Sy did most all of the arranging until Jimmie hired Eddie Durham (guitar, trombone, arranger, composer, choreographer) to expand the horns to six part harmony. Eddie taught this to Sy while he was there. Durham left to go back to Basie and literally wrote the seminal Basie book (1936) from his own compositions for Bennie Moten (which became the Basie Orchestra when Moten sadly died early).
Did Sy Oliver do most of the arrangements for the orchestra? The music is fabulous, the musicianship right there with the best (Duke, Count, Henderson) and they just swung it hard!
Recorded by JLOrch (on December 14, 1939 with other tracks "Uptown Blues"; and - "Wham ReBop Boom Bam" an Eddie Durham composition). Personnel: Jimmie Lunceford: Leader/Dir, ; Eddie Durham, Russell Bowles, Elmer Crumbley: trombones (tb); Eddie Durham arranger (arr);Willie Smith: arr, as, baritone sax (bs), clarinet (cl), vocals (vo);Eddie Tompkins, Sy Oliver, Paul Webster: trumpets (tpts) & SO vo/arr;Dan Grissom (as, cl, vo);Ed Brown (cl, as, ts), Joe Thomas: (ts), cl;Earl Carruthers: bars, as, cl;Edwin Wilcox: piano (p), cel,Moses Allen: bass (b);Jimmy Crawford: drums (d), vibes, glsp bells
