The 1923 recordings by King Oliver’s working Chicago band are the stuff of legend. Nothing like them had ever been heard on record before, and nothing in jazz would be the same afterward. Here, for the first time, all 37 sides are presented—in release order—on two LPs and two CDs, along with 55 additional tracks (on CDs 3 and 4) that allow us to understand these musical giants not only as innovators but also as products of the acoustic-era recording industry. With all-new restorations and remastering by Richard Martin, these selections have never sounded better. Further, there’s an 80-page book included, where GRAMMY-winning author Ricky Riccardi insightfully tells the story of the relationship between “Papa Joe” Oliver and “Little Louis” Armstrong and gives detailed notes on the tracks. Produced by Archeophone’s Meagan Hennessey and Richard Martin, GRAMMY-winning producers of Lost Sounds. Celebrate the 100th anniversary of these landmark records! List price: $114.95 Sale price: $109.95
OVERVIEW
- Catalogue number: ARCH 6014
- UPC: 860003210093
- Original release date: August 30, 2024
- Box set features 4 CDs, 2 LPs in a double gatefold, an 80-page hard-bound book and a 22″ by 33″ poster packaged in a hard slipcase
- In Archeophone’s Jazz, Dance & Blues series
- Awards: 67th GRAMMY Nominee, Best Historical Album & 67th GRAMMY Nominee, Best Album Notes
| Tracklist: CD 1 (King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dipper Mouth Blues | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 2. | Weather Bird Rag | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 3. | Just Gone | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 4. | Canal Street Blues | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 5. | Mandy Lee Blues | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 6. | I’m Going Away to Wear You Off My Mind | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 7. | Froggie Moore | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 8. | Chimes Blues | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 9. | Snake Rag | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 10. | Sobbin’ Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 11. | Sweet Lovin’ Man | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 12. | Dipper Mouth Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 13. | Where Did You Stay Last Night? | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 14. | High Society Rag | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 15. | Snake Rag | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 16. | Krooked Blues | King Oliver and His Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 17. | Alligator Hop | King Oliver and His Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 18. | Zulus Ball | King Oliver and His Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 19. | Workingman Blues | King Oliver and His Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| Tracklist: CD 2 (King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jazzin’ Babies Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 2. | Chattanooga Stomp | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 3. | New Orleans Stomp | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 4. | The Southern Stomps (take 1) | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 5. | The Southern Stomps (take 2) | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 6. | Riverside Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 7. | Mabel’s Dream (take 1) | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 8. | Mabel’s Dream (take 2) | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 9. | London (Café) Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 10. | Camp Meeting Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 11. | Tears | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 12. | Buddy’s Habit | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 13. | Working Man Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 14. | Riverside Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 15. | Room Rent Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 16. | I Ain’t Gonna Tell Nobody | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 17. | Mabel’s Dream | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 18. | Sweet Baby Doll | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| BONUS: Non-Oliver flip sides: | ||||
| 19. | Choo Choo Blues | Art Landry’s Syncopatin’ Six | 1923 | |
| 20. | New Orleans Hop Scop Blues | Clarence Williams’ Blue Five | 1923 | |
