Floyd Bean papers
Scope and Content
This collection contains arrangements and musical compositions by Bean, correspondence, photographs, radio scripts, recordings, reviews, advertisements, commercial music and a scrapbook. The published materials about other jazz musicians are mainly articles about musicians associated with Bean (George Brunis played trumpet and trombone with Bean; Jess Stacy led a band Bean played for in the 1950s; Bix Beiderbecke sat in with Bean in 1923; "Truck" Parham played bass with Bean, 1950-1952; Joe Sullivan took over Bean's position in Bob Crosby's orchestra). Most of the photographs of other jazz musicians found in the collection are also of musicians associated with Bean. The advertisements include those for the Piccadilly Tavern, Holiday Inn, Party, and Al Olson and His Dance Band.
Dates
- 1918-1974
Creator
- Bean, Floyd (Person)
Language of Materials
English
Access Restrictions
Open for research.
Use/Re-use Restrictions
Consult Special Collections and University Archives
Biography/Profile
Floyd Bean was born in Ladora, Iowa in 1904. He started playing drums for the Grinnell High School band, but fell in love with the piano. He took his first job at the Linwood Inn on the Mississippi River in 1919, and played with musician Bix Beiderbecke (1923). Floyd played in several local bands and worked for WOC Radio in Davenport before landing his first big job with the Bob Crosby Band (1939). Bean cut four sides with Jimmy McPartland’s band that fall. He also cut several albums (1939-1950), including "I Never Thought I’d Sing the Blues" and "Back Room Blues," later changed to "Lazy Piano Man" (performed with Muggsy Spanier). He spent the last thirteen years of his life playing at various jazz festivals and local spots in Cedar Rapids, before passing away in 1974.
Extent
4.65 Linear Feet (in 6 document boxes, 2 half-document boxes, and 1 oversized box)
Processing Information
Released on 2018-11-01.
- Bean, Floyd
- Jazz musicians--Iowa--20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Pianists--Iowa--20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Scrapbooks Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
- Sheet music Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Creator
- Bean, Floyd (Person)
- Title
- MS-0055. Floyd Bean papers, 1918-1974
- Date
- December 12, 2018
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives Repository
403 Parks Library
701 Morrill Road
Iowa State University
Ames Iowa 50011-2102 United States
(515) 294-6672
archives@iastate.edu