HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Early Jazz & Johnny Dodds

Birth of Jazz: Johnny Dodds

Johnny Dodds

Born in Waveland, Mississippi, on 12 April 1892, clarinetist, Johnny Dodds (brother of drummer, Baby Dodds) joined Kid Ory's band in New Orleans in 1912 at age twenty. Like his brother, Baby, he also played on Mississippi river boats for Fate Marable (Marable perhaps the most renowned of riverboat bandleaders). Dodds afterward moved to San Francisco to join King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, which he followed to Chicago where the band was joined by Louis Armstrong (cornet), Armstrong's bride-to-be, Lil Armstrong (piano) and Johnny's brother, Baby Dodds. The first session by that group with Oliver on cornet on April 5, 1923, in Richmond, Indiana, was significant in jazz as the debut vinyl of all in that session. Also contributing were Honore Dutrey on trombone and Bud Scott on banjo. Oliver's band made numerous recordings that year.

'Just Gone' King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band

First recording to issue for all

Recorded 5 April 1923 in Richmond IN Matrix 11383-B Gennett 5133

Cornet: King Oliver / Louis Armstrong Trombone: Honore Dutrey

Clarinet: Johnny Dodds Piano: Lil Armstrong

Banjo: Bud Scott Drums: Baby Dodds

Composition: Oliver / Bill Johnson

'Canal Street Blues' King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band

Second recording to issue for all

Recorded 5 April 1923 in Richmond IN Matrix 11384-B Gennett 5133

Cornet: King Oliver / Louis Armstrong Trombone: Honore Dutrey

Clarinet: Johnny Dodds Piano: Lil Armstrong

Banjo: Bud Scott Drums: Baby Dodds

Composition: Oliver / Louis Armstrong

'Mandy Lee Blues' King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band

Third recording to issue for all

Recorded 5 April 1923 in Richmond IN Matrix 11385-C Gennett 5134

Cornet: King Oliver / Louis Armstrong Trombone: Honore Dutrey

Clarinet: Johnny Dodds Piano: Lil Armstrong

Banjo: Bud Scott Drums: Baby Dodds

Composition: Marty Bloom / Walter Melrose

'Dipper Mouth Blues' King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band

Dipper Mouth: Louis Armstrong's nickname

Recorded 6 April 1923 in Richmond IN Matrix 11389-B Gennett 5132

Cornet: King Oliver / Louis Armstrong Trombone: Honore Dutrey

Clarinet: Johnny Dodds Piano: Lil Armstrong

Banjo: Bud Scott Drums: Baby Dodds

Composition: Oliver / Louis Armstrong

'High Society Rag' King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band

Recorded 24 June 1923 in Chicago Matrix 8393-B Okeh 4933

Cornet: King Oliver / Louis Armstrong Clarinet: Johnny Dodds

Piano: Lil Armstrong Banjo: Bud Scott Drums: Baby Dodds

Composition: Clarence Williams

In 1924 the Dodds brothers came to a heated falling out with Oliver which saw to the demise of the Creole Jazz Band. The Armstrongs parted with Oliver on tour as the Dodds continued in Chicago, acquiring a residency at Bert Kelly’s Stables half a year later. Kelly was a jazz musician who had been forbidden to advertise "Jass Music" at his Stables in 1914, "jass" at that time too closely related to "gism" or "jism" for acceptable public usage. "Jazz" had originated as "jass" which term had been used in the 19th century as indicated. As a complex of multiple sources, "jass" may also have been a derivation of "jaser" which is French for chatter (intercourse if you will). Whatsoever the degree of sexual connotations in the early terminology of jazz, which existed though not that only, it was definitely related to excitability and little improvisational flourishes feathering standard ragtime measure which would eventually become the jazz solo.

The notions of excitement and improvisational embellishment in jazz have deep root in Buddy Bolden's New Orleans who (generally considered the father of jass or jazz) was a teenager when the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band formed about 1895, that a group of teenage boys which busked the streets by playing rousing versions of anything at all, instantaneously making up what they didn't know. The first that "jazz" was used in print was in a 1912 'Los Angeles Times' sports article titled 'Ben's Jazz Curve' in reference to baseball and was probably risqué at the time. Yet by 1917 Victor Records had no difficulty recording and disseminating the first jass records by the Original Dixieland Jass Band formed in 1916. Still, Duke Ellington never did like "jazz" as a term, one reason being its carnal associations at least by proximity and no great secret to the public. Ellington might have preferred something like "Negro music" "beyond" but "jazz" considered sufficiently removed from "jass" is what happened [Garth Alper / Swing Review]. Dodds was, anyway, back to working with the Armstrongs in 1925. Lord has Johnny in Louis Armstrong's Jazz Four as early as 11 November of 1925 for titles like 'Gambler's Dream' and 'I've Stopped My Man' issued on Okeh.

