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They released the worlds's first Jazz record on February 26, 1917 with Livery Stable Blues, coupled with Dixie Jass Band One Step for the Victor Talking Machine Company. This record besides being the first ever Jazz record was wildly successful selling over one million copies. Before the band left for a successful tour of England, Ragas died, and his place was taken by J. Russell Robinson. Edwards didn't want to go to England and he was replaced by Emil Christian. The group broke up in 1925 after La Rocca suffered a complete nervous breakdown and returned to New Orleans. The band reformed briefly in 1938 and recorded some of their old songs for Victor. La Rocca retired from music after that and became a building contractor in New Orleans.
From;
Dominic "Nick" LaRocca claimed to have invented Jazz and often complained that African American musicians have been given too much credit for the birth of Jazz. He was so obnoxious about this, that many people tend to overlook the important contributions he made to the music and the role that the Original Dixieland Jass Band played in popularizing Jazz around the world. Nick started playing with the Papa Laine's Reliance Brass Band in New Orleans. He formed the Original Dixieland Jass Band 1914. The group referred to itself as America's First Jazz band, and they played a wacky, novelty based, jazz which was very popular in New York City during World War One. The band featured La Rocca on Trumpet; Larry Shields on clarinet; Eddie Edwards on trombone; and Tony Sbarbaro on drums and Henry Ragas on the piano. The group had originally come to Chicago under the name of Stein's Dixie Jass Band with Yellow Nuņez on clarinet, but he was replaced with Larry Shields from Tom Brown's Dixieland Jass Band after La Rocca fired Nuņez for drinking too much. The band moved to New York in 1917. The band's name changed to the Orignal Dixieland Jass Band and they were an immediate success.
The Story Of The Original Dixieland Jazz Band, by H.O. Brunn,
Louisiana State University Press, 1960