Joe ‘King’ Oliver was an American cornetist and trumpeter and bandleader, as well as an influential composer, who was one of the true pioneers of early jazz during the 1920s and into the ‘30s – Louis Armstrong, for whom he was a mentor, said of him “if it had not been for Joe Oliver, jazz would not be what it is today”. Born in Louisiana in the 1880s, he learnt his trade in New Orleans marching bands and during WWI moved to Chicago, which became the primary centre of recorded jazz. This 126-track 5-CD collection comprises a significant proportion of his career recordings leading his own bands or as a member of other leaders’ bands and accompanying singers where he made an important contribution. It includes some of the most significant and influential recordings made during this era, through to the end of his active recording career in 1931 occasioned by dental and mouth problems that affected his ability to play. There are recordings on the Gennett, Okeh, Columbia, Paramount, Autograph, Vocalion, Brunswick, QRS and Victor labels, featuring recordings with his Creole Jazz Band, Dixie Syncopators, Savannah Syncopators, his Jazz Band and his Orchestra. It also includes recordings with Butterbeans & Susie, Irene Scruggs, Sippi Wallace, Ida Cox, Victoria Spivey, Katherine Henderson, Irene Gibson and Texas Alexander, and with the Clarence Williams Novelty Four, with performances alongside Louis Armstrong, Baby Dodds, Lil Armstrong, Jimmy Noone, Clarence Williams, Barney Bigard and many other top names. It’s a comprehensive showcase for one of the genre’s most important personalities.
