Audio Tapes – Interviews of People Who Knew Bix
The Michigan State University Voice Library possesses a number of sound tape reels of interviews of individuals who knew Bix Beiderbecke personally. In the interviews, the various individuals talk about their personal knowledge of Bix and relate their experiences and/ or some anecdote of interest. The descriptions which follow are copied from the entries in the World Catalogue database, accessible from university libraries and perhaps other public libraries.
Author: Russel B. Nye – Recorded August 5, 1972.
Description: R. B. Nye summarizes his interviews with pianist/arranger Bill Challis, trombonist Bill Rank, and drummer Chauncey Morehouse, all of whom worked with Bix Beiderbecke, and talks about the jazz band scene, particularly in the 1920s, with insights into Beiderbecke, Hackett, Armstrong, Whiteman, and others.
A copy of the tape is available in two parts.
Part 1
Part 2
Author: Winton [Esten?] Spurrier – Broadcast on NET, July 1976
Description: Winton Spurrier, a high school friend of Bix Beiderbecke, describes Bix’s youth, family, nervous breakdowns, habits, last days.
A copy of the audio portion is available at the end of Part 2 of the Nye tape.
Author: Wingy Manone
Recorded Davenport, Iowa, July 1972. Description: Wingy Manone reminisces about meeting Bix Beiderbecke in 1924 and talks about his own career.
Author: Bing Crosby – Broadcast on NPR, November 15, 1977
Description: Tribute to Bing Crosby on National Public Radio, in which Crosby sings and reminisces, talks about Whiteman, Beiderbecke, Hope, Jolson, and Phil Harris, with Ed Walker.
Author: Hoagy Carmichael. Recorded by John Steiner on November 24, 1969, at Carmichael’s apartment in Hollywood, California, for use in the BIX series for PBS broadcast.
Description: Hoagy Carmichael, interviewee; John Steiner, interviewer; Philip Evans, comments. Hoagy talks about Bix Beiderbecke and early jazz.
In 1976, John Steiner deposited another copy of the interview in the Archives of Traditional Music of Indiana University under the default option. Under this option, the tapes are available only to visitors to the archives. In 1999, I called John Steiner and informed him of the situation. His reply:
“That is ridiculous; I deposited the tape to make it available to interested individuals everywhere!”
John called the Archives and had them modify the option. I received a copy of the tape over two years ago. I finally got around to uploading it to the Bixography. Please note that there are some breaks and blank sections in the tape that I received.