'Perdido Street Blues' Lil Hardin's New Orleans Wanderers

Recorded 13 July 1926 in Chicago Columbia 698-D

Cornet: George Mitchell Trombone: Kid Ory Clarinet: Johnny Dodds

Piano: Lil Armstrong Banjo: Johnny St. Cyr

Composition: Louis Armstrong

'Mixed Salad' Lil Hardin's New Orleans Bootblacks

Recorded 14 July 1926 in Chicago Columbia 14465-D

Cornet: George Mitchell Trombone: Kid Ory Clarinet: Johnny Dodds

Alto sax: Joe Clark Piano: Lil Armstrong Banjo: Johnny St. Cyr

Composition: Louis Armstrong

Dodds' musical association with the Armstrongs continued into 1927 they recording numerously together in various configurations including Dodd's Black Bottom Stompers (Earl Hines at piano) and Louis Armstrong's Hot Seven. Johnny also laid a number of tracks with Jelly Roll Morton that year. Dodds led a number of bands during his career, such as the Dixieland Thumpers and the State Street Ramblers in 1927. Ever with his brother, Baby, those bands would morph into the Chicago Footwarmers in latter 1927.

'Struttin' With Some Barbecue' Louis Armstrong's Hot Five

Recorded 9 Dec 1927 in Chicago Okeh 8566

Trumpet: Louis Armstrong Trombone: Kid Ory Clarinet: Johnny Dodds

Piano: Lil Armstrong Banjo: Johnny St. Cyr

Composition: Lil Hardin Armstrong

'Jasper Taylor Blues' Jasper Taylor and His Original Washboard Band

Recorded 29 June 1928 in Chicago [DAHR / Lord / ODP] Vocalion 1196

[29 July in Alexander's Red Hot Jazz - typo?]

Trumpet: R.Q. Dickerson Clarinet: Johnny Dodds Piano: Eddie Heywood?

Washboard: Jasper Taylor Vocal: Julia Davis

Composition: Jasper Taylor / Clarence Williams / Eddie Heywood

'Bucktown Stomp' Johnny Dodds' Washboard Band

Recorded 6 July 1928 in Chicago Matrix 46063-2 Victor V38004

Cornet: Natty Dominique Trombone: Honore Dutrey Clarinet: Johnny Dodds

Piano: Charlie Alexander Bass: Bill Johnson Washboard: Baby Dodds

Composition: Johnny Dodds

'Weary City Stomp' Johnny Dodds' Washboard Band

Recorded 6 July 1928 in Chicago Matrix 46064-2 Victor V38004

Cornet: Natty Dominique Trombone: Honore Dutrey Clarinet: Johnny Dodds

Piano: Charlie Alexander Bass: Bill Johnson Washboard: Baby Dodds

Composition: Johnny Dodds

'Blue Washboard Stomp' Johnny Dodds' Washboard Band

Recorded 6 July 1928 in Chicago Matrix 46066-2 Victor 21552

Cornet: Natty Dominique Trombone: Honore Dutrey Clarinet: Johnny Dodds

Piano: Charlie Alexander Bass: Bill Johnson Washboard: Baby Dodds

Composition: Johnny Dodds

'Hear Me Talkin' to Ya' Johnny Dodds' Orchestra known as His Hot Six

Recorded 16 Jan 1929 in Chicago Not issued

Cornet: Natty Dominique Trombone: Honore Dutrey Clarinet: Johnny Dodds

Piano: Lil Armstrong Bass: Bill Johnson Drums: Baby Dodds

Composition: Lil Armstrong

'Too Tight' Johnny Dodds' Orchestra known as His Hot Six

Recorded 7 Feb 1929 in Chicago

Matrix 48800-3 issued on Bluebird B12040 / HMV JK2138

Matrix 48800-4 issued on HMV B10419 / Electrola EG7844

Cornet: Natty Dominique Trombone: Honore Dutrey Clarinet: Johnny Dodds

Piano: Lil Armstrong Bass: Bill Johnson Drums: Baby Dodds

Composition: Natty Dominique

On 24 July 1929 in Chicago the Dodds made what Lord shows to be their last session together for another eleven years, that with the Beale Street Washboard Band for two takes each of 'Forty and Tight' and 'Piggly Wiggly'. A Prohibition infraction in 1930 saw to the closure of Kelly’s Stables.

'Piggly Wiggly' Beale Street Washboard Band

Recorded 24 July 1929 in Chicago

Matrix C-3937-A issued on Vocalion 1403 / Banner 32388

Matrix C-3937-B issued on Brunswick 80076 / Vocalion V-1016

Cornet: Herb Morand Clarinet: Johnny Dodds

Piano: Frank Melrose Drums / washboard: Baby Dodds

Composition: June Cobb

Turning the page into the Depression years, the brothers experienced difficulty making music steadily pay. A census form of 1930 with Johnny entered as a tailor might be indicative. He had a brother, Bill, whose taxi company he may or may not assisted in some capacity. The meanwhile working gigs as may, sufficient to keep momentum and in the music business, Johnny didn't record again, after a gap of eight and a half years, until 21 January 1938 in NYC. His final session arrived on 5 June 1940 in Chicago, which was his brother, Baby's, first in eleven years and reignited his latter recording career.