King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band was one of the best and most important bands in early Jazz. The Creole Jazz Band was made up of the cream of New Orleans Hot Jazz musicians, featuring Baby Dodds on drums, Honore Dutrey on trombone, Bill Johnson on bass, Louis Armstrong on second cornet, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, Lil Hardin-Armstrong on piano, and the band’s leader, King Oliver on cornet. In 1922 Armstrong received a telegram from his mentor Joe Oliver, asking him to join the band in Chicago. He nervously accepted and went north to Chicago to play second cornet with the band at the Lincoln Gardens at 459 East 31st Street.

The addition of Armstrong to this already powerful and popular band took the town by storm. Soon musicians and fans were flocking to hear Louis’ amazing cornet playing with the Oliver band. Louis met his second wife Lil Hardin who was the pianist in the Creole Jazz Band. Eventually it was she who urged Louis to leave the band so that he might live up to his true potential and not get stuck playing second to Oliver.

For high quality restored recordings of the band consider: King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band Off The Record: The Complete 1923 Jazz Recordings

Title	Recording Date	Recording Location	Company
Alligator Hop (King Oliver / Alphonse Picou)	10-3-1923	Richmond, Indiana	Gennett 5274-B
Canal Street Blues (King Oliver / Louis Armstrong)	4-5-1923	Richmond, Indiana	Gennett 5133-B
Chimes Blues (King Oliver)	4-5-1923	Richmond, Indiana	Gennett 5135-B
Dipper Mouth Blues (King Oliver / Louis Armstrong)	4-6-1923	Richmond, Indiana	Gennett 5132-A
Froggie Moore (Benjamin Spikes / John Spikes / Jelly Roll Morton)	4-6-1923	Richmond, Indiana	Gennett 5135-A
I’m Going Away To Wear You Off My Mind (Charlie Johnson / Warren Smith / Lloyd Smith)	4-5-1923	Richmond, Indiana	Gennett 5134-B
Just Gone (King Oliver / Bill Johnson)	4-5-1923	Richmond, Indiana	Gennett 5133-A
Krooked Blues (Benjamin Spikes / John Spikes / Bill Johnson)	10-3-1923	Richmond, Indiana	Gennett 5274-A
Mandy Lee Blues (M. Bloom / Walter Melrose)	4-5-1923	Richmond, Indiana	Gennett 5134-A
Snake Rag (King Oliver / A.J. Piron)	4-6-1923	Richmond, Indiana	Gennett 5184-B
Sugar Foot Stomp (King Oliver / Louis Armstrong)	4-6-1923	Richmond, Indiana	Gennett 3076-B
Weather Bird Rag (Louis Armstrong)	4-6-1923	Richmond, Indiana	Gennett 5132-B
Workingmans Blues (King Oliver / Lil Hardin)	10-3-1923	Richmond, Indiana	Gennett 5275-B
Zulu’s Ball (King Oliver / Robinson)	10-3-1923	Richmond, Indiana	Gennett 5275-A

Artist	Instrument
Lil Hardin-Armstrong	Piano
Louis Armstrong	Cornet
Baby Dodds	Drums
Johnny Dodds	Clarinet
Honore Dutrey	Trombone
Stump Evans	C-Melody Saxophone
Bill Johnson	Bass
King Oliver	Cornet, Leader
Johnny St. Cyr	Banjo, Guitar