Oral History and Research Materials:  Complete List

This is the table of complete contents for the oral history project of St. Louis are jazz musicians.  It is part of the National Ragtime and Jazz Archive which is located in Lovejoy Library at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Musicians available on this page: Claude Abney, Theodore Bibb, Eubie Blake, Gilbert Bowers, Robert Carter, Eddie Johnson, Leon King, Singleton Palmer, Hayes Pillars, Eddie Randle, Vertna Saunders, Leon Smith, Llyod A. Smith, and Ralph Sutton.

If interested in reviewing these materials from the National Ragtime and Jazz Archive, please contact Therese Dickman, Fine Arts Librarian.

Narrator's Name:          Claude Abney

                         Tape #  Side                                 Time                                 Subject

                                  1  a                                       015-074                             Birth, Parents, Musical influence of father

                                  1  a                                       075-124                             Musical memories, Liberty Burlesque House

                                  1  a                                       125-196                             Musical training, father as a professional musician, Banjo

                                                                                                                         teacher Lee Fowler

                                  1  a                                       197-226                             Bands heard on radio which may have influenced

                                  1  a                                       227-261                             Country-Western groups, KXOK, playing bass-1937

                                  1  a                                       262-279                             Begins big band music

                                  1  a                                       280-323                             Leaves St. Louis for Detroit, 1941, union member

                                  1  a                                       324-460                             Marriage, children, draft status, Ben Young's Band, Oriole

                                                                                                                         Terrace, hours, pay, band personnel

                                  1  a                                       461-473                             Musicians and show people who came to Detroit

                                  1  a                                       474-491                             Left Young's band, other clubs played

                                  1  a                                       492-502                             Type of music played

                                  1  a                                       503-555                             Casanova Club

                                  1  a                                       556-587                             Jam sessions, after hours clubs

                                  1  a                                       588-614                             Roxy Show Bar, Hank Jones

                                  1  a                                       615-650                             Jazz Bands visiting Detroit

                                  1  a                                       651-663                             Musician friends

                                  1  a                                       664-678                             Count Basie's Band

                                  1  a                                       679-714                             Michigan Theater, Detroit Ballrooms

                                  1  a                                       715-740                             Booking Offices

                                  1  b                                       002-040                             Leaving Detroit, moving back to St. Louis

                                  1  b                                       041-104                             Dixie Five Band, Wyoming Show Bar

                                  1  b                                       105-163                             Call from Pee Wee Hunt's Band

                                  1  b                                       164-244                             Personnel of Hunt Band, jobs in Detroit

                                  1  b                                       245-307                             Travel with Hunt Band, especially Puerto Rico

                                  1  b                                       308-517                             Same

                                  1  b                                       518-552                             Art Moranz

                                  1  b                                       553-582                             Hank Biagini Band

                                  1  b                                       583-662                             Bob-lo Boat

                                  1  b                                       663-706                             Return to St. Louis

                                  1  b                                       671-731                             Conclusion, remarks about project etc., Not Transcribed

                                  1  b                                       707-713                             Musician's Unions

                                  1  b                                       714-723                             Lake Resorts in Michigan

                                  2  a                                       009-045                             Job with Maloney Electric, retirement

                                  2  a                                       046-132                             Current jobs, Joe Wray Trio, City Lights band

                                  2  a                                       133-179                             Big events in St. Louis musical life, Sal Ferrante

                                  2  a                                       180-228                             Russ David

                                  2  a                                       229-271                             Bands that came to St. Louis

                                  2  a                                       272-297                             Jonah Jones

                                  2  a                                       298-349                             Other Detroit Groups played with, Georgia Auld

                                  2  a                                       350-390                             Jonah Jones visit to St. Louis

                                  2  a                                       391-434                             Caliber of jazz musicians in St. Louis and Detroit

                                  2  a                                       435-449                             Hottest jazz musicians

                                  2  a                                       450-497                             Meeting Walter Page-Abney's idol

