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William Russo Music and Personal Papers

Creator:
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Russo, William, 1928-2003  Search this
Photographer:
Claxton, William  Search this
Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010  Search this
Composer:
Kenton, Stan  Search this
Musician:
Mulligan, Gerry  Search this
Names:
Chicago Jazz Ensemble  Search this
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Extent:
87 Cubic feet (188 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Motion pictures (visual works)
Music
Audiotapes
Business records
Photographs
Correspondence
Librettos
Awards
Posters
Programs
Scrapbooks
Scores
Lecture notes
Date:
1920-2002
Summary:
Papers and audiovisual materials documenting Russo's career in music.
Scope and Contents:
The collection includes Russo's original and published music scores, parts and arrangements; audiovisual materials including recordings of broadcasts of Russo's radio show, performances of Russo's compositions, including performances by Duke Ellington, and film and video recordings of Russo's productions in theater and opera; and personal papers such as correspondence, photographs, scrapbooks, publicity files, contracts, etc. Among the most significant items in the collection are experimental jazz arrangements for Stan Kenton in the late 1940s-early 1950s, undated arrangements for Gerry Mulligan, Russo's original arrangement of Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert, scores to his first and second symphonies, and scores and libretti to several early rock operas. The photographs include images of persons such as Ellington, Kenton, and Billy Strayhorn, and photographs by jazz photographers Herman Leonard and William Claxton. 2007 addendum includes correspondence, mostly between Russo and his family; eighteen diaries for 1946-1967 (not all years are present) with sparse entries, some in Italian; and additional music manuscripts, parts, scores and libretti.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into nine series.

Series 1: William Russo's Music

Series 2: Teaching Notes

Series 3: Correspondence

Series 4: Publicity, Programs, and Reviews

Series 5: Posters and Artwork

Series 6: Photographs

Series 7: Books and Lecture Notebooks

Series 8: Memorabilia

Series 9: Audiovisual Materials
Biographical / Historical:
William Russo, renowned American jazz composer, arranger, and founder of the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, had a music career that spanned five decades and included performance, conducting and composition. During his career he worked with such diverse talents as Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Leonard Bernstein, Cannonball Adderly, Yehuidi Menuhin, Dizzy Gillespie, Seiji Ozawa, and Billie Holiday. Although critics acknowledged Russo mainly for his pioneering contributions to the big-band jazz canon, his talents extended to a far wider range of musical styles, creating groundbreaking jazz scores, rock operas, classical works, film scores, and educational textbooks on jazz orchestration and arrangement. In all, he composed over 200 pieces for jazz orchestra with more than 25 recordings of his work. In 1990, Russo received a Lifetime Achievement award from NARAS, the organization that presents the Grammy Awards.

As a young trombonist, Russo studied with Lennie Tristano, the pianist and theorist who became a leader in the progressive jazz movement. During the late 1940s, Russo led the revolutionary Experiment in Jazz band. At age 21, he became one of the chief composers/arrangers for the Stan Kenton Orchestra, one of the most innovative and influential jazz orchestras of the postwar era. In his four years with Kenton, Russo penned such classic Kenton works as "23° North – 82° West," and "Frank Speaking."

Russo made several major jazz recordings under his own name before his classical "Symphony No. 2 in C (TITANS)" received a Koussevitsky award in 1959; it was performed by the New York Philharmonic that same year under Leonard Bernstein, who had commissioned the work. This award marked Russo's "official" entry into the world of classical music. Russo continued to write major symphonic works throughout his career, including his 1992 grand opera, "Dubrovsky."

After his tenure with Kenton, in the early 1950s, Russo led his own successful bands, The Russo Orchestra in New York, and the London Jazz Orchestra, before returning to Chicago to form the Chicago Jazz Ensemble in 1065. With the Ensemble, he presented Duke Ellington's "First Concert of Sacred Music" in 1967. This was one of the rare times when Ellington allowed one of his compositions to be arranged and performed by a jazz orchestra other than his own, and was a reflection of Ellington's respect for Russo. Shortly after this performance, Russo composed a rock cantata, "The Civil War," that led him into the field of rock opera. After concentrating on classical music again in the 1970s, in the late 1980s, Russo began to re-explore the history of jazz through his revived Chicago Jazz Ensemble. In 1995, the Chicago Jazz Ensemble made history with the first-ever complete live performance of Gil Evans' and Miles Davis' "Sketches of Spain" in its original form. Recent Russo works that premiered in Chicago included "Chicago Suite No. 1," and "Chicago Suite No. 2," a recording that was published posthumously in the spring of 2003.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center

William Russo Transcription and Arrangement of Duke Ellington's First Concert of Sacred Music, 1967-1968 (AC0406)
Provenance:
Bequeathed to the Smithsonian by William Russo. Papers collected after Russo's death in 2003. The 2007 addendum sent by Russo's sister and daughter were also part of the bequest.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but an oil painting is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Occupation:
Composers -- 20th century  Search this
Topic:
Opera  Search this
Jazz musicians -- United States  Search this
Jazz  Search this
Music -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Motion pictures (visual works)
Music -- Manuscripts
Audiotapes
Business records -- 20th century
Photographs -- 20th century
Correspondence -- 20th century
Librettos
Awards
Posters -- 20th century
Programs
Scrapbooks
Scores
Lecture notes
Citation:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers, 1920s-2002, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0845
See more items in:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep888a8d92a-3927-49c1-ace4-466bb766a9d6
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0845
Online Media:

Second Chance Sea

Collection Creator:
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Russo, William, 1928-2003  Search this
Collection Photographer:
Claxton, William  Search this
Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010  Search this
Collection Composer:
Kenton, Stan  Search this
Collection Musician:
Mulligan, Gerry  Search this
Extent:
1 Film reel (color, composite optical soundtrack, print, 16mm, 385 feet)
Container:
Reel OF 845.4
Type:
Archival materials
Moving Images
Film reels
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but an oil painting is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers, 1920s-2002, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers
William Russo Music and Personal Papers / Series 9: Audiovisual Materials / 9.10: Film Reels
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a4c1ca3b-45e6-4679-bd28-c14123ee7128
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0845-ref2546

W.O.W. - Women of the World

Collection Creator:
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Russo, William, 1928-2003  Search this
Collection Photographer:
Claxton, William  Search this
Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010  Search this
Collection Composer:
Kenton, Stan  Search this
Collection Musician:
Mulligan, Gerry  Search this
Extent:
1 Film reel (color, composite optical soundtrack, print, 16mm, 380 feet)
Container:
Reel OF 845.3
Type:
Archival materials
Moving Images
Film reels
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but an oil painting is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers, 1920s-2002, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers
William Russo Music and Personal Papers / Series 9: Audiovisual Materials / 9.10: Film Reels
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep830a13901-d603-48d1-94a5-7c4158727982
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0845-ref2548

Whither Weather

Collection Creator:
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Russo, William, 1928-2003  Search this
Collection Photographer:
Claxton, William  Search this
Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010  Search this
Collection Composer:
Kenton, Stan  Search this
Collection Musician:
Mulligan, Gerry  Search this
Extent:
1 Film reel (color, composite optical soundtrack, print, 16mm, 400 feet)
Container:
Reel OF 845.5
Type:
Archival materials
Moving Images
Film reels
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but an oil painting is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers, 1920s-2002, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers
William Russo Music and Personal Papers / Series 9: Audiovisual Materials / 9.10: Film Reels
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8c268a16d-c749-4787-bed3-f3f032820dda
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0845-ref2547

Eggs #5

Collection Creator:
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Russo, William, 1928-2003  Search this
Collection Photographer:
Claxton, William  Search this
Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010  Search this
Collection Composer:
Kenton, Stan  Search this
Collection Musician:
Mulligan, Gerry  Search this
Extent:
1 Film reel (color, composite optical soundtrack, print, 16mm, 350 feet)
Container:
Reel OF 845.1
Type:
Archival materials
Moving Images
Film reels
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but an oil painting is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers, 1920s-2002, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers
William Russo Music and Personal Papers / Series 9: Audiovisual Materials / 9.10: Film Reels
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep822fcecd8-2e2d-445c-8ba6-58255565a03c
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0845-ref2544

