Oliver's first instrument was the trombone, but he soon switched to the cornet. Sometime about 1904, Oliver was involved in an incident which caused the loss of sight in his left eye. Subsequently, he often would play while seated in a chair leaning against the wall, with a Derby hat tilted over the eye that had the scar. It is said that King was the first cornetist to play with mutes, --bottles and cups in the cornet''s bell.

For the next decade, he honed his craft playing in various brass and dance bands, and in small "pickup" groups in New Orleans bars and cabarets. He usually filled in for such cornetists as Manuel Perez, Bunk Johnson, and Freddie Keppard, who at the time, were the reigning Kings of the cornet. A native New Orleans pianist (and later bandleader), Richard M. Jones, once remarked that
       "Joe (Oliver) had been afraid of Keppard and Perez... He didn't have much confidence ...
       Practically overnight, he woke up and started playing. He was a good reader and a good
       technician. Anything you'd stick up, he'd wipe it right off."

Richard M. Jones remembered a particular incident:
       
        "Freddie Keppard was playin' in a spot across the street and was drawin' all the crowds. I was
        sittin' at the piano, and Joe Oliver came over to me and commanded in a nervous harsh voice,
       'Get in B-flat.' He didn't even mention a tune ... Joe walked out on the sidewalk, lifted his
       horn to his lips, and blew the most beautiful stuff I have ever heard. People started pouring
       out of the other spots along the street to see who was blowing all that horn. Before long, our
       place was full and Joe came in smiling, and he said, 'Now, that (b-----d) won't bother me no more.'
       From then on, our place was full every night."

Bandleader "Papa Mutt" Carey once recalled:
       "He (Oliver) used to practice very hard. I remember he once told me that it took him ten years
       to get a tone on his instrument... His ear was wonderful -that helped a lot."

In 1916 Oliver and trombonist Edward "Kid" Ory co-led "The Kid Ory and King Oliver Band" then considered one of the best in New Orleans. It was the first time that Oliver's name was used in a billing.

In March, 1919, Oliver left for Chicago to join clarinetist Lawrence Duhe's band. He also worked in legendary bassist Bill Johnson's band. While in Chicago, during the 'teens, Oliver married his wife Stella, who had a daughter from a previous marriage. (Subsequently, Stella moved back to New Orleans and was living here as late as 1957.) Oliver later took over Duhe's band, and up to 1921, he was able to find gigs at various Chicago nightclubs including the Deluxe Cafe, Pekin Cabaret, and Dreamland. In 1921, he traveled to the West Coast and led bands in the San Francisco Bay Area. In June 1922, "King" returned to Chicago and organized his own 'Creole Jazz Band' for a stay at the Lincoln Gardens. This was the band that achieved immortality. In 1923, they made their recording debut for the Gennett label. This Creole Jazz Band was highly regarded by all the 'White' Chicago musicians who, when their own gigs were over, would nightly would make a pilgrimage to the Lincoln Gardens, to hear "King's" band which then had a very young Louis Armstrong now playing 2nd trumpet. (Louis' first gig outside of New Orleans.) Here's a photograph showing both "King Oliver and Louis Armstrong. The band Lincoln Gardens lasted until In December, 1924, the Lincoln Gardens gig ended and Oliver formed the Dixie Syncopators for a stay at the Plantation Cafe, which lasted until 1927. Then, Oliver decided to try his luck in New York.

