought out and at the same time a perfect Fox Trot rhythm and also a humorous melody are maintained.” The jacket also states, “The organization is perhaps the only one that originates the music it so successfully performs,” a curious statement given the fact that the more famous Original Dixieland Jass Band composed its own numbers. “Yelping Hound Blues” was also recorded for Emerson (501) and Columbia (A2742).

“Clarinet Squawk One Step,” issued as Diamond Disc 50609, was written by Lada, Nuņez and Cawley. The title reflects the fact that in its early years jazz was widely characterized as a loud music featuring funny noises. The disc jacket states, “It sure does squawk but musically so, if you like cyclonic jazz, played by a quintet which has steeped its musical interpretive qualities in a concentrated essence of contortive jungle music. . . . The ‘Louisiana Five’ orchestra was featured on the Keith and Orpheum circuits and at the Astor Hotel in New York City.”

Edison promotional literature announcing the November 1919 release of Blue Amberol 3843 states, “‘Foot Warmer‘ is delightfully timed and jazzed for the average fox trotter by the Louisiana Five. The word ‘Jazz,’ meaning ‘to liven things up,’ was first used on the Gold Coast of Africa.”

By Tim Gracyk, from the book “Popular American Recording Pioneers 1895 -1925.” If you would like to order a copy of this book, click here for details.

Thanks to Verne Buland and Al Simmons their help with this page

Title	Recording Date	Recording Location	Company
After All (Callahan / Roberts)	5-1919	New York, New York	Okeh 1200
A Good Man Is Hard To Find (Eddie Green)	12-1918	New York, New York	Emerson 9158 Medallion 847
Alcoholic Blues (Edward Laska / AlbertVon Tilzer)	6-23-1919	New York, New York	Columbia A2768
B-Hap-E (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Karl Burger )	4-14-1919	New York, New York	Edison 50569 Edison 3789
B-Hap-E (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Karl Burger )	12-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 10229 4698-2
B-Hap-E (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Karl Burger )	12-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 10229 4698-3
Big Fat Ma (Anton Lada / Spencer)	12-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 10172
Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me (Swanstone / MaCarron / Morgan)	9-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 1083
Church Street Sobbin’ Blues (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	3-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 9179
Clarinet Squawk (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	9-12-1919	New York, New York	Edison 50609-R
Dixie Blues (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	5-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 1026
Down Where The Rajahs Dwell (Anton Lada / Skidmore)	12-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 10116
Foot Warmer (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	4-14-1919	New York, New York	Edison 50569 Edison 3843
Golden Rod (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	7-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 1078 4369-1
Golden Rod (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	7-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 1078 4369-2
Heart Sickness Blues (De Rose / Coslow)	12-1918	New York, New York	Emerson 9150 Medallion 847 3439-1
Heart Sickness Blues (De Rose / Coslow)	12-1918	New York, New York	Emerson 9150 Medallion 847 3439-2
Hello, Hello (R. King)	1-16-1919	New York, New York	Little Wonder 1234
High Brown Babies’ Ball Introducing “Ming Toy” ( Sid & Ernie Erdman / Benny Davis / Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	9-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 501
I Ain’t ‘En Got ‘Er No Time To Have The Blues (Intro. 1. Grape Juice Bill 2. Open Up The Golden Gates To Dixie) (Harry Von Tilzer) 1 & 2 (Van / Scheneck)	6-23-1919	New York, New York	Columbia A2775
I’ll Get Him Yet (Anton Lada / Williams)	1-1920	New York, New York	Emerson 10241
Just Another Good Man Gone Wrong (Introducing Who’ll Love You When I’m Gone?) (McDonald / Osborn / Maceo Pinkard)	4-1-1919	New York, New York	Columbia A2742
Laughing Blues (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	12-1918	New York, New York	Emerson 9158 Medallion 846
Laughing Blues (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	5-1919	New York, New York	Okeh 1249
Land Of Creole Girls	9-1920	New York, New York	Lyric 4233 Bell 033
Lead Me To It (Charles Panelli / Karl Berger)	7-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 1076 4367-1
Lead Me To It (Charles Panelli / Karl Berger)	7-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 1076 4367-3
Oh Joe, Get Your Fiddle And Your Bow (Anton Lada / Ernie Pease / Harry Pease)	9-1920	New York, New York	Lyric 4233 Bell 033
Orange Blossom Rag (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	2-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 9150 Medallion 846 3473-1
Orange Blossom Rag (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	2-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 9150 Medallion 846 3473-2
Orange Blossom Rag (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	2-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 7491 21305-2
Rainy Day Blues (Frank Warshauer / Sidney D. Mitchell)	3-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 9178
Rainy Day Blues (Frank Warshauer / Sidney D. Mitchell)	3-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 7519 Medallion 714
Ringtail Blues (Williams / Robinson)	9-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 1083
Slow And Easy (Introducing “I’m Sorry I Ain’t Got It You Could Have It If I Had It Blues”) (Harry Williams / Norman Spencer) (Ted Snyder)	12-16-1919	New York, New York	Columbia A2949
Summer Days (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	7-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 1078 4368-1
Summer Days (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	7-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 1078 4368-2
Sunshine Girl (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	1-1920	New York, New York	Emerson 10229 l4735-1
Sunshine Girl (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	1-1920	New York, New York	Emerson 10229 l4735-2
That Shanghai Melody (J. Russel Robinson)	1-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 9165 Symphanola 4117
Town Topic Rag (Anton Lada / Spencer)	12-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 10241
Thunderbolt (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	5-1919	New York, New York	Medallion 8109 4194-1
Thunderbolt (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	5-1919	New York, New York	Medallion 8109 4194-2
Virginia Blues (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	7-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 1076 4366-1
Virginia Blues (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	7-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 1076 4366-2
Weary Blues (Artie Matthews)	1-1920	New York, New York	Emerson 10116 4738-1
Weary Blues (Artie Matthews)	1-1920	New York, New York	Emerson 10116 4738-2
Weeping Willow Blues (Robert King)	1-1920	New York, New York	Emerson 10172
Yama Yama Blues (Spencer Williams / Clarence Williams)	7-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 9179
Yama Yama Blues (Spencer Williams / Clarence Williams)	7-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 7519 Medallion 714
Yelping Hound Blues (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	4-1-1919	New York, New York	Columbia A2742
Yelping Hound Blues (Introducing: “Foot Warmer”) (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	9-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 501 503-2
Yelping Hound Blues (Introducing: “Foot Warmer”) (Anton Lada / Yellow Nuņez / Joe Cawley)	9-1919	New York, New York	Emerson 501 503-3
You Can’t Get Lovin’ Where There Ain’t Any (Introducing: Tip-Tip Tippy Canoe) (Incidental Chorus by Billy Murray) (Skidmore / Basley / Hanley)	10-30-1919	New York, New York	Columbia A2857 78774-1
You Can’t Get Lovin’ Where There Ain’t Any (Introducing: Tip-Tip Tippy Canoe) (Incidental Chorus by Billy Murray) (Skidmore / Basley / Hanley)	10-30-1919	New York, New York	Columbia A2857 78774-2

Artist	Instrument
Doc Behrendson	Clarinet
Karl Burger	Banjo
Anton Lada	Drums, Leader
Billy Murry	Vocals
Yellow Nuņez	Clarinet
Charles Panelli	Trombone
Joe Cawley	Piano