Everybody Rides the Carousel

Collection Creator:
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Russo, William, 1928-2003  Search this
Collection Photographer:
Claxton, William  Search this
Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010  Search this
Collection Composer:
Kenton, Stan  Search this
Collection Musician:
Mulligan, Gerry  Search this
Extent:
1 Film reel (color, composite optical sound, print, 16mm, 750 feet)
Container:
Reel OF 845.2
Type:
Archival materials
Moving Images
Film reels
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but an oil painting is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers, 1920s-2002, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers
William Russo Music and Personal Papers / Series 9: Audiovisual Materials / 9.10: Film Reels
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep89588c3ff-bc40-4901-8d1a-3687d054bfb2
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0845-ref2545

Duke Ellington Collection

Creator:
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Names:
Duke Ellington Orchestra  Search this
Washingtonians, The.  Search this
Ellington, Mercer Kennedy, 1919-1996 (musician)  Search this
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Musical History  Search this
Extent:
400 Cubic feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Phonograph records
Papers
Photographic prints
Posters
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Music
Clippings
Awards
Audiotapes
Place:
New York (N.Y.) -- 20th century
Harlem (New York, N.Y.) -- 20th century
Washington (D.C.) -- 20th century
Date:
1903 - 1989
Summary:
The collection documents Duke Ellington's career primarily through orchestrations (scores and parts), music manuscripts, lead sheets, transcriptions, and sheet music. It also includes concert posters, concert programs, television, radio, motion picture and musical theater scripts, business records, correspondence, awards, as well as audiotapes, audiodiscs, photographs, tour itineraries, newspaper clippings, magazines, caricatures, paintings, and scrapbooks.
Scope and Contents:
Dating approximately from the time Duke Ellington permanently moved to New York City in 1923 to the time the material was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution in 1988, the bulk of the material in the Duke Ellington Collection is dated from 1934-1974 and comprises sound recordings, original music manuscripts and published sheet music, hand-written notes, correspondence, business records, photographs, scrapbooks, news clippings, concert programs, posters, pamphlets, books and other ephemera. These materials document Ellington's contributions as composer, musician, orchestra leader, and an ambassador of American music and culture abroad. In addition, the materials paint a picture of the life of a big band maintained for fifty years and open a unique window through which to view an evolving American society.

The approximate four hundred cubic feet of archival materials have been processed and organized into sixteen series arranged by type of material. Several of the series have been divided into subseries allowing additional organization to describe the content of the material. For example, Series 6, Sound Recordings, is divided into four subseries: Radio and Television Interviews, Concert Performances, Studio Dates and Non-Ellington Recordings. Each series has its own scope and content note describing the material and arrangement (for example; Series 10, Magazines and Newspaper Articles, is organized into two groups, foreign and domestic, and arranged chronologically within each group). A container list provides folder titles and box numbers.

The bulk of the material is located in Series 1, Music Manuscripts, and consists of compositions and arrangements by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and other composers. Series 6, Sound Recordings also provides a record of the performance of many of these compositions. The materials in Series 2, Performances and Programs, Series 3, Business Records, Series 8, Scrapbooks, Series 9, Newspaper Clippings, Series 11, Publicity and Series 12, Posters provide documentation of specific performances by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. Ellington was a spontaneous and prolific composer as evidenced by music, lyrical thoughts, and themes for extended works and plays captured on letterhead stationery in Series 3, Business Records, in the margin notes of individual books and pamphlets in Series 14, Religious Materials and Series 15, Books, and in the hand-written notes in Series 5, Personal Correspondence and Notes.