                                  2  a                                       498-528                             Traveling with Pee Wee Hunt

                                  2  a                                       529-608                             Other musicians making impression on Abney, humorous

                                                                                                                         incidents

                                  2  a                                       609-666                             Arcadia Ballroom, Casa Loma Ballroom, touring bands

                                  2  a                                       667-749                             Pee Wee Hunt, traveling with, working for, leaving

                                  2  b                                       002-067                             Pee Wee Hunt, leaving, new material

                                  2  b                                       068-105                             Impact of radio and records on musicians

                                  2  b                                       106-126                             Future of Dixieland music

                                  2  b                                       127-143                             Boats of Mississippi River

                                  2  b                                       144-165                             First public performance

                                  2  b                                       166-196                             First paid job, family appearance, musical inclinations

                                  2  b                                       197-347                             Black musicians he and his father worked with and listened to

                                                                                                                         in St. Louis

                                  2  b                                       348-364                             Detroit

                                  2  b                                       365-377                             Claude's father

                                  2  b                                       378-428                             Black bands and musicians

                                  2  b                                       429-455                             How he would live life over

                                  2  b                                       456-543                             Musician friends, Sal Ferrante, Benny Weber

                                  2  b                                       544-670                             His father's jobs, support of Claude's music

  Narrator's Name:           Theodore Bibb

                         Tape #  Side                                 Time                                 Subject

                                  1  a                                       003-015                             Introduction

                                  1  a                                       016-076                             Biographical; Birth, Family

                                  1  a                                       077-138                             First drums; music school, encouragement by father

                                  1  a                                       139-169                             First public appearance- Sunshine Sammy

                                  1  a                                       170-241                             Father's work with Simms Band; conflict between parents;

                                                                                                                         roadhouses

                                  1  a                                       242-285                             Other Bands

                                  1  a                                       286-309                             Simms Band-instrumentation

                                  1  a                                       310-343                             Father's theater bands

                                  1  a                                       344-389                             Lodge bands, parades, street bands; rehearsals

                                  1  a                                       390-424                             Pay of musicians

                                  1  a                                       425-501                             Playing at a tavern, trio, enlarging band

                                  1  a                                       502-553                             U.S. Army; St. Louis musicians sent to Fort Warren, Wyo.

                                  1  a                                       554-582                             Bandleader- S. Sgt. Smith, dance band, cowboy outfits

                                  1  a                                       583-619                             Military band - 50 men; small dance band - 8men

                                  1  a                                       620-657                             Andrew Chaplain, drummer; drum styles and methods

                                  1  a                                       658-678                             Club in Cheyenne; Jack McVey - Calif. drummer

                                  1  a                                       679-717                             Music writers in Army; Geo. Duvivier; learning from army band

                                  1  a                                       718-736                             Discharge U.S. Army; "gigging" jobs in St. Louis

                                  1  b                                       003-082                             Army Band - 353rd different places played

                                  1  b                                       083-202                             Stars appearing with Army band

                                  1  b                                       203-260                             After Army- bands played with; Clay Lock

                                  1  b                                       261-285                             Tina Nelson; Chuck Robinson

                                  1  b                                       286-314                             George Hudson Band 1950-53; Club Riveria; Showboat Club

                                  1  b                                       315-365                             Personnel of Hudson Band

                                  1  b                                       366-408                             Hudson - IRS trouble

                                  1  b                                       409-467                             Hours, arrangements, shows; Armstrong All-Stars personnel

                                  1  b                                       468-539                             Harriet Bibb talking; Band - Hotel job, Alton, other jobs

                                  1  b                                       540-621                             Cyrus Stoner Trio, jobs played; piano players with trio

                                  1  b                                       622-689                             Dewey Jackson; E. St. Louis & Collinsville jobs; personnel,

                                                                                                                         types of numbers, Jackson as leader

                                  1  b                                       690-724                             Jackson as ladies' man

                                  1  b                                       725-739