Artist: Johnny Dodds
Johnny Dodds was an American jazz clarinetist and alto saxophonist based in New Orleans. He is best known for his recordings under his own name and with bands such as those of Joe "King" Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Lovie Austin and Louis Armstrong.
Dodds was the older brother of drummer Warren "Baby" Dodds, one of the first important jazz drummers. An important figure in jazz history, he was the premier clarinetist of his era. In recognition of his artistic contributions, he was posthumously inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame.
He moved to New Orleans in his youth and studied the clarinet with Lorenzo Tio and Charlie McCurdy. He played with the bands of Frankie Duson, Kid Ory, and Joe "King" Oliver. Dodds went to Chicago and played with Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, with which he first recorded in 1923. He also worked frequently with his good friend Natty Dominique during this period, a professional relationship that would last a lifetime. After the breakup of Oliver's band in 1924, Dodds replaced Alcide Nunez as the house clarinetist and bandleader of Kelly's Stables.
From 1924 to 1930, Dodds worked regularly at Kelly's Stables in Chicago. He recorded with numerous small groups in Chicago, including Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven, and Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers. He also recorded prolifically under his own name, Johnny Dodds' Black Bottom Stompers, between 1927 and 1929 for Paramount, Brunswick/Vocalion, and Victor.
Known for his professionalism and virtuosity as a musician and his heartfelt, heavily blues-laden style, Dodds was an important influence on later clarinetists, such as Benny Goodman, who stated that no one ever surpassed Dodds in achieving a finer tone with the clarinet.
Dodds was inducted into the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1987.
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Johnny Dodds and his Chicago Boys - Wild Man Blues