Here's a small chronology of his career.
1904 Was playing the trombone in various old New Orleans Brass Bands.
1907 Began playing with the Melrose Brass Band
1910 Now leading his own band at Pete Lala’s (where he picked up the name "King" and where he first began to garner a reputation,
1912 Playing with the Olympia Band
1916 He teamed with trombonist Edward “Kid” Ory to form the "Kid Ory and King Oliver Band", Played at the "25" Cafe.
1918 Moves to Chicago, and works as sideman until 1919
1921 Toured to California, with his new band the "Creole Serenaders" and played in San Francisco for over a year, when the King went to Los Angeles and played with Jelly Roll Morton,
1922-'24 Forms his "King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band". --also known as "King Oliver and the Creole Serenaders" Sends for Louis Armstrong. (Satchmo' later told the world that Joe "king" Oliver was his true mentor).
1923 King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band has following sidemen: King Oliver and Louis Armstrong cornets, Honore Dutrey on trombone, Bill Johnson on bass and banjo,, Lil Hardin on piano, and Baby Dodds on drums. In 1923, this band made over thirty recordings for the Gennett label in Richmond Indiana, as well as some other 1923 recordings with an augmented line up, for the Okeh, Columbia, and Paramount labels in Chicago.
1924 The Creole Jazz Band breaks up because the sidemen didn't think they were getting their fair share of the royalties. Only Louis Armstrong and Lil Hardin stayed on for awhile then they too departed.
1925 He forms a new band, "King Oliver's Dixie Syncopators" that enjoyed a two year residence at Chicago's Plantation Café
1926 In private correspondence, Mr. Bernhard Behncke, has noted that: " Laurie Wright at Chigwell, Essex, England, UK,, author of the book "King' Oliver" gives the 1926 lineup of 'King Oliver's Jazz Band' or' King Oliver and His Dixie Syncopators': Luis Russell (piano); Barney Bigard (clarinet/tenorsax); Joe "King" Oliver (Cornet); Bert Cobb (tuba); Bud Scott (banjo); Billy Paige (alto sax/clarinet); Albert Nicholas (clarinet/alto); Bob Shoffner (trumpet); Paul Barbarin (drums); Kid Ory (trombone). Later that year a few personnel changes took place."
1927 In retrospect, this was the start of his decline. He accepted a gig in New York city's Savoy Ballroom, turning down an offer from the Cotton Club. This turned out to be a big mistake. Between 1926 and 1928, this same band recorded in Chicago for the Vocalion label. He toured briefly before finally disbanding, with only some sporadic gigs and recordings, with pick-up bands and sidemen.

1930s, With the great worldwide economic depression of 1930, he lost every cent he had when the U. S. banking system collapsed. His health was deteriorating and he was having trouble with his teeth, making playing the trumpet difficult if not impossible. Although he did do just a little more recording in New York , he had to use other trumpet players to play his parts. Somehow, he managed to hold a band together through 1935 playing the small clubs circuit, which, considering it was the deepest part of the depression era, was no small feat. By 1937, he was destitute. He had lost all his teeth and his band. He wound up in Savannah, Georgia living in a rooming house, working odd jobs in a fruit stand and as janitor. He died sometime during the night of April 10, 1938, of a cerebral hemorrhage.

In between his birth on a Plantation in Louisiana, and his demise in Savannah, Georgia, the "King" had taken Jazz from New Orleans to Chicago, to California, and to New York. His glory days in Chicago, working with his immensely popular 'Creole Jazz Band' served two great purposes; one he brought a young unknown cornetist up from New Orleans, and thus was instrumental in introducing Louis Armstrong to the world, and through the band's recordings, was instrumental in spreading Jazz to a broader audience.
  "Chimes Blues", (415kb). 'King Oliver and His Dixie Syncopators'. recorded April 5, 1923, in Richmond, Indiana for Gennett. (Gennett 5135) Composer: King Oliver. ("Oliver's three chorus solo on "Dippermouth Blues" has since been memorized by virtually every Dixieland trumpeter.")
  "Canal Street Blues", (355kb). 'King Oliver and His Dixie Syncopators'.. written by King Oliver &; Louis Armstrong. Rec'd: April 5, 1923 in Richmond, Indiana for Gennett. (Gennett 5133).
  "Dipper Mouth Blues", (448 kb): 'King Oliver and His Dixie Syncopators'. Rec'd: April 6, 1923. (Tune: Joe Oliver and Louis Armstrong). Armstrong met his second wife, Lil Hardin, who was the pianist in the Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. In late 1924, Louis Armstrong joined Fletcher Henderson's orchestra in New York city, and introduced this song to Fletcher Henderson, Henderson's arranger, Don Redman, immediately added a couple of choruses, rearranged their sequence, and re-titled the tune "Sugarfoot Stomp." Then in 1926, King Oliver again recorded the number with his Dixie Syncopators, under the new title, but without Redman's changes. Some historians think that "Sugarfoot" possibly refers to Oliver's habit of washing down sugar sandwiches with prodigious draughts of sugar water.
  "Zulus Ball":, (444 kb) A very rare recording by King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band . Rec'd: Oct. 3, 1923 Richmond, Indiana, USA Gennett. 5275-A . (Composed: King Oliver, Jim Robinson)
   "Workingmans Blues":, (377 kb): King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. (Composers: Joseph "King" Oliver, Lil Hardin) Rec'd: Oct, 3, 1923, Richmond, Indiana, USA. Gennett 5275-B (The "flip side" of Zulus Ball above. )
   "Alligator Hop":, (431 kb) King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band . Rec'd: Oct. 3, 1923, Richmond, Indiana. Gennett 5274-B. (Composers: King Oliver, Alphonse Picou)
  "Farewell Blues", (504 kb): King Oliver's Dixie Syncopators. Rec'd: Nov. 18, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois. Vocalion A 1152. (Composers: : Elmer Schoebel, Paul Mares, and Leon Rappolo, in 1923)
  "High Society Rag", (675 kb): King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band (Tune: Porter Steele) Yale-educated Porter Steele, originally wrote this song as a novelty number. In 1901, "High Society" was originally published as a march. An orchestration of the piece was purchased by the John Robichaux Orchestra, a much celebrated New Orleans society band, whose clarinetist, Alphonse Picou, later claimed credit for adapting the piccolo part into the famous clarinet obbligato.
  "West End Blues", (619 kb): King Oliver Orchestra. Rec'd: 1928 (Victor V-38034-B) Composer: King Oliver, and Clarence Williams.

