[Dixielandjazz] The Loudest Trumpet/King Oliver

[Len Nielsen]

Hi Dan

Since no one else has replied to your post I will give you what little 
information I have on the subject. The information comes from the liner 
notes with the CD..King Oliver..The New York Sessions (1929-1930).

The notes are written by Steven Lasker who is described as a 
discographer, researcher and collector with special emphasis on the 
works of Duke Ellington.

There are 16 RCA Victor sides included in this CD and there were an 
additional half dozen sessions done at Victor under the name of Oliver 
where other trumpeters substituted for Oliver. One of these, Louis 
Metcalf stated that Oliver was unable to play as he "was having so much 
trouble with his teeth. He tried hard on the run through, but his teeth 
couldn't stand the pressure of the mouthpiece. The pain was so intense 
he had to quit, so I played his part as well as my own".

Lasker says that Oliver's nutrition was bad ( I believe I have seen 
interviews elsewhere, where it was stated that Oliver liked sugar 
sandwiches) and that he was overweight and smoked heavily. He had 
neglected dental hygiene and had advanced pyorrhea or periodontitus and 
after describing the effects of this Lasker said that Oliver eventually 
lost all his teeth. "In the late twenties, it probably caused him pain 
every time he put horn to mouth. (Pianist Don Frye recalled that Oliver 
recorded "Too Late" over and over agian until he got it right, and the 
strain was such that Oliver was on the verge of tears by the end".

Lasker says that it was evident from 1926 on, that the pain caused 
Oliver to fluff occasional notes.

Lasker cites Laurie Wright's revised edition of Walter Allen and Brian 
Rust's 438 page bio-discography of "King" Oliver as a source for his notes.

Len Nielsen
Victoria Canada


Dan Hardie writes
The King Oliver question is a great puzzle and the various contributors 
from the list about that are probably better informed about that than I 
am. I have always guessed that Oliver had tooth problems and I wonder 
how much better Bunk Johnson would have played with  his own teeth. 
Interviews with early musicians suggest he played like Bobby Hackett in 
1908. Oliver's Dippermouth Blues solo does not sound like a player over 
the hill to me, but his solos with Jelly Roll Mouton appear like those 
of a man having trouble playing the instrument. Does anyone know about that?