| 21. | Dearborn Street Blues | Young’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| Tracklist: CD 3 (Louis’ Record Collection) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Thompson’s Old Gray Mule | Louis Vasnier | 1891 | |
| 2. | Tell Me Pretty Maiden | Sextette from Florodora | 1901 | |
| 3. | Semper Fidelis March | Sousa’s Band | 1906 | |
| 4. | The Holy City | Henry Burr | ca. 1903 | |
| 5. | Oif’n pripetshok (A Little Fire Burns in the Stove) | Naum Coster | 1918 | |
| 6. | Flee as a Bird | Frederick Wheeler | 1911 | |
| 7. | O Didn’t He Ramble | Dan W. Quinn | 1904 | |
| 8. | Bugle Calls of the United States Army | Bugle Calls | ca. 1902-04 | |
| 9. | Maple Leaf Rag | U.S. Marine Band | 1909 | |
| 10. | The Fatal Stone (from Aida) | Arthur Pryor and Emile Kenecke, acc. Pryor’s Band | 1909 | |
| 11. | Swiss Echo Song (L’Eco) | Luisa Tetrazzini | 1911 | |
| 12. | Darling Nellie Gray | Haydn Quartet | 1908 | |
| 13. | A Little Bunch of Shamrocks | Edgar Stoddard and Henry Burr | 1913 | |
| 14. | Carnival of Venice | Herbert L. Clarke | 1909 | |
| 15. | High Society | Prince’s Military Band | 1911 | |
| 16. | Quartet—Bella figlia dell’ amore (from Rigoletto) | Amelita Galli-Curci–Flora Perini–Enrico Caruso–Giuseppe de Luca | 1917 | |
| 17. | Shout All Over God’s Heaven | Fisk University Male Quartette | 1915 | |
| 18. | Play that Barbershop Chord | Billy Murray & American Quartet | 1910 | |
| 19. | That Haunting Melody | Al Jolson | 1911 | |
| 20. | It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary | John McCormack & Male Chorus | 1914 | |
| 21. | Ballin’ the Jack (Intro. “What It Takes to Make Me Love You, You’ve Got It”) | Victor Military Band | 1914 | |
| 22. | M’appari (from Martha) | Enrico Caruso | 1917 | |
| 23. | Ole Miss Rag | Handy’s Orchestra of Memphis | 1917 | |
| 24. | Clarinet Marmalade Blues | Original Dixieland Jazz Band | 1918 | |
| 25. | The Moon Shines on the Moonshine | Bert Williams | 1919 | |
| 26. | Darktown Court Room | Shelton Brooks & Co. | 1921 | |
| Tracklist: CD 4 (Joe’s Jazz Kingdom) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Don’t Take Away Those Blues | Flo Bert | 1920 | |
| 2. | Avalon (Intro. “The Japanese Sandman”) | Art Hickman’s Orchestra | 1920 | |
| 3. | Wang-Wang Blues | Paul Whiteman and His Ambassador Orchestra | 1920 | |
| 4. | Royal Garden Blues | Mamie Smith’s Jazz Hounds | 1921 | |
| 5. | St. Louis Blues | Original Dixieland Jazz Band (vocal: Al Bernard) | 1921 | |
| 6. | Wabash Blues | Isham Jones Orchestra (laughing cornet: Louis Panico) | 1921 | |
| 7. | Frisco Jazz Band Blues | Ethel Waters’ Jazz Masters | 1921 | |
| 8. | Bugle Blues | Johnny Dunn’s Original Jazz Hounds | 1921 | |
| 9. | My Honey’s Lovin’ Arms | Levy’s Trio | 1922 | |
| 10. | I’m Going Away to Wear You Off My Mind | Original Memphis Five | 1922 | |
| 11. | Hot Lips | Specht’s Society Serenaders | 1922 | |
| 12. | Krooked Blues | Roberta Dudley, acc. Ory’s Sunshine Orchestra | 1922 | |
| 13. | That Sweet Something Dear | Ruth Lee, acc. Ory’s Sunshine Orchestra | 1922 | |
| 14. | I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate | The Georgians | 1922 | |
| 15. | Panama | Friars Society Orchestra | 1922 | |
| 16. | Buddy’s Habits | Charley Straight and His Orchestra | 1923 | |
| 17. | Jazzin’ Babies Blues | Eva Taylor (acc. Clarence Williams’ Trio) | 1923 | |
| 18. | Play That Thing | Ollie Powers’ Harmony Syncopators | 1923 | |
| 19. | Sobbin’ Blues | Art Kahn’s Orchestra | 1923 | |
| 20. | The Black Sheep Blues | Midway Dance Orchestra | 1923 | |
| 21. | Barney Google | Original Capitol Orchestra | 1923 | |
| 22. | You | Ernest Stevens’ Dance Orchestra | 1923 | |
| 23. | London Blues | Jelly Roll Morton’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 24. | Ringside Blues | Greenwich Village Orchestra | 1923 | |
| 25. | Old Black Joe’s Blues | Henderson’s “Club Alabam’” Orchestra | 1923 | |
| 26. | When the Jazz Band Starts to Play | Thomas Morris’ Past Jazz Masters | 1923 | |
| Tracklist: LP 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIDE A | ||||
| 1. | Dipper Mouth Blues | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 2. | Weather Bird Rag | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 3. | Just Gone | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 4. | Canal Street Blues | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 5. | Mandy Lee Blues | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 6. | I’m Going Away to Wear You Off My Mind | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 7. | Froggie Moore | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 8. | Chimes Blues | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 9. | Snake Rag | King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| SIDE B | ||||