During its fifty-year lifespan, Duke Ellington and His Orchestra were billed under various names including The Washingtonians, The Harlem Footwarmers and The Jungle Band. The soloists were informally called "the band", and Series 3 includes salary statements, IOU's, receipts and ephemera relating to individual band members. Series 1, Music Manuscripts contains the soloists' parts and includes "band books" of several soloists (for example; Harry Carney and Johnny Hodges) and numerous music manuscripts of Billy Strayhorn. The changing role of Strayhorn from arranger hired in 1938 to Ellington's main collaborator and composer of many well-known titles for Duke Ellington and His Orchestra including "Take The A' Train" and "Satin Doll" can be traced in these music manuscripts. Series 7, Photographs and Series 2, Performances and Programs contain many images of the band members and Strayhorn. This Collection also documents the business history of Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. Series 3, Business Records contains correspondence on letterhead stationery and Series 11, Publicity contains promotional material from the various booking agencies, professional companies, and public relations firms that managed the Orchestra.

The materials in the Duke Ellington Collection provide insight into public and institutional attitudes towards African Americans in mid-twentieth-century America. The business records in Series 3 beginning in 1938 and published sheet music in Series 1 depict Duke Ellington's progression from an African-American musician who needed "legitimization" by a white publisher, Irving Mills, to a businessmen who established his own companies including Tempo Music and Duke Ellington, Incorporated to control his copyright and financial affairs. Programs from the segregated Cotton Club in Series 2, Performances And Programs and contracts with no-segregation clauses in Series 3: Business Records further illustrate racial policies and practices in this time period. The public shift in perception of Duke Ellington from a leader of an exotic "Jungle Band" in the 1930s to a recipient of the Congressional Medal Of Freedom in 1970 is evidenced in Series 2, Performances And Programs, Series 12, Posters, Series 7, Photographs and Series 13, Awards. Reviews and articles reflecting Ellington's evolving status are also documented in Series 8, Newspaper Clippings, Series 9, Scrapbooks, Series 10, Newspaper and Magazine Articles.

The materials in the Duke Ellington Collection reflect rapid technological changes in American society from 1923-1982. Sound recordings in Series 6 range from 78 phonograph records of three minutes duration manufactured for play on Victrolas in monaural sound to long-playing (LP) phonograph records produced for stereo record players. Television scripts in Series 4, programs in Series 2 and music manuscripts (for example, Drum Is A Woman) in Series 1 demonstrate how the development of television as a means of mass communication spread the Orchestra's sound to a wider audience. The availability of commercial air travel enabled the Ellington Orchestra to extend their international performances from Europe to other continents including tours to Asia, Africa, South America and Australia and archival material from these tours is included in every series.

Series 4, Scripts and Transcripts and Series 6, Audio Recordings contain scripts and radio performances promoting the sale of United States War bonds during World War II, and Series 7, Photographs includes many images of Duke Ellington and His Orchestra's performances for military personnel revealing the impact of historic events on Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. Series 2: Programs and Performances, Series 9, Newspaper clippings and Series 8, Scrapbooks document the 1963 Far East tour aborted as a result of President John F. Kennedy's assassination.

The Duke Ellington Collection contains works by numerous twentieth-century music, literature, and art luminaries. Series 1, Music Manuscripts contains original music manuscripts of William Grant Still, Eubie Blake, Mary Lou Williams, and others. Series 4, Scripts and Transcripts contains a play by Langston Hughes, and Series 12, Posters contains many original artworks.
Arrangement:
Series 1: Music Manuscripts, circa 1930-1981, undated

Series 2: Performances and Programs, 1933-1973, undated

Series 3: Business Records, 1938-1988

Series 4: Scripts and Transcripts, 1937-1970

Series 5: Personal Correspondence and Notes, 1941-1974, undated

Series 6: Sound Recordings, 1927-1974

Series 7: Photographs, 1924-1972, undated

Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1931-1973

Series 9: Newspaper Clippings, 1939-1973, undated

Series 10: Magazine Articles and Newspaper Clippings, 1940-1974

Series 11: Publicity, 1935-1988

Series 12: Posters and Oversize Graphics, 1933-1989, undated

Series 13: Awards, 1939-1982

Series 14: Religious Material, 1928-1974

Series 15: Books, 1903-1980

Series 16: Miscellaneous, 1940-1974
Biographical / Historical:
A native of Washington, DC, Edward Kennedy Ellington was born on April 29, 1899. Edward was raised in a middle-class home in the Northwest section of Washington described by his sister Ruth--younger by sixteen years--as a "house full of love." Ellington himself wrote that his father J.E. (James Edward) raised his family "as though he were a millionaire" but Edward was especially devoted to his mother, Daisy Kennedy Ellington. In 1969, thirty-four years after his mother's death, Ellington accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom with these words, "There is nowhere else I would rather be tonight but in my mother's arms." Both his parents played the piano and Ellington began piano lessons at the age of seven, but like many boys he was easily distracted by baseball.