CD 1
1. DIPPER MOUTH BLUES King Oliver (Gennett 5132) 1923
2. WEATHERBIRD RAG King Oliver (Gennett 5132) 1923
3. JUST GONE King Oliver (Gennett 5133) 1923
4. CANAL STREET BLUES King Oliver (Gennett 5133) 1923
5. I'M GOING AWAY TO WEAR YOU OFF MY MIND King Oliver (Gennett 5134) 1923
6. MANDY LEE BLUES King Oliver (Gennett 5134) 1923
7. CHIMES BLUES King Oliver (Gennett 5135) 1923
8. FROGGIE MOORE King Oliver (Gennett 5135) 1923
9. SNAKE RAG King Oliver (Gennett 5184) 1923
10. SWEET LOVIN' MAN King Oliver (Oken 4906) 1923
11. SOBBIN' BLUES King Oliver (Oken 4906) 1923
12. DIPPER MOUTH BLUES King Oliver (Oken 4918) 1923
13. WHERE DID YOU STAY LAST NIGHT King Oliver (Oken 4918) 1923
14. HIGH SOCIETY RAG King Oliver (Oken 4933) 1923
15. SNAKE RAG King Oliver (Oken 4933) 1923
16. JAZZIN' BABIES BLUES King Oliver (Oken 4975) 1923
17. KROOKED BLUES King Oliver (Gennett 5274) 1923
18. ALLIGATOR HOP King Oliver (Gennett 5274) 1923
19. ZULU'S BALL King Oliver (Gennett 5275) 1923
20. WORKINGMAN'S BLUES King Oliver (Gennett 5275) 1923
21. CHATTANOOGA STOMP King Oliver (Columbia 13003) 1923
22. NEW ORLEANS STOMP King Oliver (Columbia 13003) 1923
23. CAMP MEETING BLUES King Oliver (Columbia 14003D) 1923
24. LONDON CAFE BLUES (A NEW ORLEANS STOMP) King Oliver (Columbia 14003D) 1923
25. RIVERSIDE BLUES King Oliver (Paramount 20292) 1923
26. MABEL'S DREAM King Oliver (Paramount 20292) 1923
27. SOUTHERN STOMPS King Oliver (Paramount 12088) 1923 21.
CD 2
1. BUDDY'S HABIT King Oliver (Oken 40000) 1923
2. TEARS King Oliver (Oken 40000) 1923
3. ROOM RENT BLUES King Oliver (Oken 8148) 1923
4. I AIN'T GONNA TELL NOBODY King Oliver (Oken 8148) 1923
5. MABEL'S DREAM King Oliver (Oken 8235) 1923
6. SWEET BABY DOLL King Oliver (Oken 8235) 1923
7. WORKING MAN BLUES King Oliver (Oken 40034) 1923
8. RIVERSIDE BLUES King Oliver (Oken 40034) 1923
9. KISS ME SWEET Butterbeans & Susie (Oken 8182) 1924
10. I GOT YOUR BATH WATER ON Butterbeans & Susie (Oken 8182) 1924
11. KING PORTER STOMP King Oliver with Jelly Roll Morton (Autograph 617) 1924
12. TOM CAT BLUES King Oliver with Jelly Roll Morton (Autograph 617) 1924
13. MORNING DOVE BLUES Sippi Wallace (Okeh 8205) 1925
14. EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY Sippi Wallace (Okeh 8205) 1925
15. DEVIL DANCE BLUES Sippi Wallace (Okeh 8206) 1925
16. RAMBLING BLUES Ida Cox (Paramount 12318) 1925
17. COFFIN BLUES Ida Cox (Paramount 12318) 1925
18. TOO BAD King Oliver (Vocalion 1007) 1926
19. SNAG IT King Oliver (Vocalion 1007) 1926
20. JACKASS BLUES King Oliver (Vocalion 1014) 1926
21. DEEP HENDERSON King Oliver (Vocalion 1014) 1926
22. SORROW VALLEY BLUES Irene Scruggs (Vocalion 1017) 1926
23. HOME TOWN BLUES Irene Scruggs (Vocalion 1017) 1926
24. SUGARFOOT STOMP King Oliver (Vocalion 1033) 1926
25. WA WA WA King Oliver (Vocalion 1033) 1926
CD 3
1. NEW WANG WANG BLUES King Oliver (Vocalion 1049) 1926
2. TACK ANNIE King Oliver (Vocalion 1049) 1926
3. SNAG IT King Oliver (Brunswick 3361) 1926
4. DEAD MAN BLUES King Oliver (Vocalion 1059) 1926
5. SOMEDAY SWEETHEART King Oliver (Vocalion 1059) 1926
6. WILLIE THE WEEPER King Oliver (Vocalion 1112) 1927
7. BLACK SNAKE BLUES King Oliver (Vocalion 1112) 1927
8. DOCTOR JAZZ King Oliver (Vocalion 1113) 1927
9. SHOWBOAT SHUFFLE King Oliver (Vocalion 1114) 1927
10. EVERY TUB King Oliver (Vocalion 1114) 1927
11. SOBBIN' BLUES King Oliver (Vocalion 1152) 1927
12. FAREWELL BLUES King Oliver (Vocalion 1152) 1927
13. TIN ROOF BLUES King Oliver (Vocalion 1189) 1928
