Biography
During 1924-25 Oliver Naylor committed 19 selections to disc with his Seven Aces, performances that stand as prime specimens of polished white jazz shaped by the New Orleans Rhythm Kings. Although these sides have largely slipped from memory, a 1997 Retrieval compact disc restores the complete output, appending two titles by the affiliated Pinkie's Birmingham Five and confirming that Naylor fronted a consistently dynamic ensemble. He assembled his initial unit in 1923, an organization already close in character to the one that would soon record. Early the following year the group secured its decisive opportunity, securing an engagement at New York's Roseland Ballroom that coincided with its debut sessions. Subsequent appearances took the musicians to the Knickerbocker Grill before they revisited Roseland; in 1925, augmented by extra personnel, the outfit embarked on the road billed as Oliver Naylor's Orchestra. After cutting several additional titles that year, a dispute concerning royalties prompted Victor to terminate the contract, leaving only a pair of waltzes issued by Okeh in 1929 as the band's remaining legacy. Throughout the rest of the decade the musicians maintained an active schedule along the East Coast yet never achieved widespread prominence. Among the later personnel, pianist Bob Zurke drew particular notice for substituting at the keyboard while Naylor concentrated on direction. Although no further recordings appeared, the leader sustained the organization until 1939, at which point he disbanded it. He subsequently oversaw a theater for seven years and served as assistant general manager at WBRC-TV from 1948 to 1960.
Singles
