King Oliver's Orchestra

In 1929 King Oliver signed a contract with Victor Talking Machine Company. These sessions turned out to be his last recordings as a band leader. Oliver had gum disease and was unable to play on many of these tracks and hired other trumpeters to play his parts. Oliver's nephew, Dave Nelson co-wrote many of these songs and wrote a great deal of the arrangements. Hawaiian style, slack key guitarist Roy Smeck is heard on the odd, but strangely effective "Everybody Does It In Hawaii".

Title	Recording Date	Recording Location	Company
Boogie Woogie (King Oliver / Dave Nelson)	4-10-1930	New York, New York	Victor V-38134-A
Call Of The Freaks (Luis Russell / Paul Barbarin)	2-1-1930	New York, New York	Victor V-38039-A Victor 741055 Bluebird B-6546-A
Can I Tell You?	2-25-1930	New York, New York	RCA X LX-3018 50523-1
Can I Tell You?	2-25-1930	New York, New York	Victor V-38049 50523-2
Don't You Think I Love You? (King Oliver / Dave Nelson)	5-22-1930	New York, New York	Victor 23001-A
Edna (King Oliver / Dave Nelson)	4-10-1930	New York, New York	Victor V-38137
Everybody Does It In Hawaii (J. Rogers)	1-15-1930	New York, New York	Victor V-38109 58338-1
Everybody Does It In Hawaii (J. Rogers)	3-18-1930	New York, New York	Victor V-38109 58338-4
Frankie And Johnny (traditional)	12-30-1929	New York, New York	Victor V-38109 58339-2
Frankie And Johnny (traditional)	1-15-1930	New York, New York	Victor V-38109 58339-3
Freakish Light Blues	2-1-1930	New York, New York	Victor V-38521 49649-3
Freakish Light Blues	2-1-1930	New York, New York	RCA X LX-3016 49649-4
I'm Lonesome Sweetheart (King Oliver / Dave Nelson)	11-6-1929	New York, New York	Victor 23029
I Can't Stop Loving You	11-6-1929	New York, New York	Victor 23029
I Must Have It (King Oliver)	3-18-1930	New York, New York	Victor V-38124
I've Got That Thing	1-16-1929	New York, New York	RCA X LX-3018 49651-1
I've Got That Thing	1-16-1929	New York, New York	Victor V-38521 49651-2
I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby	2-18-1931	New York, New York	Brunswick 6065
I Want You Just Myself	11-6-1929	New York, New York	Victor V-38101
Loveless Love (W.C. Handy)	4-15-1931	New York, New York	Vocalion 1610
Mule Face Blues (King Oliver / Dave Nelson)	4-10-1930	New York, New York	Victor V-38134-B
My Good Man Sam	2-25-1930	New York, New York	Victor V-38049
Nelson Stomp (Dave Nelson)	9-19-1930	Camden, New Jersey	Victor LPV-529 64013-1
Nelson Stomp (Dave Nelson)	9-19-1930	Camden, New Jersey	Victor 23388 64013-2
Nelson Stomp (Dave Nelson)	9-19-1930	Camden, New Jersey	Victor LPM-10017 64013-3
New Orleans Shout (King Oliver / Dave Nelson)	12-30-1929	New York, New York	Victor 23388
Olga (King Oliver / Dave Nelson)	5-22-1930	New York, New York	Victor 22681 62238-1
Olga (King Oliver / Dave Nelson)	5-22-1930	New York, New York	Victor 22681 62238-2
One More Time	4-15-1931	New York, New York	Vocalion 1610
Papa De Da Da "From the Musical Comedy "Lew Leslie's Blackbird's of 1930") (Clarence Todd / Clarence Williams)	1-9-1931	New York, New York	Brunswick 6053
Rhythm Club Stomp (King Oliver / Dave Nelson)	3-18-1930	New York, New York	Victor V-38137
Shake It Don't Break It (Frisco / Clark)	9-10-1930	New York, New York	Victor 23009-A
Stealing Love (Dave Nelson)	9-19-1930	Camden, New Jersey	Victor LPM-10017 64014-1
Stealing Love (Dave Nelson)	9-19-1930	Camden, New Jersey	Electrola EG-7853 64014-3
Stingaree Blues (Clinton A. Kemp)	9-10-1930	New York, New York	Victor 23009-B
St. James Infirmary (Joe Primrose)	5-22-1930	New York, New York	Victor 22298-A Bluebird B-5466-A
Stop Crying (King Oliver)	1-9-1931	New York, New York	Brunswick 6053
Struggle Buggy (C. Walker)	1-28-1930	New York, New York	Victor 23001-B
Sugar Blues (Lucy Fletcher / Clarence Williams)	2-18-1931	New York, New York	Brunswick 6065
Sweet Like This (King Oliver / Dave Nelson)	10-8-1929	New York, New York	Victor V-38101
The Trumpets Prayer	2-1-1930	New York, New York	Victor V-38039-B
Too Late (King Oliver / Dave Nelson)	10-8-1929	New York, New York	Victor V-38090-A
West End Blues (King Oliver / Clarence Williams)	1-16-1929	New York, New York	Victor V-38034-B
What's The Use Of Living Without You?	9-12-1930	New York, New York	Victor 23011-B
What You Want Me To Do (King Oliver / Clarence Williams)	10-8-1929	New York, New York	Victor V-38090-B
When I Take My Sugar To Tea	4-15-1931	New York, New York	Vocalion 1617
When Your Smiling (The Whole World Smiles At You) (Fisher / Goodwin / Shay)	1-28-1930	New York, New York	Victor 22298-B Bluebird B-5466-B
Who's Blue? (Gould / Rule)	1-9-1931	New York, New York	Brunswick 6046
Your Just My Type (King Oliver)	3-18-1930	New York, New York	Victor V-38124
You Were Only Passing Time With Me (Alexander Hill)	9-12-1930	New York, New York	Victor 23011-A

