Johnny Dodds

Johnny Dodds ranks among the premier clarinetists of all time and stands out as arguably the foremost figure on the instrument during the 1920s. His performances displayed a distinctive tone in the lower and upper registers, he shone as an exceptional blues interpreter, and he proved fully capable alongside Louis Armstrong on the trumpeter’s landmark Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings. Dodds took up the clarinet only at age 17 yet advanced quickly through mostly independent study. His younger brother Baby Dodds became one of the earliest notable drummers.

Dodds remained with Kid Ory’s ensemble for most of the span from 1912 to 1919, appeared on riverboats with Fate Marable in 1917, and entered King Oliver’s circle after reaching Chicago in 1921. Across the ensuing decade he contributed to sessions by Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, Jelly Roll Morton, and Louis Armstrong, while also leading his own vigorous dates that regularly featured trumpeter Natty Dominique. From 1924 to 1930 he performed consistently at Kelly’s Stables, the celebrated Chicago nightspot operating through Prohibition. Dodds maintained an active presence on the Chicago scene into the 1930s, though he allocated part of his schedule to managing a cab company. He supervised recording dates in 1938 and 1940 but died shortly before the New Orleans revival gained momentum.