American jazz trumpeter and author.
Born October 29, 1923 in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Died August 19, 1967 in Kanagawa, Japan.
Oles began playing the trumpet professionally at the age of 15. Two years later he was a member of Richard Himber's orchestra and later appeared with Gene Krupa, Vincent Lopez, Buddy Rich and Stitch Henderson. He played with all of the major network symphonies, the New Haven Symphony, and with Toscanini's Aida broadcast. Oles also played in Leonard Bernstein's jazz band. He also worked with Boyd Raeburn (March of the Boyds), and in the following decade also with the Billy Byers Orchestra, and on recordings with Coleman Hawkins.
As a session musician, Oles also worked with Sam Cooke, Mahalia Jackson, Tony Bennett, Bobby Short, Johnny Ray, Eartha Kitt and Rosemary Clooney.
After retiring from music, Oles became an author and editor including writing books on oriental medicine.
In 1965 he founded the Ohsawa Foundation of macrobiotic nutrition in Los Angeles.