Melvin James "Sy" Oliver (December 17, 1910 – May 28, 1988) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader.

Life

Sy Oliver was born in

Battle Creek, Michigan Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which enc ...

, United States. His mother was a piano teacher, and his father was a multi-instrumentalist, who demonstrated

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

s at a time when instrument was seldom played other than by marching bands. Oliver left home at 17 to play with

Zack Whyte Zack Whyte (sometimes spelled Zach Whyte) (1898 – March 10, 1967) was an American jazz bandleader, best known for leading the territory band the Chocolate Beau Brummels. Biography Whyte was born in 1898 in Richmond, Kentucky. He studied at Wilbe ...

and his Chocolate Beau Brummels and later with Alphonse Trent. He sang and played trumpet with these bands, becoming known for his "growling" horn playing. He also began arranging with them. He continued singing for the next 17 years, making many recordings when he was with

Jimmie Lunceford James Melvin Lunceford (June 6, 1902 – July 12, 1947) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era. Early life Lunceford was born on a farm in the Evergreen community, west of the Tombigbee River, near Fulton, Mi ...

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

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

, he recorded very few vocals. In 1941, he sang with

Jo Stafford Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917July 16, 2008) was an American traditional pop music singer, whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. Admired for the purity of her voice, she originally underwent classi ...

, 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". Oliver arranged and conducted many songs for

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

from her

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in We ...

years. As a composer, one of his most famous songs was "

T'ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It) "Tain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" is a song written by jazz musicians Melvin "Sy" Oliver and James "Trummy" Young. It was first recorded in 1939 by Jimmie Lunceford, Harry James, and Ella Fitzgerald, and again the same year by Na ...

", which he co-wrote with Trummy Young in 1939. In 1933, Oliver joined

'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 Wilson; 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." In 1939, when band leader

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

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

with a prominent role in a white band when he joined

. (

Fletcher Henderson James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black music ...

, another African American composer/arranger, had joined the

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His conc ...

orchestra as the arranger a few years earlier.) He led the transition of the Dorsey band from

Dixieland Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ...

to modern

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...

. His joining was instrumental in Dorsey luring several jazz players, including

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...

, to his band. With Dorsey, Oliver continued sharing arranging duties with other arrangers, primarily

Axel Stordahl Axel Stordahl (August 8, 1913 – August 30, 1963) was an American arranger who was active from the late 1930s through the 1950s. He is perhaps best known for his work with Frank Sinatra in the 1940s at Columbia Records. With his sophisticat ...

, 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." His arrangement of "

On the Sunny Side of the Street "On the Sunny Side of the Street" is a 1930 song composed by Jimmy McHugh with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Some authors say that Fats Waller was the composer, but he sold the rights to the song. It was introduced in the Broadway musical '' Lew Lesli ...

" was a big hit for Dorsey in 1946, as were his compositions "Yes, Indeed!" (a

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

-jazz tune that was later recorded by

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

), " Opus One" (originally titled as "Opus No. 1", but changed to suit the lyric that was added later), "The Minor Is Muggin'", and "Well, Git It". Oliver left Dorsey after seven years, in 1946, and began working as a freelance arranger and as music director for

. On June 26, 1950, Sy Oliver and his Orchestra recorded the first American version of "

C'est si bon "" (; ) is a French popular song composed in 1947 by Henri Betti with the lyrics by André Hornez. The English lyrics were written in 1949 by Jerry Seelen. The song has been adapted in several languages. History In July 1947, Henri Betti ...

" ( Henri Betti,

André Hornez André Hornez (12 May 1905 – 9 March 1989) was a French lyricist and screenwriter. Lyricist of Paul Misraki in the years 1930-1940 for which he writes many songs lyrics like ''Qu'est-ce qu'on attend pour être heureux?'' (1937), André Hornez ...

Jerry Seelen Jerome Lincoln Seelen (March 11, 1912 - September 12, 1981) was an American screenwriter and lyricist . Biography Jerry Seelen wrote lyrics for songs in musical films and wrote screenplays for radio and television. During his lyricist career, ...

) and "

La Vie en rose "La Vie en rose" (; ) is the signature song of popular French singer Édith Piaf, written in 1945, popularized in 1946, and released as a single in 1947. The song became very popular in the US in 1950, when seven versions reached the ''Billboard ...

