Oral History and Research Materials: Gilbert Bowers
This is the table of contents for the interview of Gilbert Bowers. It is part of the National Ragtime and Jazz Archive which is located in
Lovejoy Library at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
For a complete contents list of all musician interviews for the oral history project, please click on this link: Oral History and Research Materials.
If interested in reviewing these materials from the National Ragtime and Jazz Archive, please contact Therese Dickman, Fine Arts Librarian.
Tape # Side Running Time on Tape Subject
1 a 001-131 Biographical, parents, family, employment
1 a 132-325 Early interest in music, lessons, favorite bands, high school
band, bands played with in teens
1 a 326-339 Friendship with Rod Cless
1 a 340-405 Husk O'Hare's Wolverines visit Des Moines
1 a 406-426 Local bands in Des Moines
1 a 427-518 Move to Chicago, jobs, clubs
1 a 519-648 Listening to Jazz bands in Chicago, clubs, personnel, types of
tunes played
1 a 649-748 Decision to move to New York, getting a job, Mike Speciale
Band, clubs, personnel, tunes
1 b 003-096 Rosemont Ballroom, Bert Stock Orchestra
1 b 097-190 Jefferson Ballroom, Detroit, first recording date
1 b 191-377 Return to New York, joining Ben Pollack
1 b 378-415 Summit House, Baltimore
1 b 416-490 Hollywood Restaurant, Cleveland
1 b 491-554 Band personnel and arrangers
1 b 555-567 Radio broadcasting
1 b 568-600 Playing with Pollack, hours, pay Pollack as a leader
1 b 601-626 Special Friends in band
1 b 627-659 First recording job with Pollack band
1 b 660-722 Interim jobs in New York
1 b 723-752 Mastbaum Theater, Philadelphia
2 a 003-055 Mastbaum Theater, cont'd
2 a 003-124 Forest Club, New Orleans
2 a 125-173 Ray Bauduc
2 a 174-208 Other musicians in New Orleans
2 a 209-242 Review of Pollack Band personnel
2 a 243-264 Lowry Hotel, St. Paul, MN
2 a 265-295 Chez Paree, Chicago
2 a 374-399 K-9, after-hours club
2 a 400-405 Hines Band
2 a 406-419 Other names that band worked under
2 a 420-476 Creations of Dick Morgan
2 a 477-504 Other bands in Chicago
2 a 505-532 Shows and musicians at Chez Paree
2 a 533-572 Sophie Tucker
2 a 573-604 Other acts at Chez Paree
2 a 605-636 Playing through Long Beach, Calif. earthquake
2 a 637-648 Recreation outside of music
2 a 649-661 Leaving Chicago, new personnel in band
2 a 662-730 Style of Pollack band, arrangements, solos, capabilities,
individual musicians- Spivak, Rodin, Miller, Bose, Matlock
2 b 003-055 Playing requests, improvising
2 b 056-081 Later Pollack bands
2 b 082-137 New York, recording, changes, band breaking up
2 b 138-179 Belle Rive Hotel, Kansas City
2 b 180-203 Ben Thigpen (by Havens)
2 b 204-238 Kansas City bands
2 b 239-287 White Bear Lake, St. Paul
2 b 288-370 Billy Rose Casino, New York, 1934
2 b 371-402 Clubs and musicians in Harlem
2 b 403-447 Charity benefits played in New York
2 b 448-472 Smith and Dale comedy act, Gypsy Rose Lee
2 b 473-494 Stride piano players
2 b 495-562 Recording dates as back-up for vocalists, Judy Garland,
Andrew Sisters
2 b 563-611 Recording Date, 1934 with Wingy Manone, " Isle of Capri"
2 b 612-630 Additional recording as back-up for vocalists
2 b 631-637 Gap
2 b 638-694 Other recording dates, musicians 1934
2 b 695-738 Break-up of Pollack band, Fall 1934, Starting of Bob Crosby
band, return to New York
3 a 001-060 Return to New York cont'd
3 a 061-124 Incorporation of " Clark Randall" Band; other names used in
recording
3 a 125-172 Personnel of band
3 a 173-186 Substituting with Dorsey Brothers Orchestra
3 a 187-238 Rockwell-O'Keefe agency; musicians who were clients
3 a 239-253 Bob Crosby becomes leader or "front" man for band
3 a 254-271 First money received as member of "Crosby" band
3 a 272-313 Role of Crosby with band; how band was run
3 a 314-327 Decisions on tunes played etc.