An interesting insight into the Chicago jazz club scene at that time is given by Hoagy Carmichael. In 1923, Hoagy, Bix, and other Wolverines went over to Chicago's Lincoln Gardens to hear King Oliver. In his book, 'Sometimes I Wonder', Hoagy later wrote:

       "A Southside Black and Tan place, King Oliver's Band was there. This was the solid real jazz. Louis Armstrong
       played second trumpet. His white teeth showed when Bix gave him the high sign.

       Bix said "That's my boy."

       Louis' wife, Lil, was playing the piano and she could, too. There was a bass fiddle and clarinet, a regular
       jazz combo. As I sat down, I lit my first muggle (marijuana cigarette) as Louis and King Oliver broke into the
       introductory part of "Bugle Call Rag". Everything was chaos at our table. We smoked and gulped our terrible

       drinks. Bix was on his feet, his eyes popping out of his head. Louis was taking a hot chorus. (Hoagy's friend)
       Gene Fosdick had a mild spasm, finally overturning the table and sliding off his chair in a fit of stupor, muttering

       to himself in a strange style. The joint stank of body musk, bootleg booze, excited people, platform sweat.
       I couldn't see well, but I was feeling all over, "Why isn't everyone in the world here to hear this?"

       The muggles took effect, making my body feel as light as my Ma's biscuits. I ran over to the piano and played
       "Royal Garden Blues" with the band.

       Music meant more than flesh just then. I had never heard the tune before, but full of smoke, I somehow couldn't
       miss a note of it. The muggles had carried me into another world. I was floating high around the room in a
       whirlpool of jazz."

Most every musician in Chicago would visit the club to hear King Oliver play. Sidemen, -then called "alligators", would sneak into the packed club and try to steal Oliver's riffs. One could sit around and watch musicians writing down notes on their cuffs. "Rappolo, the Rhythm Kings' clarinetist, was always writing. In those days, the King was really King, and his boys tore the tops off their music so that no one could see what they were playing."
Louis Armstrong has written: "King Oliver and I got so popular blending the jive together that pretty soon all the white musicians from downtown Chicago would come there after their work and stay until the place closed."
(Both quotes from Shapiro and Hentoff book 'Hear Me Talkin' To Ya', NYC)

Arnold Shaw has said that "cornetist Francis "Mugsy" Spanier sat on the curbstone outside...... for hour after hour, transfixed by the playing of Oliver and Armstrong, especially by the harmonized "breaks." Drummer George Wettling has recalled "Eddie Condon; Johnny Forton; Floyd O'Brien, and other hep kids were all hanging around to hear Joe and Louis." (-- Stearns, 'The Story of Jazz')

