Cornetist Joe "King" Oliver's hot New Orleans-steeped 1920s sound was the big bang from which all subsequent jazz emanated. "Dippermouth Blues" is a mini-masterpiece of collective improvisation, with Oliver displaying his innovative mute technique alongside fellow cornetist Louis Armstrong. Oliver and pianist Jelly Roll Morton distill the spirited Crescent City charisma in "King Porter Stomp," while "Freakish Light Blues," one of Oliver's final recordings, turns down the heat for a lyrical, nuanced reading of this moody minor-key tune.