DIPPERMOUTH BLUES - Free Jazz Leadsheet

dippermouth blues was composed by King Oliver in 1923 and is recognized as one of the early defining pieces of New Orleans jazz. Its infectious melody and blues-based structure made it a template for ensemble improvisation and collective jazz expression.

The first recording was by King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band in Chicago in 1923, featuring Louis Armstrong on cornet and demonstrating early polyphonic ensemble interplay. Structurally, the tune is a 12-bar blues with room for both solo and ensemble improvisation.

It has been revisited by jazz musicians across generations, including reinterpretations by Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong’s later bands. Lyrically minimal in original form, its theme is primarily musical storytelling, capturing the exuberance and innovation of early jazz culture.