In his early teens, Ellington sneaked into Washington clubs and performance halls where he was exposed to ragtime musicians, including James P. Johnson, and where he met people from all walks of life. He returned in earnest to his piano studies, and at age fourteen wrote his first composition, "Soda Fountain Rag" also known as "Poodle Dog Rag." Ellington was earning income from playing music at seventeen years of age, and around this time he earned the sobriquet "Duke" for his sartorial splendor and regal air. On July 2, 1918, he married a high school sweetheart, Edna Thompson; their only child, Mercer Kennedy Ellington, was born on March 11, 1919. Duke Ellington spent the first twenty-four years of his life in Washington's culturally thriving Negro community. In this vibrant atmosphere he was inspired to be a composer and learned to take pride in his African-American heritage.

Ellington moved to New York City in 1923 to join and eventually lead a small group of transplanted Washington musicians called "The Washingtonians," which included future Ellington band members, Sonny Greer, Otto Hardwicke and "Bubber" Miley. Between 1923 and 1927, the group played at the Club Kentucky on Broadway and the ensemble increased from a quintet to a ten-piece orchestra. With stride pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith as his unofficial guide, Ellington soon became part of New York's music scene; Smith proved to be a long-lasting influence on Duke's composing and arranging direction. At the Club Kentucky, Ellington came under the tutelage of another legendary stride pianist, "Fats" Waller. Waller, a protege of Johnson and Smith, played solos during the band's breaks and also tutored Ellington who began to show progress in his compositions. In November 1924, Duke made his publishing and recording debut with "Choo Choo (I Got To Hurry Home)" released on the Blu-Disc label. In 1925, he contributed two songs to Chocolate Kiddies, an all-black revue which introduced European audiences to black American styles and performers. By this time Ellington's family, Edna and Mercer, had joined him in New York City. The couple separated in the late 1920's, but they never divorced or reconciled.

Ellington's achievements as a composer and bandleader began to attract national attention while he worked at the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City, from 1927 to 1932. The orchestra developed a distinctive sound that displayed the non-traditional voicings of Ellington's arrangements and featured the unique talents of the individual soloists. Ellington integrated his soloists' exotic-sounding trombone growls and wah-wahs, their high-squealed trumpets, their sultry saxophone blues licks and Harlem's street rhythms into his arrangements. In the promotional material of the Cotton Club, the band was often billed as "Duke Ellington and His Jungle Band." With the success of compositions like "Mood Indigo," and an increasing number of recordings and national radio broadcasts from the Cotton Club, the band's reputation soared.

The ten years from 1932 to 1942 are considered by some major critics to represent the "golden age" for the Ellington Orchestra, but it represents just one of their creative peaks. These years did bring an influx of extraordinary new talent to the band including Jimmy Blanton on double bass, Ben Webster on tenor saxophone, and Ray Nance on trumpet, violin and vocals. During this ten year span Ellington composed several of his best known short works, including "Concerto For Cootie," "Ko-Ko," "Cotton Tail," "In A Sentimental Mood," and Jump For Joy, his first full-length musical stage revue.

Most notably, 1938 marked the arrival of Billy Strayhorn. While a teenager in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Strayhorn had already written "Lush Life," "Something To Live For" and a musical, Fantastic Rhythm. Ellington was initially impressed with Strayhorn's lyrics but realized long before Billy's composition "Take the A' Train" became the band's theme song in 1942 that Strayhorn's talents were not limited to penning clever lyrics. By 1942, "Swee' Pea" had become arranger, composer, second pianist, collaborator, and as Duke described him, "my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brain waves in his head, and his in mine." Many Ellington/Strayhorn songs have entered the jazz canon, and their extended works are still being discovered and studied today. Strayhorn remained with the Ellington Organization until his death on May 30, 1967.

