Sy Oliver was one of the most important arrangers of the swing era. A trumpeter, singer and arranger in Jimmie Lunceford's orchestra in the 1930s, Oliver was hired by Tommy Dorsey in 1939 to give the band a more authentic Savoy Ballroom sound. Oliver's good fortune came the following January when Frank Sinatra joined Dorsey and Oliver was tasked with orchestrating the singer's up-tempo numbers. Axel Stordahl handled the ballads.
Some of Sinatra's most memorable songs with Dorsey were arranged by Oliver, including Stardust, Without a Song, East of the Sun, Blue Skies, It's Always You, The One I Love (Belongs to Somebody Else), Polka Dots and Moonbeams, Oh! Look at Me Now, Dolores, Let's Get Away From It All and Snootie Little Cutie. Oliver remained with Dorsey until 1946, when he left to work as a freelance arranger for Decca.
In the 1950s, Oliver arranged albums mostly for swing era singers and bandleaders who were transitioning into the 12-inch LP era. During this period, Oliver worked extensively with Ella Fitzgerald. By the late 1950s, he was recording albums as a leader. Two of his finest LPs from this period are Easy Walker (Sesac) and Sentimental Sy (Dot). The former was recorded in 1962 while the latter was captured in 1958.
Easy Walker is an instrumental swinger taken mostly at a relaxed pace. The band featured Jimmy Nottingham, Joe Newman and Dick Perry (tp); Frank Saracco, Mort Bullman and Rod Levitt (tb); Phil Bodner, George Dorsey, Seldon Powell, Budd Johnson and Dave McRae (saxophones); Dave Martin (p); George Barnes (g); Joe Benjamin (b); Jimmy Crawford (d); Warren Smith (perc) and Sy Oliver (arr,ldr).
Sentimental Sy features Oliver's best known big-band arrangements, including Opus 1, On the Sunny Side of the Street, East of the Sun and For You. The band's personnel (dig the trumpet and rhythm sections!) included Reunald Jones, Jimmy Nottingham, Ernie Royal, Charlie Shavers and Ray Copeland (tp); Frank Saracco, Bobby Byrne, Vince Forchetti and Tom Mitchell (tb); Phil Bodner (as); George Dorsey (as,cl); Sam “The Man" Taylor and Babe Fresk (ts); Dave McRae (bar); Hank Jones (p); George Barnes (g); Sandy Block (b); Jimmy Crawford (d); Sy Oliver (vcl,arr); Jerry Duane, Sylvia Texlor, Robert Bollinger and David Vogel (vcl).
Both of these albums will give you a fine sense of how special Oliver was as a swing arranger and in helping Dorsey and Sinatra develop their most memorable recordings. The songs also will likely come as a surprise to you, since Oliver still isn't widely known though his arrangements are most familiar. Most of all, listen to the inventive quality of his writing. Every post-war band arranger owes a debt of gratitude to Oliver.
Sy Oliver died in 1988 at age 77.
Here's Snootie Little Cutie with Connie Haines and Sinatra...
Here's Dolores...
Here's It's Always You...
And here's Sinatra backed by Sy Oliver conducting his updated arrangement of the same song in 1961...
Some of Sinatra's most memorable songs with Dorsey were arranged by Oliver, including Stardust, Without a Song, East of the Sun, Blue Skies, It's Always You, The One I Love (Belongs to Somebody Else), Polka Dots and Moonbeams, Oh! Look at Me Now, Dolores, Let's Get Away From It All and Snootie Little Cutie. Oliver remained with Dorsey until 1946, when he left to work as a freelance arranger for Decca.
In the 1950s, Oliver arranged albums mostly for swing era singers and bandleaders who were transitioning into the 12-inch LP era. During this period, Oliver worked extensively with Ella Fitzgerald. By the late 1950s, he was recording albums as a leader. Two of his finest LPs from this period are Easy Walker (Sesac) and Sentimental Sy (Dot). The former was recorded in 1962 while the latter was captured in 1958.
Easy Walker is an instrumental swinger taken mostly at a relaxed pace. The band featured Jimmy Nottingham, Joe Newman and Dick Perry (tp); Frank Saracco, Mort Bullman and Rod Levitt (tb); Phil Bodner, George Dorsey, Seldon Powell, Budd Johnson and Dave McRae (saxophones); Dave Martin (p); George Barnes (g); Joe Benjamin (b); Jimmy Crawford (d); Warren Smith (perc) and Sy Oliver (arr,ldr).
Sentimental Sy features Oliver's best known big-band arrangements, including Opus 1, On the Sunny Side of the Street, East of the Sun and For You. The band's personnel (dig the trumpet and rhythm sections!) included Reunald Jones, Jimmy Nottingham, Ernie Royal, Charlie Shavers and Ray Copeland (tp); Frank Saracco, Bobby Byrne, Vince Forchetti and Tom Mitchell (tb); Phil Bodner (as); George Dorsey (as,cl); Sam “The Man" Taylor and Babe Fresk (ts); Dave McRae (bar); Hank Jones (p); George Barnes (g); Sandy Block (b); Jimmy Crawford (d); Sy Oliver (vcl,arr); Jerry Duane, Sylvia Texlor, Robert Bollinger and David Vogel (vcl).
Both of these albums will give you a fine sense of how special Oliver was as a swing arranger and in helping Dorsey and Sinatra develop their most memorable recordings. The songs also will likely come as a surprise to you, since Oliver still isn't widely known though his arrangements are most familiar. Most of all, listen to the inventive quality of his writing. Every post-war band arranger owes a debt of gratitude to Oliver.
Sy Oliver died in 1988 at age 77.
Here's Snootie Little Cutie with Connie Haines and Sinatra...
Here's Dolores...
Here's It's Always You...
And here's Sinatra backed by Sy Oliver conducting his updated arrangement of the same song in 1961...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved.
