Sy Oliver papers

Description data TOP

physdesc

{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>"24.5 linear ft. (97 boxes)"}

unitid

{"value"=>"JPB 96-23", "type"=>"local_call"}

{"value"=>"20236", "type"=>"local_mss"}

unittitle

{"value"=>"Sy Oliver papers"}

repository

{"value"=>"The New York Public Library, Music Division"}

abstract

{"value"=>"The Sy Oliver Papers contain scores and parts used by Oliver throughout his careers as well as a sampling of personal papers and photographs. Most notable among the scores are those created for Jimmie Lunceford and Tommy Dorsey, which were instrumental in ushuring the \"swing\" era of big band music."}

prefercite

{"value"=>"<p>The Sy Oliver Papers, JPB 96-23, Music Division, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations.</p>"}

bioghist

{"value"=>"<p>Melvin James (\"Sy\") Oliver was born December 17, 1910 in Battle Creek, Michigan. His family moved to Zanesville, Ohio while Oliver was still a child. Oliver absorbed music early in life (both parents were music teachers) and learned trumpet while still a child. By the age of 17 he became a member of the territory band led by Zack Whyte. During this time he taught himself arranging as a way of proving the viability of his harmonic theories. Around 1932 he was associated with Alphonso Trent's territory band. After accepting several of Oliver's arrangements, Jimmie Lunceford invited Oliver to join his band in 1933. He stayed with Lunceford until 1939, working as sideman on trumpet, arranger, vocalist on novelties, and performing with the Lunceford Trio. He is responsible for creating not only that band's unique sound during its heyday in the 1930s, but is also credited with forming the swing sound.</p> <p>In 1939 he left the Lunceford orchestra and joined the Tommy Dorsey Band, where he composed and arranged many of that band's famous numbers. He also sang some vocals played trumpet (this was his last significant stint playing trumpet). He was listed as an orchestrator on at least three films made in Hollywood, Dubarry Was a Lady (1943), Girl Crazy (1943), and Broadway Rhythm (1944), all made with the Tommy Dorsey band. From 1943 through 1945 he was bandmaster while serving in the US Army (see his Honorable Discharge, folder 1643).</p> <p>He led his own orchestra between 1946-47. Thereafter he continued arrranging for many groups, and soloists, including the Mills Brothers, Frank Sinatra. In the 1950s and 60s he was involved in numerous recordings, not only stereo re-recordings of his Lunceford and Dorsey arrangements, but also new arrangements.</p> <p>In the 1960's and 1970's he toured with his own band in Paris (once again playing trumpet after many years, as well as flugelhorn and vibraphone), and appeared at several clubs in New York. He first began to perform at the Rainbow Room with his own ensemble during this time. It was an association that was to last until 1984 (see folders 1649-1651).</p> <p>Sy Oliver died on May 28, 1988.</p>"}

scopecontent

{"value"=>"<p>The bulk of the Sy Oliver papers are the scores and parts he used. A number of these stem from his days with the Jimmie Lunceford and Tommy Dorsey orchestras, while others stem from recordings such as \"Sy Oliver Back Stage.\" On occasion manuscripts indicate that arrangements were produced for various artists, such as the Mills Brothers, Chick Webb, or Erskine Hawkins. Many vocal arrangements indicate they were made for his wife, Lillian Clark, and her singing group. A few others were made for the Pied Pipers, a group that appeared with the Tommy Dorsey band. His successful career as an arranger led him to publish \"Sy Oliver's self-instructor arranging course\" (see folder 1632).</p> <p>Some scores were used for the New York Jazz Repertory Company in 1974. A large portion of material comes from Oliver's eight-part ensemble which appeared at the Rainbow Room. Many of these arrangements were modified slightly (often with the addition of guitar) when the band played at Monte Carlo. Probably from around this time he also made some arrangements for ten-piece band. Apparently he gave the original manuscripts of these away but retained photocopies, which are included in this collection.</p> <p>Oliver organization for his collection is to be found in his inventory (see folder 1633). It has listing by song title as well as indicies.</p> <p>Sy Oliver's birth certificate, military discharge, and several passports are among the personal documents. The majority of correspondence stem from the 1970s through his death. Among the significant files are those relating to the Rainbow Room as well as a large amount of fan mail.</p> <p>There are a number of clippings concerning Oliver's work after 1970, in particular his European tours and his work at the Rainbow Room. There are also programs from this period, most of them containing concerts at which Oliver's arrangements were played.</p> <p>Among the nearly hundred photographs are publicity \"collages\" from the Apollo Theatre in New York City, portraits, photographs taken during live concert appearances, and several photographs of family members. Among the celebrities seen are Josephine Baker, Count Basie, Sammy Davis Jr., Lionel Hampton, and Frank Sinatra.</p>"}

{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Sy Oliver papers are arranged in five series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20236#c544000'>Series 1, Part A: Single Works</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20236#c545546'>Series 1, Part B: Medleys</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20236#c545666'>Series 2: Books</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20236#c545672'>Series 3: Papers And Correspondence</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20236#c545716'>Series 4: Photographs</a></div>\n</li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}

arrangement

{"value"=>"<p>The Sy Oliver Papers are arranged in four series:</p> <p> <span class=\"emph\">Series 1: Musical scores and parts</span></p> <p>For convenience of the user, series one in this finding aid has been arranged alphabetically by title of song. Under each different title, generally scores have been placed first, then parts. Certain titles have several sets of scores and parts. In such cases, an attempt was made to group scores with their corresponding parts next to one another. (This was not always possible as many of the parts for different arrangements had been found interfiled together.)</p> <p>Part A consists of individual songs. Part B consists of medleys, arranged by title of medley.</p> <p>Folder numbers may not appear sequentially since oversize scores (those larger than 38 x 27 cm.) are filed separately (folders 1-336, and 1769-1805).</p> <p>If published sheet music exists for a title, it is located after the listing for parts.</p> <p>Sy Oliver's inventory (see folder 1633) contains extensive cross-indexing based on style of song and arrangement.</p> <p> <span class=\"emph\">Series 2: Books</span></p> <p>The four books are arranged alphabetically by the author's last name.</p> <p> <span class=\"emph\">Series 3: Papers and documents</span></p> <p>This series is organized with the following sub-groups: Personal correspondence, business documents, fan mail, clipping and programs. Within each sub-group items are generally arranged in chronological order.</p> <p> <span class=\"emph\">Series 4: Photographs</span></p> <p>Following the finding aid is a partial list of works organized by arrangement. This is followed by a list of names occuring in the collection.</p>", "supress_display"=>true}

acqinfo

{"value"=>"<p>The Sy Oliver Papers were donated in 1995 by his widow, Lillian Clark Oliver.</p>"}

userestrict

{"value"=>"<p>For permission to copy or publish please contact the Music Division.</p>"}

note

{"value"=>"Dorsey, Tommy - arrangements for Barcarolle Blue skies Boogie woogie Chicago Deep river Dorsey, Tommy, medley East of the sun Fanfares Hang over Hawaiian war chant I'm coming Virginia I'm getting sentimental over you Marie Oh! Look at me now On the sunny side of the street One I love, The Song of India Swanee river Then I'll be happy There are such things This love of mine Well, git it Yes indeed Lunceford, Jimmie - arrangements for Ain't she sweet Annie Laurie By the river Sainte Marie Cheatin' on me Dream of you For dancers only Four or five times I'm walking through heaven with you Jazznocracy Margie My blue heaven Organ grinder swing Rhythm is our business Tain't what you do White heat Yard dog mazurka New York Jazz Repertory Company - arrangements for Birmingham breakdown Blue skies Chant of the weed Chicago Cotton tail Don't be that way East St. Louis toodle-oo Ellington Medley I got rhythm Main stem Marie Opus one Perdido Ring dem bells Sophisticated lady Warm valley Well, git it 8-part arrangements A foggy day A man and a woman After the lovin' Ain't misbehaving Ain't she sweet All or nothing at all All the things you are Amapola Amor And the angels sing Annie medley Anniversary waltz As time goes by Auld lang syne Autumn medley Baby, won't you please come home Bad, bad Leroy Brown Basin Street blues Be my love Because of you Begin the beguine Berlin medley Bésame mucho Best of times, The Big apple, The Blue Danube Blue moon Blue nocturne Blue skies Blues in the night Boogie-boogie Bossa nova Brazil But beautiful But not for me By the river Sainte Marie Bye bye blues Cabaret Canadian sunset Can't we talk it over Careless medley Change partners Cheek to cheek Chicago Chorus line medley Christmas medley Christmas song-Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Close to you Cocktails for two Copacabana Cumparsita, La Dancing in the dark Danke schoen Day in, day out Days of wine and roses Deed I do Didn't we Don't get around much anymore Don't be that way Don't blame me Dorsey, Tommy, medley Dream Dream of you Dreams Easy to love medley Evergreen Everything happens to me Everything's coming up roses Exactly like you Fascinatin' rhythm Feelings First set medley First set medley 3 Flamingo Fly me to the moon For all we know For all we know medley For dancers only For heaven's sake For me and my gal medley For once in my life Forty-second street medley Freeway mambo G D G and G Gershwin medley Get out of town Getting to know you Ghost of a chance medley Give me the simple life Goodbye Gospellation Green eyes Hernando's hideaway Hey now! Hey! Look me over Honeysuckle Rose How about you medley How high the moon How long has this been going on Hustle I can't get started I concentrate on you I could have danced all night I could have danced all night medley I could write a book I don't know why medley I don't want to walk without you I let a song go out of my heart I love my wife I love you much too much I may be wrong I should care I sing the songs I surrender, dear I understand I want to be happy I will wait for you I wish you love I write the songs I'll be home for Christmas I'll be seeing you I'll close my eyes I'll never fall in love again I'll never smile again I'll remember April I'm a dreamer medley I'm in the mood for love I'm just wild about Harry I'm walking through heaven with you I've got a right to sing the blues I've got you under my skin I've gotta be me I've grown accustomed to her face If dreams come true If ever I would leave you If he walked into my life Impossible dream, The In a little Spanish town In a sentimental mood In the mood In the still of the night Indiana Isn't it romantic It all depends on you It could happen to you It don't mean a thing It might as well be spring It started all over again It's a wonderful world It's impossible It's only a paper moon Jalousie Jersey bounce Jesse S. Just the way you are Just you, just me Kinda Dukish Last tango in Paris Laura Lerner and Loewe medley Let's do it Let's get it on Lights out medley Little opus Lonesome ol' town Love (your magic spell is everywhere) Love is a many splendored thing Lovely to look at Mack the knife Make someone happy Make-believe ballroom time Mame Manha de carnaval Manhattan Manhattan medley Margie Meditation Medley four Melodic cha-cha Memories of you Memory Misty Moon river Moonglow Moonglow medley Moonlight serenade More More than you know Moten stomp Mr. Lucky My blue heaven My heart belongs to daddy My heart sings My way My wild Irish rose Nearness of you, The New York New York medley Night and day Nobody does it better Oklahoma medley On a clear day you can see forever On green dophin street Once in a lifetime One One for my baby One I love, The One o'clock jump Opus one Organ grinder swing Our day will come Out of nowhere Pan, pan, pan Paper doll Paradise People Perdido Poinciana Poor butterfly Porter, Cole, medley Prelude to a kiss Pretty women Put your dreams away Que sera, sera Rain medley Raindrops keep fallin' on my head Ramona Rest of my life, The Rodgers and Hart medley Rose medley Say it isn't so medley Second time around Send in the clowns September song Serenade in blue Sex is a misdemeaner She believes in me Sheik, The Show medley Singing' in the rain Smoke gets in your eyes Solitude medley Some enchanted evening Somebody loves me Something's gotta give Somewhere my love Song is ended, The Sorella, La Sorry Sound of music, The Spanish eyes Speak low Speak softly love Spring is here St. James Infirmary Stairway to the stars Star dust Star spangled banner Stella by starlight Stompin' at the Savoy Strangers in the night String of pearls, A Summer knows, The Sunday kind of love, A Sunrise, sunset Swanee river Sweet and lovely Sweet Lorraine Swingin' on nothin' Sy medley Tangerine medley Taste of honey, A Teach me tonight Tenderly Thanks for the memory That ain't anuff That's entertainment The last time I felt like this The more I see you Them there eyes Theme from Love story Theme from New York, New York There's good blues tonight There's no such thing as love They can't take that away from me medley Things we did last summer, The This love of mine Three coins in the fountain Thrill is gone, The Through the eyes of love (theme from Ice castles) Til Time for us, A (theme from Romeo and Juliet) Too marvelous medley Traces Track time Tramps medley Try to remember Tuxedo Junction Unforgettable Up, up and away Volare Walkin' my baby back home Waltz medley Waltz medley two Waterfront medley Watermelon man Way we were, The We wish you a merry Christmas Wedding medley What I did for love What kind of fool am I What now my love What the world needs now What's new When I grow too old to dream medley When your lover has gone Where or when White Christmas Winter wonderland With a song in my heart Wives and lovers Wonderful guy, A Wrap your troubles in dreams Yearning medley Yes indeed Yes sir, that's my baby Yesterday Yesterday, when I was young You are my lucky star You are my sunshine You do something to me You light up my life You stepped out of a dream You took advantage of me You'd be so nice to come home to You're gonna hear from me Young at heart 10-part arrangements All the things you are Birmingham breakdown Boogie woogie Dorsey, Tommy, medley East of the sun Everything happens to me Fanfares Hawaiian war chant I'll never smile again Let's get away from it all Marie Oh! Look at me now Once in a while One I love, The Snootie little cutie Song of India There are such things This love of mine Violets for your furs What is this thing called love Will you still be mine List of names Adams, Richie Adams, Stanley Adamson, Harold Adler, Richard Ager, Milton Ahlert, Fred Albert, Morris Allen, Steve Altman, Arthur Amel, Pierre Anka, Paul Anthony, Val Arlen, Harold Armstrong, Louis Armstrong, Lucille Arnheim, Gus Austin, Gene Autry, Gene Aznavour, Charles Bacharach, Burt Baer, Abel Baker, Josephine Barbieri, Gato Barris, Harry Barroso, Ary Bartley, Sylvia Basie, Count Bassman, George Beach, Albert A. Becaud, Gilbert Belle, Barbara Benjamin, Joseph R. Bergman, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Berlin, Irving Bernard, Felix Bernie, Ben Bishop, Henry Bishop, Walter Black, Johnny S. Blake, Eubie Blitzstein, Marc Bloom, Rube Bock, Jerry Bonfa, Luiz Boogie, boogie too Bowman, Brooks Bradshaw, Tiny Brandon, Johnny Brecht, Bert Bretton, Elise Bricusse, Leslie Bright, Jimmy Bright, John A. Brodszky, Nicholas Brooks, Joe Brown, L. Russell Brown, Les Brown, Lew Brown, Nacio Herb Buie, Buddy Burke, Joe Burke, Johnny Burleigh, Henry Thacker Burwell, Cliff Bushkin, Joe Cahn, Sammy Calhoun, Charles E. Camacho, Johnnie Carmichael, Hoagy Casey, Ken Chaplin, Saul Charlap, Moose Charnin, Martin Ciorciolini, M. Clark, Lillian Claypoole, Edward B. Clayton, Sargeant Clifford, Gordon Cobb, James B Cobbs, Al Cobbs, Alfred C. Coleman, Cy Conley, Larry Conrad, Con Coots, J. Fred Coquatrix, Bruno Coslow, Sam Croce, Jim Dash, Julian Daugherty, Doc Davis, Charlie Davis, Jimmie Davis, Sammy, Jr. De Lange, Eddie De Paul, Gene DeLange, Eddie DeLoache, Kathleen Evelyn Dennis, Matt DeRose, Peter Diamante, Carlos Donaldson, Walter Dorsey, Tommy Dubey, Matt Dubin, Al Duke, Vernon Duvivier, George Echols, Odis Edwards, Edwin B. Edwards, Michael Edwards, Sherman Ellington, Duke Elliott, Nancy Miller Elman, Ziggy Emmerich, Bob Evans, Ray Eyton, Frank Fain, Sammy Feldman, Jack Fetter, John Fields, Dorothy Fischer, Carl Fisher, Fred Fisher, Mark Foster, Stephen Collins Frances, Paula Francois, Claude Franklin, Dave Fraser, Ian Friend, Cliff Gade, Jacob Galloway, Tod B. Gannon, Kim Gardner, Maurice Garland, Joe Garner, Erroll Garson, Mort Gautier-Panassie, Madeleine Gay, Byron Gaye, Marvin George, Don Gershwin, George Gershwin, Ira Gibb, Steve Gillespie, Haven Gimbel, Norman Gluckman, Morris Golden, John Irving Goldenberg, Billy Goldstein, Nat Goodman, Benny Goodwin, Joe Gordon, Irving Gordon, Mack Gordy, Emory Goulding, Edmund Gray, Jerry Green, Bud Green, Harold Green, John Greer, Jesse Gross, Walter Grouya, Ted Gumble, Albert Haggart, Bob Hamlisch, Marvin Hammer, Jack Hammerstein, Arthur Hammerstein, Oscar Hammerstein, Oscarnd Hampton, Lionel Hancock, Herbie Handy, W. C. Haring, Robert C. Hart, Lorenz Hawkins, Erskine Hefti, Neal Henderson, Fletcher Henderson, Ray Henry, Haywood Herman, Jerry Heyman, Edward Heywood, Donald Heywood, Eddie Hilliard, Bob Hodges, Johnny Hoffman, Al Holiner, Mann Homer, Ben Howard, Bart Hubbell, Raymond Hudson, Will Hupfeld, Herman Jacbos, Dick Jacobs-Bond, Carrie James, Harry Janelli, Carl Jarre, Maurice Jobim, Antonio Carlos Joel, Billy Johnson, Edward Johnson, William Johnston, Arthur Johnston, Bruce Johnston, Pat Jones, Isham Jones, Tom Jucato Kaempfert, Bert Kahal, Irving Kaiserman, Mauricio Kaminsky, Max Kander, John Kaper, Bronislaw Karlin, Fred Karmen, Steve Karr, Harold Kassel, Art Kent, Walter Kern, Jerome King, Irving King, Jack Kretzmer, Herbert Kusik, Larry Lacalle, Joseph M. Lai, Francis Lampl, Carl Lane, Burton Lanier, Art Latouche, John Lawrence, Jack Legrand, Michel Leigh, Mitch Leleiohaku, Prince Lemare, Jules Lennon, John Leonard, Anita Leonard, Jack Lerner, Alan Jay Leslie, Edgar Levine, Irwin Lewis, Morgan Liszt, Franz Livingston, Jay Livingston, Jerry Lloyd Webber, Andrew Loesser, Frank Loewe, Frederick Lowe, Ruth Lowe, Sammy Lown, Bert Lunceford, Jimmie Malneck, Matty Manchester, Melissa Mancini, Henry Mandel, Ellen Manilow, Barry Mann, Paul Manzanero, A. Marks, Walter May, Tony McCarthy, Joseph, Jr. McCartney, Paul McClellan, Clark McCoy, Van McDonaugh, John McGrief, Edna McHugh, Jimmy McRae, Dave Menendez, Nilo Mercer, Johnny Merrill, Bob Meyer, Don Meyer, George W. Meyer, Joseph Miley, Bubber Miller, Glenn Mills, Irving Mitchell, Charles Modugno, Domenico Monroe, Billy Moore, Billy Moran, Edward P. Moten, Bennie Murden, Orlando Murphy, Rose Myrow, Josef Newell, Norman Newley, Anthony Nicholls, Horatio Nichols, Albert Noble, Johnny Noble, Ray Norton, George A. Oakland, Ben Offenbach, Jacques Olcott, Chauncey Oliver, Sy Olivery, Jeffrey Oliviero, N. Olshey, Alex Openshaw, John Ortega, Frank Ortolani, R. Osser, Abe Osser, Edna Paige, Lawanda Panassie, Hugues Parker, Sol Parrish, Avery Parrish, Mitchell Paul, Gene de Phillips, Charlie Pinkard, Maceo Plater, Bobby Podoler, Richard Pollack, Lew Porter, Cole Previn, Andre Prima, Louis Primrose, Joe Provost, Heinz Rainger, Ralph Raksin, David Ram, Buck Rapee, Erno Raye, Don Razaf, Andy Redman, Don Reid, Billy Renaud, Emelia Revaux, Jacques Reynolds, Ellis Rhodes, Stan Ricardo Lopez Richards, Johnny Rimsky-Korsakov, Nicolai Robin, Leo Robins, Cherry Robinson, J. Russel Rodemich, Gene Rodgers, Richard Romberg, Sigmund Rome, Harold Romero, Gary Rose, Fred Rose, Vincent Ross, Jerry Ross, Raymond Rota, Nino Ruby, Harry Ruiz, Arcadio Ruiz, Gabriel Russell, S. K. Sager, Carole Bayer Sampson, Edgar Sanicola, Henry Savitt, Jan Schmidt, Harvey Schonberger, John Schumann, Robert Schwartz, Arthur Schwartz, Jean Schwartz, Stephen Scott, Bobby Sears, Al Shavers, Charlie Shaw, Artie Shay, Larry Shore, Mike Sigman, Carl Signorelli, Frank Simon, Nat Simons, Seymour Sinatra, Frank Singleton, Charles Sissle, Noble Skylar, Sunny Smalls, Clifton A. Smith, Buddy Smith, Pine Top Smith, Willie Snyder, Eddie Sondheim, Stephen Sour, Robert Spence, Lew Stewart, Rex Stone, Jesse Stoner, Mickey Stordahl, Axel Strauss, Johann Strayhorn, Billy Streisand, Barbra Strouse, Charles Styne, Jule Sullivan, Henry Sussman, Bruce Swan, E. A. Swenston, Earl Swope, Terry Tauber, Doris Taylor, Tell Tizol, Juan Tobias, Charles Tobias, Harry Tobias, Henry Torme, Mel Towns, Chris Townshend, Edward Tracey, William Tracy, William Trenet, Charles Troup, Bob Turk, Roy Valente, Katrina Van Heusen, James Velázquez, Consuelo Waller, Fats Warren, Harry Washington, Ned Watson, Johnny Watson, Leo Wayne, Mabel Wayne, Mable Wayne, Sid Webb, Chick Webb, Jimmy Webster, Paul Francis Weill, Kurt Weiss, Stephan Westin, Helen Bliss Westin, Karl Otto Weston, Paul Whaley, Thomas Whiting, Richard A. Wilkinson, Dudley William, Frank Williams, Clarence Williams, Fred Williams, Ken J. Williams, Paul Williams, Spencer Wilson, Gerald Wilson, Jackie Wright, Robert B. Yaged, Sol Youmans, Vincent Young, James Trummy Young, Victor"}

unitdate

{"value"=>"ca. 1933-1990", "type"=>"inclusive", "certainty"=>"approximate", "normal"=>"1933/1990"}

date_inclusive_start

1933

date_inclusive_end

1990

origination

{"value"=>"Oliver, Sy", "type"=>"persname"}

altformavail

{"value"=>"<p>Folders 50, 67, 271, 1322 Also available on microform from this collection; service copy number: *ZB-4323</p>"}

{"value"=>"<p>Folders 13, 26, 64, 98, 126, 599, 1053, 1072, 1269, 1353, 1373 Also available on microform from this collection; service copy number: *ZB-4326</p>"}

relatedmaterial

{"value"=>"<p>another portion located at: Smithsonian Institution</p>"}

keydate

1933

langmaterial

{"value"=>"English"}

processinfo

{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Robert Kosovsky; machine-readable finding aid created by Robert Kosovsky.</p>"}

date_start

1933

date_end

1990

Update Collection TOP

Update from EAD XML File

Child components TOP

1. Series 1, Part A: Single Works [1545/1]
2. Series 1, Part B: Medleys [119/1]
3. Series 2: Books [5/1]
4. Series 3: Papers And Correspondence [43/1]
5. Series 4: Photographs [93/1]