31:
221:'s band as a trumpet player, arranger and songwriter. He contributed many hit arrangements for the band, including "My Blue Heaven" and "Ain't She Sweet", as well as his original composition "For Dancers Only", which eventually became the band's theme song. He was co-arranger with pianist Ed Wilcox; Oliver primarily taking the up-tempo numbers, Wilcox the ballads. Oliver's arrangements "were a dashing parade of innovation that rivaled Ellington's for consistency and originality."
627:
263:, Oliver doing up-tempo tunes, Stordahl ballads. As James Kaplan put it, "Tommy Dorsey's band got a rocket boost in 1939 when Dorsey stole Lunceford's great arranger Sy Oliver."
207:
187:
and with his own band. With
Lunceford, from 1933 to 1939, he recorded more than two dozen vocals. From 1949 to 1951, he recorded more than a dozen with his band. With
228:
decided he wanted a swing band, his first step was to hire Oliver as an arranger away from
Lunceford for $ 5,000 more a year. Oliver then became one of the first
195:, on his own compositions "Yes Indeed" and "Swingin' on Nothin'". He also sang with The Sentimentalists on the 1944 recording of his arrangement of "Chicago".
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286:" (originally titled as "Opus No. 1", but changed to suit the lyric that was added later), "The Minor Is Muggin'", and "Well, Git It".
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180:. He sang and played trumpet with these bands, becoming known for his "growling" horn playing. He also began arranging with them.
910:
865:
349:
in New York. He continued that gig until 1984, with occasionally time off to make festival or other dates, including at the
965:
885:
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Sy Oliver, "Jazz: The Rough Guide" Ian Carr, Digby
Fairweather, Brian Priestley, Rough Guides Ltd., London 1995, p. 483
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Oliver left Dorsey after seven years, in 1946, and began working as a freelance arranger and as music director for
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165:, United States. His mother was a piano teacher, and his father was a multi-instrumentalist, who demonstrated
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orchestra as the arranger a few years earlier.) He led the transition of the Dorsey band from
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With Dorsey, Oliver continued sharing arranging duties with other arrangers, primarily
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On June 26, 1950, Sy Oliver and his
Orchestra recorded the first American version of "
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He continued singing for the next 17 years, making many recordings when he was with
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252:. His joining was instrumental in Dorsey luring several jazz players, including
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at a time when instrument was seldom played other than by marching bands.
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332:. One of his more successful efforts as an arranger was the 1961
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750:"Sy Oliver, 77, a Jazz Composer, Arranger and Band Leader, Dies"
628:"Sy Oliver, 77, a Jazz Composer, Arranger and Band Leader, Dies"
270:" was a big hit for Dorsey in 1946, as were his compositions
240:, another African American composer/arranger, had joined the
664:"Oliver, Sy - Discography of American Historical Recordings"
804:, the collection of his personal scores and papers, in the
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345:
In 1974, he began a nightly gig with a small band at the
206:
years. As a composer, one of his most famous songs was "
781:
Orodenker, M.H. (February 28, 1942). "On the
Records".
542:
with the Sy Oliver
Orchestra, "The Siamese Cat Song" (
153:
arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader.
232:
with a prominent role in a white band when he joined
191:, he recorded very few vocals. In 1941, he sang with
810:
The New York Public
Library for the Performing Arts
546:
soundtrack, Walt Disney
Records, 1955) — bandleader
149:(December 17, 1910 – May 28, 1988) was an American
16:
American trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader
721:"Sy Oliver; Influential Arranger in Big Band Era"
208:T'ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)
842:
390:Dance Music for People Who Don't Dance Any More
356:Oliver died in New York City at the age of 77.
176:and his Chocolate Beau Brummels and later with
835:Discography of American Historical Recordings
536:(Capitol Records, 1957) — arranger, conductor
198:Oliver arranged and conducted many songs for
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342:, a combined tribute to their former boss.
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971:20th-century African-American musicians
936:New York Jazz Repertory Company members
818:, an interview with Les Tompkins, 1974.
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625:
614:
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278:-jazz tune that was later recorded by
703:, Doubleday, New York, 2010, p. 647,
931:20th-century American male musicians
490:Ella: The Legendary Decca Recordings
378:77 Sunset Strip and Other Selections
172:Oliver left home at 17 to play with
524:(Decca, 1959) — arranger, conductor
380:with Frankie Ortega (Jubilee, 1959)
13:
906:People from Battle Creek, Michigan
353:in New York. He retired in 1984.
14:
982:
795:
398:with Val Anthony (L.I.M.S., 1966)
941:Black & Blue Records artists
921:20th-century American composers
480:What Is This Thing Called Love?
268:On the Sunny Side of the Street
101:Bandleader, conductor, arranger
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713:
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656:
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626:Watrous, Peter (28 May 1988).
593:The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz
359:
1:
748:Watrous, Peter (1988-05-28).
