Dink Johnson


Ollie "Dink" Johnson was a Dixieland jazz pianist, clarinetist, and drummer.

Background

Johnson was born in Biloxi, Mississippi. He was the younger brother of double bassist William Manuel Johnson. He worked around Mississippi and New Orleans before moving to the western United States in the early 1910s. He played around Nevada and California, often with his brother Bill. He played with the Original Creole Orchestra, mostly on drums.
He made his first recordings in 1922 on clarinet with Kid Ory's Band. He made more recordings in the 1940s and 1950s, mostly on piano, although also doing some one-man band recordings, playing all three of his instruments through over dubbing.
Johnson's piano style was influenced by Jelly Roll Morton and his clarinet playing by Larry Shields. Johnson wrote tunes, including "The Krooked Blues" and "So Different Blues".
Johnson died in Portland, Oregon.