One of the all-time great clarinetists and arguably the most significant of the 1920s, Johnny Dodds (whose younger brother Baby Dodds was among the first important drummers) had a memorable tone in both the lower and upper registers, was a superb blues player, and held his own with Louis Armstrong (no mean feat) on his classic Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings. He did not start on clarinet until he was 17 but caught on fast, being mostly self-taught. Dodds was with Kid Ory's band during most of 1912-1919, played on riverboats with Fate Marable in 1917, and joined King Oliver in Chicago in 1921. During the next decade, he recorded with Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, and on his own heated sessions, often utilizing trumpeter Natty Dominique. He worked regularly at Kelly's Stables during 1924-1930. Although Dodds continued playing in Chicago during the 1930s, part of the time was spent running a cab company. The clarinetist led recording sessions in 1938 and 1940, but died just before the New Orleans revival movement began.
CD 1
01. Canal Street Blues (2:36)
02. Snake Rag (3:07)
03. Dippermouth Blues (2:40)
04. High Society Rag (2:58)
05. Yes, I'm In The Barrel (2:46)
06. Come Back Sweet Papa (2:39)
07. Drop That Sack (2:51)
08. Lonesome Blues (3:12)
09. Someday, Sweetheart (2:56)
10. Bohunkus Blues (2:57)
11. Buddy Burton's Jazz (2:40)
12. Perdido Street Blues (3:12)
13. Gate Mouth (3:09)
14. Too Tight (3:00)
15. Papa Dip (2:55)
16. Mixed Salad (3:13)
17. I Can't Say (3:12)
18. Flat Foot (3:27)
19. Mad Dog (2:51)
20. Messin' Around (2:55)
CD 2
01. Adams Apple (2:55)
02. East Coast Trot (2:59)
03. Chicago Buzz (2:48)
04. Idle Hour Special (2:58)
05. 47th Street Stomp (3:03)
06. Stock Yard Strut (2:32)
07. Salty Dog (2:46)
08. Ape Man (2:40)
09. Your Folks (2:46)
10. Skid-Dat-De-Dat (3:17)
11. House Rent Rag (3:06)
12. Memphis Shake (3:19)
13. Carpet Alley - Breakdown (2:43)
14. Hen Party Blues (3:20)
15. Clarinet Wobble (2:37)
16. If You Want To Be My Sugar Papa (2:35)
17. San (2:59)
18. New Orleans Stomp (2:49)
19. Wild Man Blues (3:19)
20. Willie The Weeper (3:15)
21. Alligator Crawl (3:01)
CD 3
01. Potato Head Blues (3:05)
02. Keyhole Blues (3:38)
03. Melancholy Blues (3:07)
04. Weary Blues (3:08)
05. Wild Man Blues (3:06)
06. China Boy (5:15)
07. Beale Street Blues (3:18)
08. Wolverine Blues (3:28)
09. Mr. Jelly Lord (2:56)
10. Billy Goat Stomp (3:31)
11. After You've Gone (3:17)
12. Come On And Stomp, Stomp, Stomp (2:58)
13. Joe Turner Blues (2:44)
14. Oriental Man (2:47)
15. My Baby (3:00)
16. Get' Em Again Blues (2:51)
17. Lady Love (2:50)
18. Blue Clarinet Stomp (3:17)
19. Bucktown Stomp (3:16)
20. Weary City (2:57)
21. Bull Fiddle Blues (2:57)
CD 4
01. Blue Washboard Stomp (2:52)
02. Pencil Papa (Jan. 1929) (2:52)
03. Sweet Lorraine (3:00)
04. My Little Isabel (3:10)
05. Pencil Papa (Febr. 1929) (2:49)
06. Heah Me Talkin' (3:19)
07. Goober Dance (3:30)
08. Too Tight (3:00)
09. Indigo Stomp (3:13)
10. I'm A Mighty Tight Woman (2:57)
11. Steal Away (2:58)
12. Salty Dog (3:05)
13. Forty And Tight (2:53)
14. Piggley Wiggly (2:53)
15. Wild Man Blues (3:15)
16. Melancholy (2:43)
17. 29th And Dearborn (3:16)
18. Blues Galore (2:49)
19. Stack O' Lee Blues (3:11)
20. Shake Your Can (3:08)
21. Red Onion Blues (2:55)
22. Gravier Street Blues (2:41)
