Joe "King" Oliver-Coronet w/ Louis Armstong-Trumpet, Johnny Dodds-Clarinet, Lil Hardin-piano, Honore Dutrey-trombone, Bill Johnson- bass, Johnny St.Cyr-banjo, Baby Dodds-drums
Also; Stump Evans-sax, Jimmy Noone-clarinet & sax, Junie Cobb-sax, Pops Foster-bass, Kid Ory-trombone, Clarence Williams-piano
Influences
Buddy Bolden, Scott Joplin, Herbert L. Clarke, James Scott, Louis Chauvin, Willie Cornish, The Eureka Brass Band, John Phillips Sousa, James Lamb
~ Joe "King" Oliver - 1885-1938 was one of the early pioneers of jazz in New Orleans and Chicago who did much to popularize Jazz and discovered and influenced many younger players including Louis Armstrong, Johnny Dodds and Lil Hardin.
~ Early years in New Orleans ~
Joe Oliver was born in tiny Abend Louisiana in 1885, later moving to New Orleans as a teen. Little is known about his youth or roots but he is assumed to be of creole stock like many of the first generation of jazz musicans, it is not known when he began playing coronet but shortly after arriving in New Orleans he began playing in the local marching and dance bands as well playing in informal juke-joint bands in Storyville like those of Buddy Bolden. Around 1910 he started a band with trombonist Kid Ory who named him "King" Oliver in honour of his playing prowess as well as his imposing size and girth and gargantuan taste for food and sweets. The Oliver-Ory band became the most respected jazz band in New Orleans after the retirement of Buddy Bolden in 1907, especially after they added the young Louis Armstrong to the band, however Ory and Oliver parted company in 1919 because Oliver wished to leave the Jim Crow south and Ory stayed in New Orleans.
~ Classic Years in Chigago ~
Oliver journeyed west to Texas and California before settling in Chicago where he formed a stable band with Johnny & Baby Dodds, Lil Hardin, Honore Dutrey, Louis St.Cyr and Bill Johnson, performing a regular gig at the Royal Gardens and in 1922 Oliver sent for Armstrong who moved to Chicago making the band complete. Billed as King Oliver and his Creole Jazz Band this band quickly became the most important jazz band outside of New Orleans with musicians and jazz fans both black and white coming from miles around to see them in person and inspiring other jazz and blues musicians (including a young Bix Biederbeck) to move to Chigago and make it a Mecca for jazz and later blues. The Creole Jazz band also made many ground breaking records for a variety of labels which carried their fame nation-wide and eventually to Europe. Starting 1924 things started to go wrong for Oliver, in that year Armstrong, who had married Lil Hardin moved to New York to join Fletcher Henderson's better paying band, later Armstrong (prodded by Hardin) started his own even more succesfull band, luring the Dodds brothers east to join him. Oliver formed another excellent band from 1926-28 calling it King Oliver & His Dixie Syncopators, he also recorded a couple of singes with notable musicians like Jellyroll Morton, Kid Ory and Clarence Williams, however he made a series of serious business and creative mistakes which would ruin his career.
~ Decline ~
Although Oliver was a good natured and generous band leader who encouraged younger musicians (who called him Pops) he was a poor businessman who went through his money quickly and often couldn't pay his bands or keep them intact in the face of increased competition. He also turned down lucrative gigs such an extended run at Chicago's Savoy Ballroom and New York's Cotton Club (which also included a national radio hook-up), the New York gig went to Duke Ellington and later Cab Calloway who became major stars. By the time he changed his mind and came to New York his band had fallen apart and he had been superseded by newer bands. Oliver seemed unsure of how to react to the newer proto-swing bands led by Fletcher Henderson and the Casa Loma Orchrestra which were larger and more disciplined, playing carefully arranged scores instead of the more casual improvised New Orleans style and he failed to adjust to the changing tastes in the urban centers and radio. Oliver also suffered health problems which affected his playing, always overweight with a famous sweet-tooth (his favorite was sugar sandwhiches) he began to suffer from painfull tooth decay as well as shortness of breath and a bad back. His last important band fell apart in New York in 1929. The coming of the depression hit most musicians hard and Oliver could find no recording work after 1931 so he formed a touring band and headed to the south and west where he hoped his name would still draw. Unfortunately the black south was hit harder than most by the depression and Oliver was reduced to one-nighters in small southern towns with little money. In Savannah Georgia the band's bus broke down and Oliver was unable to repair it or pay the band which broke up leaing him stranded there where he was eventually forced to pawn his horn and suit and take a job running a pool-hall and later a produce cart. In late 1937 Louis Armstrong's band came through town and ran into Oliver (who Louis thought was dead), Louis took up a collection which enabled Oliver to buy back his horn and bands suit but he still couldn't afford new teeth and was unable to play again before he died of heart disease in 1938.
~Influence~
Oliver's influence on Jazz and later Swing, BeBop, R&B and Rock & Roll is huge. His early bands were important in the transition from the Ragtimey jazz of Buddy Bolden to the Hot-Jazz of the 1920's, Oliver's coronet playing was an important influence on Louis Armstrong, Bix Biederbeck, The New Orleans Rhytmm Kings and the ODJB and he is credited for pioneering the use of mutes and other wah-wah effects. According to Armstrong Oliver also popularised some of the early hipster-jazz lingo. Although he was largely forgotten in the Swing Age his records were discovered in the post-war era and the Dixieland revival when they were re-released by the S.D. label. In Great Britain these records were impotant in the Skiffle craze that preceded the rock and roll era.
"Ticklin' The Strings" by Sweet Hollywaiians
Amazing Japanese hot string band playing 1920's, 30's, 40's style hawaiian, swing, calypso, blues, italian music and originals,featuring vintage instruments.3 songs with Robert Armstrong and Tony Marcus(from Robert Crumb and His Cheap Suit Serenaders)
"The Sweet Hollywaiians have probably the best feel for this 20's music of any string band working today. They manage the rare feat of sounding relaxed even when their playing is hot, are top notch musicians with tasteful arrangements and a full, rich, warm sound.Plus, they have a nice gamut of tunes, from King Nawahi to Giovanni Vicari to Bobby Leecan. See them live, if you can, for an unforgettable experience. If you can't, buy their Cds!" ~ Terry Zwigoff
Thanks a million King Oliver for joining our ministry of Blues. It's all about peace, love, understanding, and GROOVE. Hope to perform for you sometime, just not too soon. Wishing you the very best in Blues and life and afterlife! -Big Daddy
Hello! King Oliver
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