Oliver King

(b in or nr New Orleans, 11 May 1885; d Savannah, 8 April 1938). American jazz cornettist and bandleader. He moved in 1918 to Chicago, where in 1920 he formed what was to be King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. The band was reorganized in 1924 as the Dixie Syncopators. After 1927 Oliver led bands but seldom performed. One of the most important musicians in the New Orleans style, he was renowned for ‘wa-wa’ effects.

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• Born: May 11, 1885, New Orleans, LA
• Died: April 08, 1938, Savannah, GA
• Active: '20s, '30s
• Genres: Jazz
• Instrument: Cornet
• Representative Albums: "King Oliver's Creole Jazzband 1923-1924," "Okeh Sessions," "Off the Record: The Complete 1923 Jazz Band Recordings"
• Representative Songs: "Snag It," "Dippermouth Blues," "Mabel's Dream"

Biography

Joe "King" Oliver was one of the great New Orleans legends, an early giant whose legacy is only partly on records. In 1923, he led one of the classic New Orleans jazz bands, the last significant group to emphasize collective improvisation over solos, but ironically his second cornetist (Louis Armstrong) would soon permanently change jazz. And while Armstrong never tired of praising his idol, he actually sounded very little like Oliver; the King's influence was more deeply felt by Muggsy Spanier and Tommy Ladnier.

Although originally a trombonist, by 1905 Oliver was playing cornet regularly with various New Orleans bands. Gradually he rose to the top of the crowded local scene, and in 1917 he was being billed "King" by bandleader Kid Ory. A master of mutes, Oliver was able to get a wide variety of sounds out of his horn; Bubber Miley would later on be inspired by Oliver's expertise. In 1919, Oliver left New Orleans to join Bill Johnson's band at the Dreamland Ballroom in Chicago. By 1920, he was a leader himself and, after an unsuccessful year in California, King Oliver started playing regularly with his Creole Jazz Band at the Lincoln Gardens in Chicago. He soon sent for his protégé Louis Armstrong, and with clarinetist Johnny Dodds, trombonist Honore Dutrey, pianist Lil Harden, and drummer Baby Dodds as a core, Oliver had a remarkable band whose brilliance was only hinted at on records. As it is, the group's 1923 sessions far exceeded any jazz previously recorded; Oliver's three chorus solo on "Dippermouth Blues" has since been memorized by virtually every Dixieland trumpeter.

Unfortunately, the Creole Jazz Band gradually broke up in 1924. Oliver recorded a pair of duets with pianist Jelly Roll Morton but otherwise was off records that year. He took over Dave Peyton's band in 1925 and renamed it the Dixie Syncopators; Barney Bigard and Albert Nicholas were among the members. New recordings resulted (including "Snag It," which has a famous eight-bar passage by Oliver) but when the cornetist moved to New York in 1927, his music was behind the times and he made some bad business decisions (including turning down a chance to play regularly at the Cotton Club). Worse yet, his dental problems (caused partly by an early liking of sugar sandwiches) made playing cornet increasingly painful and, on many of his later recordings, Oliver is barely present (although he did a heroic job on 1929's "Too Late"). Pianist Luis Russell took over the Dixie Syncopators in 1929 and, although Oliver's last recordings (from 1931) are superior examples of hot dance music, he was quickly becoming a forgotten name. Unsuccessful tours in the South eventually left Oliver stranded there, working as a manager of a poolhall before his death at age 52. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Farewell Blues, Vol. 2 Buy this CD	Sugar Foot Stomp [Frog] Buy this CD	1923-1926 Buy this CD	1923 Buy this CD	I'll Still Be King Buy this CD
Alternative Takes: King Oliver 1923-1930/Luis Russell 1926-1930 Buy this CD	Complete Set Buy this CD	Great Original Performances 1923-1930 Buy this CD	King Oliver and His Orchestra 1929-1930 Buy this CD	Complete Victors, Vol. 1 Buy this CD

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