University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Biographical Sketch ………………………………………………………………… 2

Scope and Content ………………………………………………………………… 3

Series Notes ………………………………………………………………………… 3

Container List ………………………………………………………………………… 4

Series I: Biographical Information ………………………………………… 4

Series II: Correspondence ………………………………………………… 4

Series III: Miscellaneous Music Material ………………………………… 5

Series IV: News Clippings ………………………………………………… 5

Series V: Miscellaneous Ephemera ………………………………………… 6

Series VI: Photographs ………………………………………………… 6

MS153-Frank Trumbauer Collection 1 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Frank “Tram” Trumbauer was one of the leading saxophonists of the 1920s and 1930s, and is best known for the seminal recordings he made with cornetist in the late 1920s. His cool, delicate style influenced, among others, , Benny Carter and Art Pepper, and the later Cool Jazz movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

Trumbauer was born 30 May 1901 in Carbondale, Illinois, and was raised in St. Louis. He studied violin, piano, trombone and flute, but held an unusual place in jazz working principally with the C-melody . He got his start playing in several dance bands in the Midwest and from 1925-26 led his own band at the Arcadia Ballroom in St. Louis, of which Beiderbecke was a member. Trumbauer and Beiderbecke went on to work with the orchestras of and Paul Whitemen, and from 1927-28 made landmark recordings including Singin’ the Blues and For No Reason at All in C.

Trumbauer led various recording bands during the late 1920s and into the 1930s, often using a contingent from ’s orchestra, and occasionally showcasing his talents on alto sax, clarinet, bassoon, cornet and vocals. In the mid-1930s he played with Charlie and and then led his own band in California.

Trumbauer retired from the music business in the early 1940s to join the Civil Aeronautics Administration. After the war, he did studio work at NBC in New York with the Raymond Paige Orchestra, but except for occasional special appearances was inactive musically for the remainder of his life.

Frank Trumbauer died 11 June 1956 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Sources: Feather, Leonard. The Encyclopedia of Jazz. Revised edition. New York: Bonanza Books, 1960. “Frankie Trumbauer” [biographical entry]. The Red Hot Jazz Archive: A History of Jazz before 1930. Accessed 27 July 2009. http://www.redhotjazz.com/Trum.html.

MS153-Frank Trumbauer Collection 2 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The Trumbauer Collection was donated to LaBudde Special Collections, UMKC Miller Nichols Library, in June 2006 by drummer Bill M. Trumbauer, son of trumpeter William (Bill) F. Trumbauer and grandson of jazz saxophonist Frank Trumbauer. Included were materials related to Frank and Bill F. An addendum of material was gifted in September 2010 by Bill M. and Mary Trumbauer, widow of Bill F. At that time the collection was separated into two distinct collections: Frank Trumbauer Collection and William F. Trumbauer Collection.

The Frank Trumbauer Collection consists of photocopies of Frank’s typed memoirs, book drafts, correspondence, news clippings and photographs. The bulk of the collection dates 1989-1993 and relates to the construction of his biography, Tram: The Frank Trumbauer Story, published in 1994.

SERIES NOTES

Series I: Biographical Information This series is located in box 1, folders 1-9; and consists of photocopies of Frank Trumbauer’s typed memoirs for a book about his life and career; book drafts from Philip Evans, who co- authored a book on Trumbauer published in 1994; and Trumbauer discographies.

Series II: Correspondence This series dates between 1969 and 1993, and consists primarily of information pertaining to Philip Evans’ research and development of Trumbauer’s biography. The letters are found in box 1, folders 10-14, and box two, folders 1-12.

Series III: Music Material This series is located in box 2, folder 13, and box 3, folder 1; and consists of a musicians’ handbook called Standard Dance Music Guide, various manuscript score fragments/parts to popular standards, and a hand-drawn diagram showing finger positions for an Eb alto saxophone.

Series IV: News Clippings This series is located in box 2, folder 14; and consists of photocopies of news articles. The clippings are in reverse chronological date order with titles of the articles and sources.

Series V: Miscellaneous Ephemera This series is located in box 2, folder 15; and consists of various notes, photocopies, a program flyer, and a draft of an excerpt from Trumbauer’s biography by grandson Bill Trumbauer, Jr.

