Johnny Dodds (; April 12, 1892 – August 8, 1940) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

clarinetist and alto saxophonist based in New Orleans, best known for his recordings under his own name and with bands such as those of

Joe "King" Oliver Joseph Nathan "King" Oliver (December 19, 1881 – April 8/10, 1938) was an American jazz cornet player and bandleader. He was particularly recognized for his playing style and his pioneering use of mutes in jazz. Also a notable composer, he w ...

Jelly Roll Morton Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a ge ...

Lovie Austin Cora "Lovie" Austin (September 19, 1887 – July 8, 1972) was an American Chicago bandleader, session musician, composer, singer, and arranger during the 1920s classic blues era. She and Lil Hardin Armstrong are often ranked as two of the best ...

and Louis Armstrong. Dodds was the older brother of the drummer

Warren "Baby" Dodds Warren "Baby" Dodds (December 24, 1898 – February 14, 1959) was an American jazz drummer born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He is regarded as one of the best jazz drummers of the pre-big band era, and one of the most important ...

, one of the first important jazz drummers. They worked together in the

New Orleans Bootblacks The New Orleans Wanderers was the name under which Lil Hardin recorded with members of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five on a 1926 session for Columbia. Armstrong himself was unable to appear since he was under contract to Okeh, although he collaborated ...

in 1926. Dodds is an important figure in jazz history. He was the premier clarinetist of his era and, in recognition of his artistic contributions, he was posthumously inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame. He has been described as "a prime architect in the creation of the Jazz Age."

Biography

Dodds was born in

Waveland, Mississippi Waveland is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city of Waveland was incorporated in 1972. As of the 2010 ce ...

. His childhood environment was a musical one. His father and uncle were violinists, his sister played a melodeon, and in adolescence Johnny sang high tenor in the family quartet. According to legend, his instrumental skill began with a toy flute which had been purchased for his brother,

. He was known for his serious and reserved manner as well as his "funky blues playing," which earned him the nickname "toilet." He moved to New Orleans in his youth and studied the clarinet with

Lorenzo Tio Lorenzo Tio Jr. (April 21, 1893 – December 24, 1933) was an American clarinetist from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, as were his father Lorenzo Tio Sr. (1867–1908) and uncle Louis "Papa" Tio (1862–1922). Their method of playing the ...

and Charlie McCurdy. He played with the bands of Frankie Duson,

Kid Ory Edward "Kid" Ory (December 25, 1886 – January 23, 1973) was an American jazz composer, trombonist and bandleader. One of the early users of the glissando technique, he helped establish it as a central element of New Orleans jazz. He was b ...

, and

. Dodds went to Chicago and played with Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, with which he first recorded in 1923. Dodds blamed the breakup on not wanting to travel and on musical conflicts due to Oliver's failing musical abilities. 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 Hot or the acronym HOT may refer to: Food and drink *Pungency, in food, a spicy or hot quality *Hot, a wine tasting descriptor Places * Hot district, a district of Chiang Mai province, Thailand ** Hot subdistrict, a sub-district of Hot Distri ...

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 Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...

, Brunswick/Vocalion, and Victor. He became a big star on the Chicago jazz scene of the 1920s, but his career precipitously declined with the Great Depression. Although his career gradually recovered, he did not record for most of the 1930s, affected by ill-health; he recorded only two sessions—January 21, 1938, and June 5, 1940—both for Decca. He died of a heart attack in August 1940, in Chicago, and was buried at Lincoln Cemetery in Blue Island, Illinois. Grave of Johnny Dodds (1892–1940) at Lincoln Cemetery, Blue Island, IL

Grave of Johnny Dodds (1892–1940) at Lincoln Cemetery, Blue Island, IL

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 Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His conce ...

, who stated that no one ever surpassed Dodds in achieving a finer tone with the clarinet. Dodds was inducted into the ''

DownBeat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

'' Jazz Hall of Fame in 1987.

Sibling rivalry

Several accounts suggest the Dodds brothers did not always get along. When the brothers were young children, Johnny received a clarinet from his father while Baby did not get a drum even though he asked for one. In ''The Baby Dodds Story'', Baby Dodds discusses his jealousy of his older brother when they were children. As they grew up, Johnny refused to let Baby play music with him because Baby was a heavy drinker and Johnny did not drink. When Joe Oliver hired Baby to join his band and Johnny realized how much Baby's talent as a drummer had grown, Johnny changed his mind. Although they continued to argue about Baby's excessive drinking, they grew closer as brothers and musicians. Baby was greatly affected by his brother's death.

Discography

Releases featuring Johnny Dodds include the following. * Johnny Dodds, Vol. 1, Riverside RLP-1015. * Johnny Dodds, Vol. 2, Riverside RLP-1002. * Johnny Dodds (1923), Best of Jazz 4014. * Chicago Mess Around, Milestone M-2011. * Johnny Dodds and Kid Ory, Columbia 16004. * Blue Clarinet Stomp, Bluebird 2293-2. * Sweet Side Chicago Jazz, MCA MCAD-42326 * In the Alley, Riverside RLP-12135. * 1923-1940, Best of Jazz 4014. * Wild Man Blues: 24 Clarinet Classics, ASV/Living Era 5252. * Great Original Performances 1923-1929, Louisiana Red Hot 622. * Myth of New Orleans, Giants of Jazz 53077. * The Complete Johnny Dodds, RCA 741110/111. * King of New Orleans Clarinet (1926-1938) Brunswick BL-58016. * Sixteen Rare Recordings, RCA PV-558. * Johnny Dodds & Tiny Parkham, Paramount 261201. * Dixieland Jug Blowers, Victor 261211. * Johnny Dodds & Tiny Parkham, Paramount 270401. * Johnny Dodds Trio, Vocalion 270421. * Dodds Black Bottom Stompers, Vocalion 270422. * Dodds Black Bottom Stompers, Vocalion 271008. * Johnny Dodds Trio, Victor 280705. * Johnny Dodds' Washboard Band, Victor 280796. * Johnny Dodds' Orchestra, Victor 290116. * Johnny Dodds' Orchestra, Victor 290130. * Johnny Dodds' Orchestra, Victor 290207. * Johnny Dodds' Trio, Victor 290207. * Johnny Dodds' Orchestra, Victor 290207. * Johnny Dodds' Chicago Boys, Decca 380121. * Johnny Dodds' Orchestra, Decca 400605.

References

Bibliography

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External links

Johnny Dodds (1892-1940)
Red Hot Jazz Archive
William Russell Jazz Collection
a
The Historic New Orleans Collection

Johnny Dodds recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Dodds, Johnny 1892 births 1940 deaths Musicians from Chicago Dixieland clarinetists Dixieland saxophonists American jazz clarinetists Paramount Records artists Vocalion Records artists Jazz musicians from New Orleans Jazz-blues saxophonists 20th-century American musicians 20th-century saxophonists People from Waveland, Mississippi Jazz musicians from Illinois Jazz musicians from Mississippi Red Hot Peppers members Tuxedo Brass Band members Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five members Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven members New Orleans Wanderers members The Eagle Band members 20th-century African-American musicians