Jazz trumpeter.
Oliver was born in Cambridge, Massachussetts on October 21 of 1894.
He seems to started trumpet lessons when he was a child.
Oliver served as trumpeter for the General Pershing's Military band during the World War I.
After the World War I, he started making recordings on 1919 as member of several Harry A. Yerkes units & joined Ray Miller's band, with whom Oliver recorded from 1920 to August 12 of 1922.
It was also the beginning of Oliver's growling trumpet style, which started its developement that was modeled after
Nick LaRocca &
Jules Levy Jr. among other trumpeters.
Oliver's style consisted of varying the melody with the frequent use of flutter tongue effects that he started using around 1921 & gave birth also to his growling trumpet playing style.
According to Michael May, Oliver developed & started using 6 solo routines when he was playing either on live gigs or on recording sessions, a fact which attests his ability to read.
That isn't all, Oliver was also very good with the mutes, which were the wah-wah mute, the straight mute & even the derby mute.
He also played in open horn too.
Trombonist Tom Brown was with Oliver on both bands.
Oliver left Miller's Orchestra on mid August of 1922 to join
Clyde Doerr's Orchestra, with whom he recorded for Victor "I Wish I Knew", "Swanee Smiles" & "Suez", although as 2nd trumpeter alongside William Nappi.
It was on March of 1923 that Oliver started recording with
Bob Haring (his first session with Haring was on March 19 of 1923, when he recorded "By The Shalimar" & "Starlight Bay"), and April of 1923 that
Ben Selvin (the grandpa of David Eric Selvin & Emily Selvin) hired Earl Oliver for his band on recording sessions alongside Ray Stillwell, Arnold Brilhart, Thomas/Tom "Spatty" Timothy & Lew/Louis/Lou Cobey, who in their case were hired by Selvin on November of 1922.
Oliver's first recording session with Selvin was between April 27 & 28 of 1923, when they backed Billy Jones & Ernest Hare in their recordigns of "I Love Me (I'm Wild About Myself)" (Jones's solo recording) & "Barney Google" (vocal duet by Jones & Hare), both originally issued on Vocalion 14556.
And if that's not enought,
Arthur Lange hired Oliver for his Orchestra on mid 1923.
Thanks to his good work with Ben Selvin, Arthur Lange & Bob Haring, Oliver also started & was also allowed by Selvin to record with
Roger Wolfe Kahn,
Sam Lanin,
Charlie Fry,
Nathan Glantz,
Lou Gold,
Eddie Peabody,
Adrian Schubert,
Harry Reser,
Joe Raymond (Oliver is on Raymond's 1923 to 1924 Victor sides),
Egizi Olympic Theatre Orchestra (under Umberto Egizi's direction) & many more bandleaders & orchestras, as well as backing vocalists
Irving Kaufman,
William Robyn,
Peggy English,
Lee Morse,
Betty Morgan,
Healy & Cross,
Lucille Hegamin,
Evelyn Preer,
George Watts,
Frank Richardson,
Dolly Kay, Blanche Kaise,
Arthur Fields,
Arthur Hall, [a=John Ryan (14)],
Isabella Patricola, etc.
According to Joe W. Freeman's book "
Henry Levine and the "recording" trumpeters", Henry "Hot Lips" Levine described Earl Oliver as being a tall & skinny guy that was more or less a loner & it was his good playing that the recording bandleaders wanted.
Oliver lived with his wife, Marcella at 435 East 57 St Manhattan, New York. He died on January 2, 1933. He was 38 years old when he passed.
[Information about Oliver's first recording with Ben Selvin from Richard Johnson & Bernard Shirley's book "American Dance Bands On Record & Film, 1915-1942", who is also the source of the information about Oliver's recording career.]
