Person · 1885–1938 · New Orleans [29.98, -90.08]
King Oliver
Cornetist and bandleader Joe 'King' Oliver was one of the senior figures of New Orleans jazz, prized for his expressive use of mutes and his commanding lead. After leaving the city he built a celebrated band in Chicago and, in a gesture that shaped the music's future, sent for the young Louis Armstrong to join him in 1922. His 1923 recordings stand among the first great documents of the New Orleans ensemble style. His exact birth year is uncertain, given variously as 1881 and 1885 across the standard sources.
Evidence2
- MusicBrainz: King OliverMusicBrainz
musicbrainz.org/artist/744fa1ae-051c-463c-957a-25a4ddc01c2f
accessed 2026-06-04
- Wikidata: King OliverWikidata
www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313368
accessed 2026-06-04
Connections2
collaborates with → King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band
influences → Louis Armstrong
King Oliver was Louis Armstrong's early mentor in New Orleans and the man who summoned him to Chicago, a relationship the record links directly. Oliver's commanding cornet lead and expressive use of mutes shaped the younger player long before Armstrong surpassed him as a soloist.