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420:
35:Sy Oliver from September 1946
911:Jazz musicians from Michigan
866:American male jazz composers
7:
966:20th-century jazz composers
816:The Sy Oliver Story, Part 1
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10:
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224:In 1939, when band leader
210:", which he co-wrote with
886:American jazz bandleaders
500:The Popular Frank Sinatra
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55:
45:
40:
28:
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961:Bluebird Records artists
946:Columbia Records artists
881:American music arrangers
876:American male trumpeters
871:American jazz trumpeters
956:Capitol Records artists
926:20th-century trumpeters
896:Jubilee Records artists
861:American jazz composers
217:In 1933, Oliver joined
156:
447:Rhythm is Our Business
404:(Black and Blue, 1973)
163:Battle Creek, Michigan
161:Sy Oliver was born in
69:Battle Creek, Michigan
41:Background information
951:Decca Records artists
901:Bell Records artists
891:Big band bandleaders
831:Sy Oliver recordings
668:Adp.library.ucsb.edu
366:Sway It with Flowers
266:His arrangement of "
598:Guinness Publishing
416:(Jazz Legacy, 1979)
410:(Jazz Legacy, 1978)
51:Melvin James Oliver
754:The New York Times
633:The New York Times
596:(First ed.).
544:Lady and the Tramp
238:Fletcher Henderson
726:Los Angeles Times
502:(Megaforce, 2015)
470:Satchmo Serenades
435:Lunceford Special
392:(Riverside, 1961)
368:(Brunswick, 1956)
351:Roseland Ballroom
230:African Americans
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66:December 17, 1910
978:
802:Sy Oliver Papers
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506:Caterina Valente
437:(Columbia, 1967)
428:Jimmie Lunceford
339:I Remember Tommy
219:Jimmie Lunceford
185:Jimmie Lunceford
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486:Ella Fitzgerald
466:Louis Armstrong
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396:What Can I Say?
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330:Louis Armstrong
256:, to his band.
200:Ella Fitzgerald
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71:, United States
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796:External links
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729:. May 30, 1998
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699:James Kaplan,
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590:, ed. (1992).
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372:Sentimental Sy
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314:La Vie en rose
272:"Yes, Indeed!"
178:Alphonse Trent
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135:Musical artist
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512:(Decca, 1957)
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496:Frank Sinatra
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472:(Decca, 1952)
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449:(Decca, 1996)
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443:(Decca, 1992)
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98:Occupation(s)
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85:New York City
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765:. Retrieved
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731:. Retrieved
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671:. Retrieved
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658:
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639:16 September
637:. Retrieved
631:
591:
588:Colin Larkin
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533:Dream Street
531:
519:
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489:
479:
476:Tommy Dorsey
469:
459:
458:
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446:
441:Stomp it Off
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408:Annie Laurie
407:
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389:
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371:
365:
355:
347:Rainbow Room
344:
337:
310:Jerry Seelen
306:André Hornez
298:C'est si bon
295:
288:
265:
258:
234:Tommy Dorsey
226:Tommy Dorsey
223:
216:
212:Trummy Young
197:
189:Tommy Dorsey
182:
171:
160:
146:
142:
139:Melvin James
138:
137:
107:Years active
81:(1988-05-28)
79:May 28, 1988
856:1988 deaths
851:1910 births
733:December 7,
557:Swing music
492:(GRP, 1995)
460:With others
455:(GRP, 1998)
453:Swingsation
414:Easy Walker
386:(Dot, 1959)
374:(Dot, 1958)
360:Discography
302:Henri Betti
280:Ray Charles
193:Jo Stafford
111:1930s–1980s
845:Categories
767:2024-02-26
563:References
421:As sideman
402:Yes Indeed
384:Back Stage
326:Mack David
322:Édith Piaf
254:Buddy Rich
248:to modern
174:Zack Whyte
167:saxophones
62:1910-12-17
47:Birth name
822:Sy Oliver
784:Billboard
762:0362-4331
540:Peggy Lee
528:Peggy Lee
516:Peggy Lee
246:Dixieland
214:in 1939.
202:from her
23:Sy Oliver
673:July 31,
551:See also
284:Opus One
250:big band
124:Columbia
833:at the
690:, p.483
336:album,
318:Louiguy
312:) and "
128:Capitol
760:
707:
604:
328:) for
276:gospel
147:Oliver
116:Labels
90:Genres
426:With
291:Decca
204:Decca
120:Decca
826:IMDb
758:ISSN
735:2022
705:ISBN
675:2021
641:2016
602:ISBN
282:), "
157:Life
151:jazz
93:Jazz
76:Died
56:Born
824:at
808:of
316:" (
300:" (
274:(a
236:. (
847::
756:.
752:.
723:.
666:.
630:.
616:^
571:^
530:,
518:,
508:,
498:,
488:,
478:,
468:,
324:,
320:,
308:,
304:,
293:.
145:"
143:Sy
126:,
122:,
837:.
812:.
770:.
737:.
677:.
643:.
610:.
141:"
64:)
60:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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