Ellington had often hinted of a work in progress depicting the struggle of blacks in America. The original script, Boola, debuted in Carnegie Hall in November of 1943, retitled Black, Brown and Beige. The performance met with mixed reviews, and although Ellington often returned to Carnegie Hall the piece was never recorded in a studio, and after 1944 was never performed in entirety again by the Ellington Orchestra. Nonetheless, it is now considered a milestone in jazz composition.

After World War II the mood and musical tastes of the country shifted and hard times befell big bands, but Ellington kept his band together. The band was not always financially self-sufficient and during the lean times Ellington used his songwriting royalties to meet the soloists' salaries. One could assign to Ellington the altruistic motive of loyalty to his sidemen, but another motivation may have been his compositional style which was rooted in hearing his music in the formative stage come alive in rehearsal. "The band was his instrument," Billy Strayhorn said, and no Ellington composition was complete until he heard the orchestra play it. Then he could fine tune his compositions, omit and augment passages, or weave a soloist's contribution into the structure of the tune.

In 1956, the American public rediscovered Duke and the band at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island. The searing performances of tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves on "Diminuendo and Crescendo In Blue," his premiere soloist, alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges on "Jeep's Blues", and the crowd's ecstatic reaction have become jazz legend. Later that year Duke landed on the cover of Time magazine. Although Ellington had previously written music for film and television (including the short film, Black and Tan Fantasy in 1929) it wasn't until 1959 that Otto Preminger asked him to score music for his mainstream film, Anatomy of a Murder, starring Jimmy Stewart. Paris Blues in 1961, featuring box-office stars Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier in roles as American jazz musicians in Paris, followed.

Ellington's first performance overseas was in England in 1933, but the 1960s brought extensive overseas tours including diplomatic tours sponsored by the State Department. Ellington and Strayhorn composed exquisite extended works reflecting the sights and sounds of their travels, including the Far East Suite, 1966. They wrote homages to their classical influences; in 1963, they adapted Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and celebrated Shakespeare's works with the suite Such Sweet Thunder in 1957. With Ella Fitzgerald, they continued the Norman Granz Songbook Series. Ellington also began to flex his considerable pianist skills and recorded albums with John Coltrane (1963), Coleman Hawkins (1963), Frank Sinatra, and Money Jungle (1963) with Charles Mingus and Max Roach. The First Sacred Concert debuted in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral in 1965. In his final years, Ellington's thoughts turned to spiritual themes and he added a Second (1968) and Third (1973) Concert of Sacred Music to his compositions.

In his lifetime, Duke received numerous awards and honors including the highest honor bestowed on an American civilian, the Congressional Medal Of Freedom. In 1965, Ellington was recommended for a Pulitzer Prize to honor his forty years of contribution to music but the recommendation was rejected by the board. Most likely he was disappointed, but his response at the age of sixty-six was, "Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn't want me to be famous too young."

Ellington never rested on his laurels or stopped composing. Whenever he was asked to name his favorite compositions his characteristic reply was "the next five coming up," but to please his loyal fans Ellington always featured some of his standards in every performance. Even on his deathbed, he was composing the opera buffo called Queenie Pie.

Duke Ellington died on May 24, 1974 at seventy-five years of age. His funeral was held in New York's Cathedral of St. John The Divine; he was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery. His long-time companion Beatrice "Evie" Ellis was buried beside him after her death in 1976. He was survived by his only child, Mercer Kennedy Ellington, who not only took up the baton to lead the Duke Ellington Orchestra but assumed the task of caring for his father's papers and his legacy to the nation. Mercer Ellington died in Copenhagan, Denmark on February 8, 1996, at the age of seventy-six. Ruth Ellington Boatwright died in New York on March 6, 2004, at the age of eighty-eight. Both Mercer and Ruth were responsible for shepherding the documents and artifacts that celebrate Duke Ellington's genius and creative life to their current home in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center

