>From the Hillbilly list:
From: Cary Ginell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Bill Givens, founder of the Origin Jazz Library label, one of the first to reissue
vintage blues recordings on LP in the early 1960s, died of a sudden heart attack on
the morning of January 23. He was 68. Bill had been a close friend of mine since 1981,
when he asked me to annotate two LPs of western swing 78s by Ocie Stockard & his
Wanderers and Roy Newman & his Boys. We eventually shared a condo for about a year. He
helped me find my place in this wacky business by advising me to continue my schooling
at UCLA in DK Wilgus' master's program. Bill continued to be my mentor, counselor, and
teacher for the next 18 years.
In addition to OJL, Givens took over the Texas Rose label from Alan Roberts, producing
the 5-CD box set on Milton Brown & the Musical Brownies, which I annotated. We were in
the process of planning another series of western swing releases.
Apparently, Bill and Alan had just completed a trip to the CD pressing plant to pick
up completed copies of Volume 2 of the long-awaited Bix Restored series, in which ALL
recordings in which Bix Beiderbecke made an appearance at were carefully and lovingly
transferred and restored by John R.T. Davies and Mike Kieffer. Bill was so excited at
getting the set done that he overexerted himself loading the boxes. Despite warnings
from Alan to take a break, Bill refused. The next morning, he called 911 and an
ambulance delivered him to nearby Santa Monica UCLA hospital. He was in full cardiac
arrest upon arrival and could not be revived.
Other than Bill's 96-year old mother, Alice, who is in a rest home nearby, he leaves
no survivors. Alan and I spent the day trying to find out details about Bill's last
hours as well as to sort out his estate. To anyone who has placed an order for either
Bix vol. 1 & 2, Milton Brown sets, or any other product on Sunbeam or Texas Rose,
these probably will not get filled until an heir or an executor can be determined. (We
don't know if Bill had a will.) Until then, Bill's apartment and storage facility have
been sealed.
Bill Givens began Origin Jazz Library around 1959. His intention was to reissue rare
country blues 78s from the '20s and '30s on LP. In addition to anthologies of Delta
blues, piano solos, women performers, and jug bands, were two LPs of music by the
legendary Mississippi Delta singer, Charlie Patton (A Givens original sketch of Patton
was included on the cover.) Givens was also a charter member of "The Saturday Crowd,"
a group of 78 collectors who gathered at The Jazzman Record Shop in Santa Monica,
California for weekly 78 spinning, arguing, beer swilling, and other such comraderie.
Funeral services are pending. If anyone wishes to convey condolences or reminiscences
about Bill, please post them on this list and I will make sure that they are read at
the service, if and when it happens. If there is not a service, I will organize a
memorial. Anyone in the L.A. will be welcome to attend.
Cary Ginell
Sound Thinking Music Research
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
