"King" Oliver

"King" Oliver. , Panel 3 , The son of a Baptist preacher, Joseph Oliver was born in Abend, Louisiana. He came to New Orleans about 1900 and began working as a cornetist several years later. Oliver's rise to prominence was based on his ability with mutes. Was he dubbed "King" before his departure for Chicago in 1919? Drummer Paul Barbarin claims that it occurred on Oliver's first night at the Dreamland in Chicago after he wowed a packed house. Over the course of the next three years he rose to a leadership role, carefully recruiting musicians for his Creole Band showcasing himself and Armstrong both as soloists and as a duo. Their records made the band famous, but within a year they fell apart. Oliver's next project in the fall of 1924, the Dixie Syncopators, included Kid Ory, Paul Barbarin, Albert Nicholas, and Luis Russell, all from New Orleans. The band did well and recorded extensively, however, New York was becoming the center of jazz activity, so Oliver moved there in 1927. He rejected an offer of a long-term engagement at the Cotton Club (it went to Duke Ellington), lost his recording contract, and soon had to go on the road in search of bookings just as the Depression was settling in and by 1937 King Oliver had reached the end of the line. He found himself in Savannah, selling produce on the street and sweeping pool halls to survive. A year after his death, an entire chapter of the book Jazzmen (1939) was devoted to his story, urging the jazz world not to forget him. Today, King Oliver is recognized as one of the founding fathers of jazz, a masterful bandleader, ensemble player, and soloist whose contributions made the music of New Orleans world famous. , Panel 2 , L-R Honore Dutrey-trombone, Warren Dodds-drums, Joe "King" Oliver-coronet, Louis Armstrong-slide trumpet, Lil Hardin-piano, Bill Johnson-bass and banjo, Johnny Dodds-clarnet. , Showcasing Oliver and Armstrong both as soloists and as a duo, tunes such as "Snake Rag," "Dippermouth Blues," "and "New Orleans Stomp" for Gennet, OKeh and Columbis in 1923 set a new standard for collectively-improvised jazz. , Panel 4 , "King" Oliver organized the Dixie Syncopators in the fall of 1924 and included Kid Ory, Paul Barbarin, Albert Nicholas, and Luis Russell- A fresh crop of New Orleans talent.