14. WEST END BLUES King Oliver (Vocalion 1189) 1928
15. SWEET EMMALINE King Oliver (Vocalion 1190) 1928
16. LAZY MAMA King Oliver (Vocalion 1190) 1928
17. SPEAKEASY BLUES King Oliver (Vocalion 1225) 1928
18. AUNT HAGAR'S BLUES King Oliver (Vocalion 1225) 1928
19. FOUR OR FIVE TIMES King Oliver (Brunswick 4028) 1928
20. GOT EVERYTHING King Oliver (Brunswick 4028) 1928
21. I'M WATCHING THE CLOCK King Oliver (Brunswick 4469) 1928
22. SLOW AND STEADY King Oliver (Brunswick 4469) 1928
23. MY HANDY MAN Victoria Spivey (Okeh 8615) 1928
24. ORGAN GRINDER BLUES Victoria Spivey (Okeh 8615) 1928
25. I'M BUSY AND YOU CAN'T COME IN Irene Gibbons (Columbia 14362D) 1928
CD 4
1. LONESOME LOVESICK BLUES Katherine Henderson (QRS 7032) 1928
2. HAVE YOU EVER FELT THAT WAY Katherine Henderson (QRS 7032) 1928
3. DO IT BABY Katherine Henderson (QRS 7041) 1928
4. IF YOU LIKE ME Katherine Henderson (QRS 7041) 1928
5. MUSHY LOVE Katherine Henderson (QRS 7054) 1928
6. DONT TURN YOUR BACK ON ME Sara Martin (QRS 7035) 1928
7. HOLE IN THE WALL Sara Martin (QRS 7035) 1928
8. DEATH STING ME BLUES Sara Martin (QRS 7042) 1928
9. MISTREATING MAN BLUES Sara Martin (QRS 7042) 1928
10. KITCHEN MAN BLUES Sara Martin (QRS 7043) 1928
11. MEAN TIGHT MAMA Sara Martin (QRS 7043) 1928
12. TELL ME WOMAN BLUES Texas Alexander (Okeh 8673) 1928
13. IN THE BOTTLE BLUES Clarence Williams & Novelty Four (Okeh 8645) 1928
14. WHAT YA WANT ME TO DO Clarence Williams & Novelty Four (Okeh 8645) 1928
15. WEST END BLUES King Oliver (Victor 38034) 1929
16. CALL OF THE FREAKS King Oliver (Victor 38039) 1929
17. THE TRUMPET'S PRAYER King Oliver (Victor 38039) 1929
18. CAN I TELL YOU? King Oliver (Victor 38049) 1929
19. MY GOOD MAN SAM King Oliver (Victor 38049) 1929
20. WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO? King Oliver (Victor 38090) 1929
21. TOO LATE King Oliver (Victor 38090) 1929
22. I WANT YOU JUST FOR MYSELF King Oliver (Victor 38101) 1929
23. FRANKIE AND JOHNNY King Oliver (Victor 38109) 1930
24. YOU'RE JUST MY TYPE King Oliver (Victor 38124) 1930
25. I MUST HAVE IT King Oliver (Victor 38124) 1930
CD 5
1. SWEET LIKE THIS King Oliver (Victor 38101) 1929
2. EVERYBODY DOES IT IN HAWAII King Oliver (Victor 38109) 1929
3. BOOGIE WOOGIE King Oliver (Victor 38134) 1930
4. MULE FACE BLUES King Oliver (Victor 38134) 1930
5. RHYTHM CLUB STOMP (CURWISHIP GLIDE) King Oliver (Victor 38137) 1930
6. EDNA King Oliver (Victor 38137) 1930
7. FREAKISH LIGHT BLUES King Oliver (Victor 38521) 1929
8. I'VE GOT THAT THING King Oliver (Victor 38521) 1929
9. ST. JAMES INFIRMARY King Oliver (Victor 22298) 1930
10. WHEN YOU'RE SMILING King Oliver (Victor 22298) 1930
11. OLGA King Oliver (Victor 22681) 1930
12. STRUGGLE BUGGY King Oliver (Victor 23001) 1930
13. DON'T YOU THINK I LOVE YOU? King Oliver (Victor 23001) 1930
14. STINGAREE BLUES King Oliver (Victor 23009) 1930
15. SHAKE IT AND BREAK IT King Oliver (Victor 23009) 1930
16. YOU WERE ONLY PASSING TIME WITH ME King Oliver (Victor 23011) 1930
17. WHAT'S THE USE OF LIVING WITHOUT LOVE? King Oliver (Victor 23011) 1930
18. I'M LONESOME, SWEETHEART King Oliver (Victor 23029) 1929
19. I CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU King Oliver (Victor 23029) 1929
20. NELSON STOMP King Oliver (Victor 23388) 1930
21. NEW ORLEANS SHOUT King Oliver (Victor 23388) 1929
22. STOP CRYING King Oliver (Brunswick 6053) 1931
23. I'M CRAZY BOUT MY BABY King Oliver (Brunswick 6065) 1931
24. SUGAR BLUES King Oliver (Brunswick 6065) 1931
