Oral History and Research Materials:  Vertna Saunders

        This is the table of contents for the interview of Vertna  Saunders.  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                                 Time                                 Subject

                                  1  a                                       005-114                             Introduction; Biographical, Family, music, school

                                  1  a                                       115-167                             First instrument, learning to play by ear

                                  1  a                                       168-222                             Awareness of famous musicians - listening to records

                                  1  a                                       223-290                             Brass bands, lodges, learning to read music

                                  1  a                                       291-329                             Influence of Whiteman and Henry Busse

                                  1  a                                       330-378                             Trip to Kansas City to hear Whiteman, meets Biederbecke

                                  1  a                                       379-419                             School and lodge bands, parades

                                  1  a                                       420-444                             Meets Lamarr Wright from B. Moten Band

                                  1  a                                       445-519                             High school band jobs; Joins Kansas University Band

                                  1  a                                       520-545                             Playing with K.U. Band, integration

                                  1  a                                       546-590                             Goes to Chicago to play with Tiny Parham

                                  1  a                                       591-626                             Plays Lake boat with Francois

                                  1  a                                       627-648                             Meets Willie Humphrey

                                  1  a                                       649-687                             Other trumpet players met in Chicago

                                  1  a                                       688-698                             Paul Banks, K. City

                                  1  a                                       699-738                             Bands heard in Chicago

                                  1  a                                       739-end                             Kansas City

                                  1  b                                       004-056                             Eddie Tompkins - trumpet, Jimmy Lunceford

                                  1  b                                       057-114                             Clarence Love Orchestra, personnel, Milton Fletcher

                                  1  b                                       115-149                             Tour with Love Orchestra, - instrumentation, arrangements

                                  1  b                                       150-174                             Kansas City - Vic Dickenson

                                  1  b                                       175-219                             St. Louis - 1931; the "Cave", trumpet style; sitting in

                                  1  b                                       220-244                             Kansas City - Harlan Leonard Band - Vic Dickenson

                                  1  b                                       245-310                             The Cave; Harold Baker; KMOX Radio Band

                                  1  b                                       311-363                             Eddie Johnson, Club Plantation Band, 1933-34, after

                                                                                                                         Crackerjacks, musicians, and changes in

                                  1  b                                       364-395                             Personnel met in Kansas City

                                  1  b                                       396-407                             Plantation - nights, money

                                  1  b                                       408-449                             K. City in 1935, rehearsals, show people at Plantation

                                  1  b                                       450-475                             Sit-ins - Dewey Jackson, Red Allen, Rex Stewart, Jackson's

                                                                                                                         style

                                  1  b                                       476-514                             K. City with Eddie Johnson

                                  1  b                                       515-529                             Joins Andy Lirk, Lester Young

                                  1  b                                       530-566                             Leaves Kirk, returns to St. Louis

                                  1  b                                       567-599                             Works with Marable & Creath on boats, meets Louie, other

                                                                                                                         visiting musicians, Red Allen

                                  1  b                                       600-623                             New Orleans, untrained musicians, "New Orleans style"

                                  1  b                                       624-653                             Personnel of first band, Creath, directing, playing piano

                                  1  b                                       654-714                             1936, personnel changes; "Trombone Smitty"

                                  1  b                                       715-742                             Other personnel, 1936; Trip down river

                                  2  a                                       001-079                             New Orleans, musicians met there, sitting-in, working on boat

                                  2  a                                       080-132                             New Orleans style; funerals, street bands, religious songs

                                  2  a                                       133-185                             Learning new styles, improvising, chord formation and changes

                                  2  a                                       186-240                             Bands, tunes, musicians heard in New Orleans

                                  2  a                                       241-325                             Dixieland music - study of in order to play with Palmer

                                  2  a                                       326-399                             New Orleans, Kid Ory, after-hours, sitting-in

                                  2  a                                       400-420                             Food, women, races in New Orleans

                                  2  a                                       421-483                             Kaiter, N.O. trumpet player, other musicians

                                  2  a                                       484-523                             Return St. Louis, 1938; Small Marable Band, club Soho

                                  2  a                                       524-589                             Marable as pianist and leader

                                  2  a                                       590-673                             Rehearsals, trumpet section; tunes; King, Telphy reed section

                                  2  a                                       674-697                             Creath, playing and directing, personality, "father figure"

                                  2  a                                       698-724                             Tab Smith, Donny Stovall

                                  2  a                                       725-733                             Eddie Randle band, traveling Illinois, Missouri

                                  2  b                                       005-134                             Eddie Randle band, personnel, Springfield, N.Y., other cities

                                  2  b                                       135-193                             Randle as player, other musicians in band

                                  2  b                                       194-274                             Shows played for

                                  2  b                                       275-328                             Return to St. Louis, WWII, White bands played with

                                  2  b                                       329-390                             Medicine-packing job; Calls from Lunceford & Basie

                                  2  b                                       391-430                             U.S. Army, basic training

                                  2  b                                       431-485                             Trumpet exam

                                  2  b                                       486-524                             U.S. Army Air Force Band, Swing Band, USO

                                  2  b                                       525-584                             Musicians who did USO Shows, Lena Horne

                                  2  b                                       585-619                             Other music jobs, Discharge - 1946

                                  2  b                                       620-647                             Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Club Riveria

                                  2  b                                       648-688                             Benny Goodman, Fox Theater & Castle Ballroom, 1946 & 47

                                  2  b                                       689-719                             Jobbing around; Singleton Palmer band 1952, stomach ulcer

                                  2  b                                       720-737                             Club dates with Palmer's Band; Delmar

                                  3  a                                       005-075                             Delmar Blvd. Club cont'd; New Year's Eve police raid

                                  3  a                                       076-127                             Palmer's band; material; re-learning tunes; repertoire

                                  3  a                                       128-244                             Personnel of Palmer band - beginning, changes in

                                  3  a                                       245-269                             Saunder's opinion on best Palmer Band - reasons

                                  3  a                                       270-339                             Present Palmer Band & other versions

                                  3  a                                       340-376                             Havens' first visit to Gaslight Square

                                  3  a                                       377-399                             Saunders with Joe Langworthy Band

                                  3  a                                       400-456                             Clark Terry; Miles Davis

                                  3  a                                       457-517                             Clark Terry - Circular breathing

                                  3  a                                       518-534                             Bands traveling through St. Louis

                                  3  a                                       535-550                             Gigging with George Hudson

                                  3  a                                       551-566                             Ellington Band; Using Basie as standard for comparison

                                  3  a                                       567-606                             Possible changes in life and career; Influence of parents, up-

                                                                                                                         bringing, own Family

                                  3  a                                       607-628                             Government jobs

                                  3  a                                       629-652                             Influential musicians - to Saunders

                                  3  a                                       653-678                 &