RIP, King Oliver (1885-1938)

Joe "King" Oliver died on April 10, 1938, in Savannah, Georgia. The mentor and teacher of Louis Armstrong died in poverty at the age of 52, having lost his life savings in the Great Depression. Oliver spent his last years working as a janitor and managing a pool hall. He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York.

Oliver played cornet in New Orleans brass bands and dance bands before forming his own group, which included talents like Kid Ory, Baby Dodds, Johnny Dodds, Lil Hardin, and Louis Armstrong, who once said that "if it had not been for Joe Oliver, jazz would not be what it is today."

In his 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends the album, King Oliver's Jazz Band, 1923 (Smithsonian). Unfortunately, that album is not available in CD or MP3 format.

Jim Determan recommends the following alternatives on CD. He calls the Retrieval CD "the definitive reissue." He also lists the Milestone CD below, although he adds that the "only reason to pick up this set is for the seven interesting tracks by The Red Onion Jazz Babies, featuring Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Alberta Hunter; or if you can't find the Retrieval set."

• King Oliver: King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band: The Complete Set (Retrieval), available from Amazon.com.
  
• King Oliver: Louis Armstrong with King Oliver (Milestone), available from Amazon.com.
  

Oliver's band, including Armstrong (who plays the incredible solo intro), plays "West End Blues" here:

Robert
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