As They Were In The Beginning
			(Ragas' Chair Had Just Been Filled By Robinson)
						PHOTO BY HARRY SHIELDS
	The entire tenor of this editorial is one of deepest gratitude. When a passing idea of devoting an entire issue to the ODJB became an "idee fixee", the problem of obtaining material which would do justice to the men (who made jazz history by recording the first records) presented itself.
	Realizing that individual opinions of writers are usually biased, and much of what is said may be abstract and theoretical, Nat Hentoff and Nat Shapiro's magnificent book "Hear Me Talkin' To Ya" immediately came to the rescue: why not let the men themselves write the issue? And so, we began tracking them down.
	Quite a task, we assure you (all except Emile Christian who lives in New Orleans). But, when the surviving members were finally reached, their response was magnificent! Almost by return mail we received beautifully written articles by Tony Spargo, J. Russell Robinson and Eddie Edwards. We were even more fortunate when Spargo visited New Orleans and granted us an interview. The same with Emile Christian. Harry Shields (Larry's brother) obliged with wonderful photographs, so did Christian. E. Richard Freniere, our faithful and talented Staff Artist of Concord, Mass. favored (in two days yet!) by making the composite drawing on our cover of all the men who played with the ODJB (except Billy Jones-whose picture we owe a debt of gratitude to a little gal out California "ray). From England, Sinclair Traill, Editor of JAZZ
				(Continued on Page 30)
	THE SECOND LINE, SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 1955   3