| 1. | Sobbin’ Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 2. | Sweet Lovin’ Man | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 3. | Dipper Mouth Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 4. | Where Did You Stay Last Night? | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 5. | High Society Rag | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 6. | Snake Rag | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 7. | Krooked Blues | King Oliver and His Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 8. | Alligator Hop | King Oliver and His Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 9. | Zulus Ball | King Oliver and His Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 10. | Workingman Blues | King Oliver and His Creole Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| Tracklist: LP 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIDE A | ||||
| 1. | Jazzin’ Babies Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 2. | Chattanooga Stomp | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 3. | New Orleans Stomp | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 4. | The Southern Stomps (take 1) | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 5. | The Southern Stomps (take 2) | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 6. | Riverside Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 7. | Mabel’s Dream (take 1) | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 8. | Mabel’s Dream (take 2) | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 9. | London (Café) Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| SIDE B | ||||
| 1. | Camp Meeting Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 2. | Tears | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 3. | Buddy’s Habit | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 4. | Working Man Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 5. | Riverside Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 6. | Room Rent Blues | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 7. | I Ain’t Gonna Tell Nobody | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 8. | Mabel’s Dream | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
| 9. | Sweet Baby Doll | King Oliver’s Jazz Band | 1923 | |
Trailer
Ricky’s Unboxing Video
The Wall Street Journal
“Produced near the end of the acoustic recording era, the Oliver-Armstrong sessions have been available from the 78 rpm era onward, although inevitably with murky audio quality. This new edition, with restoration primarily by early-audio specialist and historian Richard Martin, is easily the best these tracks have sounded since they were heard in person. As Armstrong biographer Ricky Riccardi informs us in his invaluable album notes, many historians over the past century have dismissed the recordings because of the audio quality. But the Archeophone package shows that the original engineers—for Gennett, Okeh, Columbia and Paramount Records—knew what they were doing, and that the Oliver-Armstrong tracks are just as vibrant and exciting as any jazz ever captured on shellac, tape or digital bits.”
Will Friedwald, The Wall Street Journal [read review ]
The Tracking Angle
“The new ‘Centennial’ remaster by Richard Martin sounds significantly better than any prior version of the King Oliver Creole Jazz Band recordings. . . . We will not hear a reissue of this music sound better for a long time, if ever,” and “The book superbly reproduces label shots (both sides) of all the records, many photos of the band, some of which I had never seen and includes magisterial liner notes by Ricky Riccardi, Director of Research Collections at the Louis Armstrong House Museum.”
Joseph W. Washek, The Tracking Angle [read review ]
Jazz Lives
“Its effect is nearly overwhelming. . . I am not even through listening to all the music, reading the book, admiring the lovely packaging, and I can only say that it is the offering of a lifetime. It may be copied but I don’t know how it would be surpassed. And it would make an astonishing gift, especially for those jazz enthusiasts who say, “I already have the Oliver sides,” or “I can’t listen to those old records.” Let the conversion experiences begin. And they will.”
Michael Steinman, Jazz Lives [read review ]
GRAMMY Awards
- GRAMMY Nominee, Best Historical Album, 2024
- GRAMMY Nominee, Best Album Notes, 2024