Artist	Instrument
Henry "Red" Allen	Trumpet
Jimmy Archey	Trombone
Paul Barbarin	Drums
Buster Bailey	Clarinet
Bill Beason	Drums
George Bias	Vocals
Carroll Dickerson	Director
Bill Dillard	Trumpet
Henry Duncan	Piano
William Franklin	Trombone
Charles Frazier	Tenor Saxophone
Don Frye	Piano
Richard Fullbright	Tuba
J.C. Higginbotham	Trombone
Bobby Holmes	Clarinet, Alto Saxophone
Charlie Holmes	Clarinet, Alto, and Soprano Saxophone
Teddy Hill or Greely Walton	Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone
Hilton Jefferson	Alto Saxophone
James P. Johnson	Piano
Will Johnson	Banjo, Guitar
Edmond Jones	Drums
Henry L. Jones	Alto Saxophone
Walter Jones	Banjo
Norman Lester	Piano
Goldie Lucas	Guitar, Vocals
Bingie Madison	Tenor Saxophone, Vocals
Punch Miller	Cornet
Bubber Miley	Trumpet
Dave Nelson	Trumpet
Louis Metcalf	Trumpet
Fred Moore	Drums
Bass Moore	Tuba
King Oliver	Trumpet, Director
Glyn Pacque	Alto Saxophone
Walter Pichon	Vocals
Ward Pinkett	Trumpet, Vocals
Gene Rodgers	Piano
George Rodgers	Director
Luis Russell	Piano
Omer Simeon	Clarinet, Alto, and Soprano Saxophone
Cassino Simpson	Piano, Banjo, Tuba, Drums
Fred Skerritt	Baritone Saxophone, Vocals
Roy Smeck	Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, Harmonica
Arthur Taylor	Banjo
Clinton Walker	Tuba
Loren L. Watson	Director
Walter Wheeler	Tenor Saxophone

A special thanks to James Gallup and Aaron T. Heverin, for their help with
the recordings on this page.