"West End Blues" (1928) 
 by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five 

Trumpet and vocal-- Louis Armstrong
Trombone -- Fred Robinson
Clarinet -- Jimmy Strong
Piano -- Earl Hines
Banjo -- Mancy Cara
Drums -- Zutty Singleton

Notice how this style of Dixieland provides a well balanced texture in which all of the horns are heard clearly.  The piano (Earl Hines) is only heard during his solo.  The drumming is very sparse compared to more contemporary styles.  This recording represents Dixieland at a moment when the music was maturing from an earlier New Orleans style to the more contemporary Chicago style.  The musicians all needed improvisational skills to perform this music.  The texture is a product of collective improvisation.