[Dixielandjazz] Dodds & High Society paying homage to Picou.

[Steve Barbone]

"Laurence Swain" <l.swain at comcast.net>

> Listening to the 2-CD set by Off The Record: The Complete 1923 (King Oliver)
> 1923 Jazz Band Recordings, I was struck by the clarinet solo by Johnny Dodds
> to close "High Society Rag".  I have been hearing that same clarinet solo on
> performance after  performance of "High Society" by different bands in the 60
> years or so I've been listening to this music, usually note-for-note the same
> as Dodds' performance in 1923.

> Question: Did Dodds originate this particular solo, or was it someone else?

Dear Larry: 

Alphonse Picou is generally credited with the written solo parton High
Society. Below is from Wikipedia and while not always a good source, IMO it
is accurate in this case.

"Picou is perhaps best known for originating the clarinet part on the
standard "High Society". Some have mistakenly stated that he wrote the
number, which was actually a 1901 marching band composition by Porter
Steele. Picou rearranged it giving it a gentle swing and paraphrased the
Piccolo part to create his famous clarinet solo. This became a local
standard part, and no younger New Orleans clarinetist was considered
proficient until he could duplicate Picou's part. Unusually in a music that
values improvisation it became a set piece; commonly later clarinetists
would solo once through reproducing or sticking close to Picou's solo, and
then do their own improvisations on a second solo."

In effect, Dodds paid homage to Picou on that solo, as do thousands of reed
players who followed. Even Charlie Parker often quoted the first few bars of
the Pico solo during many of his performances.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone