Cornettist, composer, and bandleader, born in Abend, LA. Raised in New Orleans, his first instrument was the trombone, and as a youth he played in various parade bands as well as in early jazz groups. He then moved to Chicago, where in 1922 he formed his Creole Jazz Band, and is remembered for his discovery of Louis Armstrong. Although Oliver worked as a musician until 1937, he made no recordings after 1931, when he developed severe dental problems, and he faded into obscurity. His compositions, such as "Dippermouth Blues' and "Dr Jazz', have become part of the standard traditional repertoire.