Voices of the Jazz Age: Profiles of Eight Vintage Jazzmen

by Chip Deffaa

In  Voices of the Jazz Age,  Chip Deffaa interviews eight musicians who rose to popularity during the 1920s. Sam Wooding, Benny Waters, Bix Beiderbecke, Joe Tarto, Bud Freeman, Jimmy McPartland, Freddie Moore, Jabbo Smith bring the Jazz Age back to life with vivid memories, amazing stories, and their own larger-than-life personalities. Deffaa draws out their glory days in the Twenties but also invites them to share the stories of their long lives in music, often in obscurity, but in many cases still working and gigging well into their eighties.

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Lama · Rating 2 out of 5]

* read and reviewed only the Bix Beiderbecke Chapter*

I’m collecting and reading books and magazines that have mentioned Bix Beiderbecke, So in my review i’m only focusing on bix’s chapter not the whole book.

First of all, the writer seems to trust every word ralph berton said about the beiderbecke family and relies on the reminisces of a 13 years old kid. That immediately put me off.
Honestly i was excited and expected to read new things about bix, but there’s literally nothing new.
But if it’s your first time ever reading about a musician called “Bix” it might be interesting and intriguing for you. I’d definitely recommend you to dig deeper and learn more about this guy

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend, gave me his copy of Voices back in the '90s. It would have been worth reading if only for the chapter on Jimmy McPartland. I knew of his ex- wife, Marian, from her Piano Jazz radio show, but didn't know about the "Austin High Gang". Besides Bix Beiderbecke, the musicians covered are lesser known. Much of the book is based on deathbed interviews of Sam Wooding.