Sy Oliver
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Melvin "Sy" Oliver (born December 17, 1910 in Battle Creek, Michigan — died May 28, 1988 in New York City) was a jazz arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader. His mother was a piano teacher and his father was a multi-instrumentalist who made a name for himself demonstrating saxophones at a time that instrument was little used outside of marching bands.
Oliver left home at 17 to play with Zack White and his Chocolate Beau Brummels and later with Alphonse Trent. He sang and played trumpet with these bands, becoming known for his "growling" horn playing.
He joined Jimmie Lunceford's band in the 1933 and contributed many hit arrangements to the band, including "My Blue Heaven" and "Ain't She Sweet". In 1939, he became one of the first African Americans with a prominent role in a white band when he joined Tommy Dorsey as an arranger, though he ceased playing trumpet at that time. He led the transition of the Dorsey band from Dixieland to modern big band. His joining was instrumental in Buddy Rich's decision to join Dorsey. His arrangement of "On the Sunny Side of the Street" was big hit for Dorsey, as was his own composition, "Yes Indeed", a gospel-jazz tune that was later recorded by Ray Charles. After leaving Dorsey, he continued working as a free-lance arranger and as music director for Decca Records. In later years, up until 1980, he led his own jazz band, for which he took up the trumpet again.
