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December 17
Melvin James” Sy” Oliver was from Battle Creek, MI. Both of his parents were music teachers in Ohio, where he grew up. He played the trumpet as a boy and at the age of 17 took a job with Zack Whyte and his Chocolate Beau Brummels. He joined the Jimmie Lunceford orchestra in 1933. There he established a reputation for innovative arranging characterized by imaginative instrumentation and a full-bodied sound. He also developed a distinctive “growl" sound, in his own playing. In 1939, he joined the orchestra of Tommy Dorsey as a singer and arranger. He led a band while in the army during World War II and returned to Dorsey's orchestra after the war. From the late 1940s to the early 1970s, Oliver held a variety of jobs, including a decade as musical director of Decca Records. In the early 1970s, he formed a nine-piece orchestra that continued to perform until 1984. Sy Oliver died May 28, 1988 in New York City. Reference: Jazz People by Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, New York Copyright 1976 ISBN 0-8109-1152-3
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The African American Registry®, The African American Registry® Copyright 2005, 2006
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