" (

Louiguy Louis Guglielmi (3 April 1916 – 4 April 1991), known by his pen name Louiguy (), was a Spanish-born French musician of Italian descent. He wrote the melody for Édith Piaf's lyrics of "La Vie en Rose" and the Latin jazz composition "Ceri ...

Édith Piaf Édith Piaf (, , ; born Édith Giovanna Gassion, ; December 19, 1915– October 10, 1963) was a French singer, lyricist and actress. Noted as France's national chanteuse, she was one of the country's most widely known international stars. Pi ...

Mack David Mack David (July 5, 1912 – December 30, 1993) was an American lyricist and songwriter, best known for his work in film and television, with a career spanning the period between the early 1940s and the early 1970s. David was credited with writing ...

) for

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and Singing, vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and se ...

. One of his more successful efforts as an arranger was the 1961

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

album, ''

I Remember Tommy ''I Remember Tommy...'' is an album by Frank Sinatra, released in 1961. It was recorded as a tribute to bandleader Tommy Dorsey, and consists of re-recorded versions of songs that Sinatra had first performed or recorded with Dorsey earlier in hi ...

'', a combined tribute to their former boss. In 1974, he began a nightly gig with a small band at the

Rainbow Room The Rainbow Room is a private event space on the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Run by Tishman Speyer, it is among the highest venues in New York City. The Rainbow Room serves cla ...

in New York. He continued that gig until 1984, with occasionally time off to make festival or other dates, including at the

Roseland Ballroom The Roseland Ballroom was a multipurpose hall, in a converted ice skating rink, with a colorful ballroom dancing pedigree, in New York City's theater district, on West 52nd Street in Manhattan. The venue, according to its website, accommodat ...

in New York. He retired in 1984. Oliver died in New York City at the age of 77.

Discography

* ''Sway It with Flowers'' (Brunswick, 1956) * ''Sentimental Sy'' (Dot, 1958) * ''77 Sunset Strip and Other Selections'' with Frankie Ortega (Jubilee, 1959) * ''Back Stage'' (Dot, 1959) * ''Dance Music for People Who Don't Dance Any More'' (Riverside, 1961) * ''What Can I Say?'' with Val Anthony (L.I.M.S., 1966) * ''Yes Indeed'' (Black and Blue, 1973) * ''Annie Laurie'' (Jazz Legacy, 1978) * ''Easy Walker'' (Jazz Legacy, 1979)

As sideman

With

* ''Lunceford Special'' (Columbia, 1967) * ''Stomp it Off'' (Decca, 1992) * ''Rhythm is Our Business'' (Decca, 1996) * ''Swingsation'' (GRP, 1998) With others *

, ''Satchmo Serenades'' (Decca, 1952) *

, ''What Is This Thing Called Love?'' (Victor, 1942) *

, ''Ella: The Legendary Decca Recordings'' (GRP, 1995) *

, ''The Popular Frank Sinatra'' (Megaforce, 2015) *

Caterina Valente Caterina Valente (born 14 January 1931) is a French multilingual singer, guitarist, and dancer of Italian ethnicity. Valente is a polyglot; she speaks six languages, and sings in eleven. While she is best known as a performer in Europe, Valent ...

, ''Plenty Valente'' (Decca, 1957) *

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...

, '' Miss Wonderful'' (Decca, 1959) — arranger, conductor *

, ''

Dream Street Dream Street were an American pop music, pop boy band that was formed in 1999 by Louis Baldonieri and Brian Lukow. The band disbanded in 2002 following a legal dispute between parents of the band members and the band's managers. History The ...

'' (Capitol Records, 1957) — arranger, conductor *

with the Sy Oliver Orchestra, "The Siamese Cat Song" (''Lady and the Tramp'' soundtrack, Walt Disney Records, 1955) — bandleader

References

External links

Sy Oliver Papers
the collection of his personal scores and papers, in th
Music Division
o
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

an interview with Les Tompkins, 1974. *
Sy Oliver recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Oliver, Sy 1910 births 1988 deaths American jazz composers American male jazz composers American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters American music arrangers American jazz bandleaders Big band bandleaders Jubilee Records artists Bell Records artists People from Battle Creek, Michigan Jazz musicians from Michigan Jazz arrangers 20th-century American composers 20th-century trumpeters 20th-century American male musicians New York Jazz Repertory Company members Black & Blue Records artists Columbia Records artists Decca Records artists Capitol Records artists Bluebird Records artists 20th-century jazz composers 20th-century African-American musicians

Life

Discography

As sideman

See also

References

External links