The renowned bandleader Joe "King" Oliver led one of the 20th century's first successful jazz bands, which originally featured the drummer Baby Dodds; his brother, the clarinetist and saxophonist Johnny Dodds; the trumpeter Louis Armstrong; and Armstrong's future wife, the pianist Lil Hardin. However, this set features some of Oliver's later 1930 recordings for the Victor Talking Machine Company. The bandleader was suffering from a painful gum disease which made stand-ins necessary for most of his solos, but his acumen in choosing talented musicians is apparent in the performances of such figures as the pianist James P. Johnson and the trumpeters Bubber Miley and Henry "Red" Allen. Highlights include the exotic-sounding "Everybody Does It in Hawaii."