Series VI: Photographs This series is located in box 2, folder 16; and consists of five photographs, including candid shots of Trumbauer and his wife, Mitzi.

MS153-Frank Trumbauer Collection 3 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION Box Folder Description CONTAINER LIST

SERIES I: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Box Folder Description 1 1 Biographical Sketches, Obituaries, Death Certificate, Resume 2 Photocopies of Frank Trumbauer’s typed memoirs for a book about his life and career [1 of 2] 3 Photocopies of Frank Trumbauer’s typed memoirs for a book about his life and career [2 of 2] 4 Book Drafts [1 of 5] 5 Book Drafts [2 of 5] 6 Book Drafts [3 of 5] 7 Book Drafts [4 of 5] 8 Book Drafts [5 of 5] 9 Discographies for Frank Trumbauer

SERIES II: CORRESPONDENCE

Box Folder Description 1 10 Beneke, Tex Bedell, Charles Beyer, Al Davis, Nancy Detamore, Dave Donahue, Archie (Confederate Air Force) Edwards, Michael 11 Evans, Philip R, 1992-1993 12 Evans, Philip R., 1991 13 Evans, Philip R., 1990 [1 of 2] 14 Evans, Philip R., 1990 [2 of 2] 2 1 Evans, Philip, 1989 2 Evans, Philip, 1969 3 Giordano, Vince (Nighthawks) Hannes, Gary Hutson, Ray (Hutson Distributing CO) 4 Johnson, Lynne [Trumbauer] 5 Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors McGill, Eva 6 Miner, John 7 Montgomery, Barbara Napier, James & Kate Polic, Ed Protano, Dr. Mario 8 Rogers, Alice 9 Ross, Bonnie

MS153-Frank Trumbauer Collection 4 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION Box Folder Description 2 9 Saxon, Don Scarecrow Press Showler, Joe Steiner, John 10 Troxell, Harry Trumbauer, Mary (to) Vache, Warren Vanik, Mel Wakeman, Don & Judy White, Glenn P. Whitehouse, Ray World Jazz Network 11 Zentner, John S. 12 Misc. Cards and Notes

SERIES III: MUSIC MATERIAL

Box Folder Description 2 13 Standard Dance Music Guide (musicians’ handbook), various manuscript score fragments/parts to popular standards

[Hand-drawn diagram showing finger positions for an Eb alto saxophone] box 3, folder 1

SERIES IV: NEWS CLIPPINGS

Box Folder Description 2 14 Good Reading Magazine, n.d. “Am I Ballew?” Daily Dispatch and Argus, March 6, 1990 “Movie ‘cattle call’ draws 358 hopefuls” The Mississippi Rag, August, 1989 “The Great Unifier” Kansas City Times, February 24, 1977 “Award No Surprise to Musician’s Widow” Jazz Report, August, 1956 “C – Melody Man: The Frankie Trumbauer Story” Record Changer, March 1951 “The Saxophone: an analysis” (by Frank Trumbauer & Happy Caldwell Jazz Record, July, 1946 “White Jazz in St. Louis” Down Beat, November 15, 1943 “Trumbauer Swaps Sax For Speedy Bombers” NAA Skyline. July, 1942 “Army Helps Build B-25’s”

MS153-Frank Trumbauer Collection 5 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION Box Folder Description 2 14 Down Beat April 15th, 1942 “Frankie Trumbauer Recalls the Good Old Days…” North American Skyline, October, 1941 “North American Kansas Unit Sets Pace in Midwest” – Liner Notes “Columbia Presents Bix and Tram”

SERIES V: MISCELLANEOUS EPHEMERA

Box Folder Description 2 15 Various notes, “Funza Jumpin” flyer, Bix & Tram photocopy, draft of excerpt from Trumbauer biography by Bill Trumbauer, Jr.

SERIES VI: PHOTOGRAPHS An inventory of the photograph collection is accessible through an in-house database. Contact sheets are available for viewing to walk-in patrons or can be accessed online through the following web page: https://library.umkc.edu/archival-collections/trumbauer-frank. Contact Special Collections with specific questions or for more information.

MS153-Frank Trumbauer Collection 6