King Oliver
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 /TiVo
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The Legend of King Oliver (Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Master Tape Records on 20 Mar 2020
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Dipper Mouth Blues (In Chronological Order 1923)
Jazz - Released by HotJazz on 1 Jan 2012
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Louis Armstrong And King Oliver
Jazz - Released by Milestone on 1 Jan 1974
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Jazz - The Essential Collection, Vol. 1
Jazz - Released by IN+OUT Records on 26 Mar 1997
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The Quintessence King Oliver 1923-1928: Richmond - Chicago - New York
Traditional Jazz & New Orleans - Released by Fremeaux Heritage on 30 Jul 2002
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Musical Historical Documents No. 2: King Oliver
Jazz - Released by Vintage Music on 1 Jun 2010
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St. James Infirmary (In Chronological Order 1929 - 1930)
Jazz - Released by HotJazz on 1 Jan 2012
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The Originals - King Oliver - The Legendary 1930 Recordings
Jazz - Released by YOYO USA, Inc. on 1 Jan 2006
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Slow Motion
King Oliver, King OliverJelly Roll Morton, Butterbeans And Susie
Jazz - Released by Slow Motion?! on 16 Nov 2020
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Dipper Mouth Blues (Original Recordings 1923)
Jazz - Released by HotJazz on 1 Jan 2015
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The Blues Heritage
King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith
Dixieland - Released by Olympic Records on 10 Aug 1973
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King Oliver's Greatest Hits
Jazz - Released by Gralin Music on 23 Apr 2012
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Ultimate Collection
Jazz - Released by Master Classics Records on 1 Jan 2009
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Complete Jazz Series 1923
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 8 Jun 2009
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Papa Joe
Jazz - Released by Universal Digital Enterprises on 24 Dec 1926
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King Oliver & His Orchestra 1929-30
Jazz - Released by JSP Records on 22 Jul 2013
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King Oliver in New York 1927-28
Jazz - Released by Documents on 1 Sep 2009
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Pioneers of Jazz, Vol. 6 (Mono Version)
Jazz - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1961
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The Best Classic Jazz, King Oliver 1923 - 1924
Jazz - Released by SendDigital on 21 Nov 2002
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