On February 26, 1917, the Original Dixieland Jass Band released the world’s first jazz record. The record’s two songs, “Livery Stable Blues” and “Dixie Jass Band One Step,” became instant hits and introduced millions of people to the new genre of music. Like jazz itself, the Original Dixieland Jass Band (they later changed the spelling) got its start in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dixieland jazz combined traditional African rhythms, as well as earlier musical styles like ragtime, blues, and marches. It also included new aspects like improvisation, which remains a standard in jazz music today. Unlike other early jazz pioneers, most members of the Original Dixieland Jass Band were white. Jazz quickly became associated with the African American experience, however, and legends such as W.C. Handy and Louis Armstrong led its early expression.