In his salad days, "King" Oliver was an easy going (too easy going) likeable musician. His pianist Lil Hardin recalled him as "full of jokes, loved baseball, and spent his free time at the pool table." He was a voracious eater, able to consume a dozen or more hamburgers and a quart of milk at a time. "King" did some pioneering work with mutes for the trumpet. Another early New Orleans trumpeter, Mutt Carey, has said "He did most of his playing with cups, glasses, buckets and mutes."
(-Shapiro and Hentoff book 'Hear Me Talkin' To Ya', NYC)

"King" actually pioneered the use of two trumpets when Louis Armstrong was with the band. This was a novelty for a New Orleans group but it was very successful because of the warm friendship each man held for the other, and because of their musical talents. Among the songs that the band played, and popularized, were 'Stomps' such as "Sugar Foot Stomp", "Southern Stomp" and "New Orleans Stomp"; 'Blues' like Royal Garden Blues", "Canal Street Blues", "Dippermoutb Blues", "Camp Meeting Blues", and 'Rags' like "High Society".

In 1927, "King" was offered a job at New York's famed Cotton Club. For whatever reasons, he turned it down. After this, his career took a dismal downward spiral. He experienced some problems in maintaining the band during 1928. Perhaps, "King" Oliver was on a downhill road when he visited New York in 1928. He had been suffering from a bad back, and then his health started to fail.

With the great 1929 Economic Depression, both the stockmarket and the cabaret business took a nosedive. Hot Jazz, the music of a free-wheeling, untrammeled revelry, of living life to the fullest and the morrow be damned, was now completely out of place. The Creole Jazz Band found itself in Kansas City, stranded with no money and no bookings.

In the mid-1930's, "King" was in the fruit and vegetable business, operating a fruit stand in Savannah, GA. He next worked as a Pool Hall janitor, laboring from 9AM to 12PM. Health problems now plagued him. High blood pressure caused breathing difficulties, and Pyorrhea caused him to lose his teeth.

It was in Georgia, 1938, that he died. His body was returned to New York City where it is buried in Woodlawn Cemetary, in the Bronx. Many of the men who had followed his vision, such as Fletcher Henderson, had metamorphosed Jazz into Swing, and the "King" was now forgotten.

It was the genius of Bix Beiderbecke who originally conceived of the use of "Solo-ing space" of the "Jazz Ballad" whereby a lovely Ballad could be played without losing the Jazz virility and feeling; and of 'routining' the way a band played. Since then, every succeeding Jazz musician has been greatly influenced by Bix's original thinking, including "King" Oliver who as Louis Armstrong's mentor, passed it along to Louis. In turn, Armstrong's genius would pass it along to a greater public. It seems to this writer that in praising Armstrong (which we certainly should), we have somehow neglected to show just how very important was "King" Oliver's influence, on Armstrong and Jazz.

   [ Sy Oliver Orch. ]
b. Dec. 17, 1910, Battle Creek MI, USA, d. May 28, 1988 New York, NY, USA.
né: Melvin James Oliver
Theme Songs: (His own Compositions)
"Opus No. 1"
"Well, Git It!"
"For Dancers Only"
Although remembered chiefly as an arranger, he was a fine trumpet player, composer, and novelty vocalist. He arranged, sang, composed tunes and played trumpet, which included many solos for Jimmy Lunceford in the 1930s and in the '40s for Tommy Dorsey.

He grew up in Zanesville, OH, where his father was a concert singer. Both his father and mother taught music in Zanesville, OH. Played trumpet while in high school. After graduting from High School, in June 1928, he joined Zach White's Orch. in Cincinati OH. Later, he moved back to Columbus OH where he played in pick-up groups and gave music lessons. It was there that he also taught himself arranging. Sy joined Lunceford in late 1933 as a trumpeter and arranger. He did novelty vocals and was part of the famous Lunceford Trio. More than any other of Lunceford's arrangers, it was Oliver's scores that gave the Lunceford orchestra it's distinctive sound. He stayed with Lunceford until mid-1939 when he joined Tommy Dorsey. He stayed with Dorsey until he was drafted in 1943.