3 a 328-343 Vocalists with band
3 a 344-378 Left Crosby band; study with Herman Wasserman; playing
radio shows
3 a 379-422 Cy Walter; forms two-piano team with NBC, clubs etc.
3 a 423-435 Pianists who followed Bowers with Crosby band
3 a 436-463 Recording work-NBC; with singers
3 a 464-486 Marriage to Marian Manners, vocalist with Whiteman
3 a 487-514 With Abe Lyman Band
3 a 515-553 Pay for various jobs; saving money
3 a 554-604 Abe Lyman Band, engagements, personnel
3 a 605-680 Swing-bands; big bands heard and worked with, Isham
3 a 681-722 Jones Orchestra; Vincent Lopez; recording Traveling with
Lyman
3 a 723-739 Stay in Los Angeles; Mocambo Club with Eddie LeBaron
3 b 009-109 Billy Rose's Clubs; black performers
3 b 110-139 Lena Horne
3 b 140-233 Abe Lyman Orchestra 1940, New York City, Florida
3 b 234-311 Return to West Coast, tour to Huston, Peck Kelly Orchestra
3 b 312-354 Los Angeles, early years, 1926; Harry Owens
3 b 355-437 Los Angeles, 1940; Eddie Le Baron, San Ysidro Ranch, Harbor
Restaurant, Santa Barbar
3 b 438-458 December 7, 1941; closing of Harbor Restauranta
3 b 459-512 Los Angeles, Eddie Le Baron, clubs played
3 b 513-562 Fox Studio preliminary call, late Fall 1941
3 b 563-664 Permanent job at Fox Studios-staff pianist job description
3 b 665-715 Work on film-"Francis the Mule"
3 b 716-742 Film-"Cover Girl"
4 a 005-055 "Cover Girls" cont'd; synchronizing music to action
4 a 056-070 Teaching finger motions for piano playing to stars-Betty
Grable
4 a 071-184 "Oklahoma" filming on location-Nogales, Ariz.
4 a 185-209 Filming "Mother Wore Tights"
4 a 210-224 Synchro for "Everything's Up to Date in Kansas City"
4 a 225-274 Job description-orchestrating, arranging, sketching out ideas for
musical numbers and scenes
4 a 275-294 Other studios-Eagle Lion, Universal
4 a 295-410 Filming "Can-can"; rehearsal piano work; coordinating
choreography; composing for special effects 1960-62
4 a 411-432 Composing for dancers-Ann Miller
4 a 433-474 Short Musicals about bands-Universal, Lawerence Welk,
Armstrong, Teagarden, Bigard, Chubby Checker
4 a 475-488 "Glenn Miller Story"
4 a 489-545 Working with Red Nichols, 1950's at Sardi's Restaurent
personnel, tunes
4 a 546-588 Marian's work during this period
4 a 589-665 Other work outside studio; Hollywood Canteen, Joe Yukl
4 a 666-676 Sneak previews-theaters
4 a 677-690 World premier, Dallas, "It's A Joke Son"
4 a 691-733 Artists and bands playing in Los Angeles on tour
4 a 734-750 "Resident" bands in L.A.
4 b 005-062 Other bands heard in L.A.-Stan Kenton
4 b 063-123 Boyd Raeburn, Matty Malneck, Spike Jones
4 b 124-190 Individual jazz players that Bowers heard or knew
4 b 191-284 With Ted Fiorito Orchestra early 50's; personnel
4 b 285-320 Playing at Johnny Mathis' first show 1960 or 1961
4 b 321-350 b L.A. as entertainment center; moderate effect of be-bop
E-mail comments and inquiries about the National Ragtime and Jazz Archive to Therese Dickman at tdickma@siue.edu or call 618-650-2695.
http://www.siue.edu/~tdickma
Library and Information Services
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Updated by Kristin Walker
May 2005