The name Original Dixieland Jass Band itself highlights the uncertain origins of the word “jazz.” Much like “jas,” the term “jass” may have carried a sexual implication, possibly referring to a woman’s backside. In a 1983 interview with National Public Radio, musician Eubie Blake explained: “When Broadway picked it up, they called it ‘J-A-Z-Z.’ It wasn’t called that. It was spelled ‘J-A-S-S.’ That was dirty, and if you knew what it was, you wouldn’t say it in front of ladies.”
Another theory suggests that when the word traveled from New Orleans to New York City, bandleaders grew frustrated with pranksters who would scratch the “j” off their posters. Not long after recording Livery Stable Blues, the group permanently changed its name to the Original Dixieland Jazz Band.
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