William H. Quealy Collection of Duke Ellington Recordings (AC0296)

Rutgers University Collection of Radio Interviews about Duke Ellington (AC0328)

Duke Ellington Oral History Project (AC0368)

Duke Ellington Collection of Ephemera and realated Audiovisual Materials (AC0386)

Annual International Conference of the Duke Ellington Study Group Proceedings (AC0385)

Robert Udkoff Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera (AC0388)

Frank Driggs Collection of Duke Ellington Photographic Prints (AC0389)

New York Chapter of the Duke Ellington Society Collection (AC390)

Earl Okin Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera (AC0391)

William Russo Transcription and Arrangement of Duke Ellington's First Concert of Sacred Music (AC0406)

Ruth Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC0415)

Music manuscripts in the Ruth Ellington Collection complement the music manuscripts found in the Duke Ellington Collection.

Carter Harman Collection of Interviews with Duke Ellington (AC0422)

Betty McGettigan Collection of Duke Ellington Memorabilia (AC0494)

Dr. Theodore Shell Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera (AC0502)

Edward and Gaye Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC0704)

Andrew Homzy Collection of Duke Ellington Stock Music Arrangements (AC0740)

John Gensel Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC0763)

Al Celley Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC1240)

Materials at Other Organizations

Institute of Jazz Studies
Separated Materials:
Artifacts related to this collection are in the Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) and include trophies, plaques, and medals. See accessions: 1989.0369; 1991.0808; 1993.0032; and 1999.0148.

"
Provenance:
The collection was purchased through an appropriation of Congress in 1988.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but the original and master audiovisual materials are stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Copyright restrictions. Consult the Archives Center at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Paul Ellington, executor, is represented by:

Richard J.J. Scarola, Scarola Ellis LLP, 888 Seventh Avenue, 45th Floor, New York, New York 10106. Telephone (212) 757-0007 x 235; Fax (212) 757-0469; email: rjjs@selaw.com; www.selaw.com; www.ourlawfirm.com.
Occupation:
Composers -- 20th century  Search this
Topic:
Big bands  Search this
Pianists  Search this
Bandsmen -- 20th century  Search this
Jazz -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Musicians -- 20th century  Search this
Music -- Performance  Search this
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
African Americans -- History  Search this
Popular music -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Music -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
African American musicians  Search this
Genre/Form:
Phonograph records
Papers
Photographic prints
Posters
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks -- 20th century
Music -- Manuscripts
Clippings
Awards
Audiotapes
Citation:
Duke Ellington Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0301
See more items in:
Duke Ellington Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep850a376a1-6b6d-48bc-9076-cffef76fea2c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0301
Online Media:

[Billy Strayhorn, seated at piano, pointing : black-and-white photoprint.]

Names:
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Collection Creator:
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (Silver gelatin on paper.)
Culture:
African Americans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
Photographer unidentified.
Arrangement:
Box No. 1.
Local Numbers:
AC0301-0000016.tif (AC Scan No.)
Series Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled with gloves.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Copyright restrictions. Consult the Archives Center at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Paul Ellington, executor, is represented by:

Richard J.J. Scarola, Scarola Ellis LLP, 888 Seventh Avenue, 45th Floor, New York, New York 10106. Telephone (212) 757-0007 x 235; Fax (212) 757-0469; email: rjjs@selaw.com; www.selaw.com; www.ourlawfirm.com.
Occupation:
Composers  Search this
Topic:
African American composers  Search this
Piano  Search this
Collection Citation:
Duke Ellington Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
See more items in:
Duke Ellington Collection
Duke Ellington Collection / Series 7: Photographs, Duke Ellington Collection / 7.7.8: Candid Shots
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8485a81ee-d765-4435-a975-b9c11fd99d93
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0301-ref53239

[Billy Strayhorn playing piano in a home,] May 26th, 1952 [cellulose acetate photonegative]

