King Oliver And The Blues Singers

King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band

Lately I’ve found myself listening quite a bit to the music of King Oliver. I consider myself a jazz fan although certainly not an expert and actually found my way to Oliver through his association with several early blues singers who he accompanied. I’ve always been impressed with Oliver’s pungent, bluesy cornet playing on records by Texas Alexander, Sara Martin among others. I only recently began listening in earnest to Oliver’s own recordings including his landmark 1923 recordings with his Creole Jazz Band featuring his protege Louis Armstrong, clarinetist Johnny Dodds, trombonist Honore Dutrey, pianist Lil Harden, and drummer Baby Dodds. Oliver continued to make recordings through 1931 although he seemed to fade from the spotlight not long after his initial recordings. As I was listening to Oliver’s recordings I stumbled upon an excellent article written by Roger Hahn in the magazine Louisiana Cultural Vistas (click “Contents” and select “King Oliver: The Forgotten King of Jazz”). I won’t rehash Oliver’s story but Hahn does a good job describing exactly why Oliver remains something of a forgotten figure, forever in the shadow of the more famous Louis Armstrong.

From May to December, 1928, Oliver did some 22 sessions with his old friend, Clarence Williams, who had played with him around Louisiana and who had manged clubs like the Big 25 and Pete Lala’s. Williams had become a music publisher, entrepreneur and early A&R man around New York. Seeing Oliver down on his luck, Williams used him as a backup player for several blues singers. Prior to 1928 Oliver had accompanied artists such as Butterbeans & Susie in 1924 (“Kiss Me Sweet b/w Construction Gang”), Sippie Wallace in 1925 (“Morning Dove Blues b/w “Every Dog Has His Day” and “Devil Dance Blues”), Teddy Peters (“Georgia Man”), Irene Scruggs (“Home Town Blues b/w Sorrow Valley blues”), Georgia Taylor in 1926 (“Jackass Blues”) plus several others.

King Oliver Columbia Ad

Among the notable recordings of 1928 included six sides backing Sara Martin including the superb “Death Sting Me Blues” which features a suitably mournful solo from Oliver plus equally fine playing on “Mean Tight Mama” and “Mistreating Man Blues.” His two numbers with Texas Alexander, “Tell Me Woman Blues b/w Frisco Train Blues,” work surprising well with Oliver playing some beautiful, sympathetic fills on both numbers offset by the elegant guitar work of Eddie Lang. Lang and Oliver also back Victoria Spivey on “My Handy Man b/w Organ Grinder Blues” although Oliver is less prominent. Among the best recordings from this period are his backing of the terrific Elizabeth Johnson, an obscure singer who waxed only four sides at two session in 1928. “Empty Bed Blues Part 1 & 2″ has Johnson’s expressive vocals finding a marvelous counterpoint in Oliver’s earthy responses. In everything I’ve read on Oliver his decline in later years is a prominent theme although little is mentioned regarding his sympathetic accompaniment to a wide range of excellent blues singers. Below you will find a selection of some of these recordings that show Oliver to be an inspired partner on these recordings and never does he sound like he’s simply phoning it in so to speak. All of these sides can be found on various collections on the Document label.

Texas Alexander – Tell Me Woman Blues (MP3)