Photographer:
Miner, John  Search this
Collector:
Schiedt, Duncan P., 1921-2014  Search this
Creator:
Eastman Kodak Company (film manufacturer)  Search this
Names:
Tribune Company  Search this
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Collection Photographer:
Schiedt, Duncan P., 1921-2014  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (3-1/4" x 2-1/2".)
Culture:
African Americans -- 1950-1960  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Photographs
Place:
Illinois
Chicago (Ill.)
Scope and Contents:
Possibly taken in Chicago because the newspaper on the piano is the Chicago Tribune. Box 2, John Miner Negatives "M to Z" ("Billy Strayhorn" envelope). Made on Kodak Safety Film 470.
Local Numbers:
AC1323-0000012.tif (AC Scan No.)
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Reproduction restricted due to copyright or trademark. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Occupation:
Jazz musicians -- 1950-2000 -- United States  Search this
Topic:
Piano  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- 1950-1960 -- Black-and-white negatives -- Acetate film
Collection Citation:
Duncan Schiedt Jazz Collection, 1900-2012, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
See more items in:
Duncan P. Schiedt Photograph Collection
Duncan P. Schiedt Photograph Collection / Series 2: Photographic Materials / 2.2: Artist Files Photographs / Strayhorn, Billy
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8feea64b8-859d-455b-a3ac-def1e079f83a
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-1323-ref7840

[Duke Ellington at party : cellulose acetate photonegative.]

Photographer:
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Names:
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Ellington, Edna  Search this
Scurlock, Natalie  Search this
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Subseries Creator:
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Custom Craft  Search this
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Extent:
1 Item
Container:
Box 77
Culture:
African Americans -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Photographs
Place:
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Date:
October 1956
Scope and Contents:
Duke Ellington sitting at a piano, surrounded by guests at a party at Edna Ellington's), photographed by George Scurlock. According to Jacqueline Scurlock Colbert, the persons from left to right are: Carl Reid, Addison Rand, Mercer Ellington, Marjorie Reid, Jerome ---, Billy Strayhorn, Natalie Scurlock (George Scurlock's wife and Jacqueline Scurlock's mother), Duke Ellington, Edna Ellington, Helen Rand. No Scurlock number. "Kodak Safety Film" edge imprint. No ink on negative.
At the center rear, standing, the shortest man wearing glasses and bow tie is William Thomas Strayhorn (known as "Billy" and sometimes "Sweet Pea"), 1915-1967. To Strayhorn's right is a female vocalist--[possibly] Ginny Greer. The man to the left of Strayhorn may be Ellington's brother. Other images of [Strayhorn] can be seen at www.billystrayhorn.com and Van Vechten also photographed him in the 1950s... (From Suzanne Jenkins, 11/30/06)
Exhibitions Note:
Image reproduced in companion book to "The Scurlock Studio and Black Washington: Picturing the Promise" exhibit, NMAAHC Gallery, NMAH, January 30 - November 15, 2009.
Subseries Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.

Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives. Special arrangements required to view negatives due to cold storage. Using negatives requires a three hour waiting period. Contact the Archives Center at 202-633-3270.
Subseries Rights:
When the Museum purchased the collection from the Estate of Robert S. Scurlock, it obtained all rights, including copyright. The earliest photographs in the collection are in the public domain because their term of copyright has expired. The Archives Center will control copyright and the use of the collection for reproduction purposes, which will be handled in accordance with its standard reproduction policy guidelines. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Occupation:
Composers  Search this
Topic:
African American musicians  Search this
African American composers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- 1950-1960 -- Black-and-white negatives -- Acetate film
Subseries Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.1: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives
Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.1: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives / 4.1: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin negatives
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8fe9a99f2-cfbf-4a9a-8995-82e98ad3ae91
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s04-01-ref2590
Online Media:

Little Joe from Chicago [music]

Composer:
Williams, Mary Lou, 1910-1981  Search this
Wells, Henry  Search this
Creator:
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Collection Creator:
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Extent:
13 Items (manuscripts, 32 cm.)
1 Item (copy score, 32 cm.)
Type:
Archival materials
Conductor scores
Copy scores
Manuscripts
Music
Parts (musical)
Place:
Chicago (Ill.)
Scope and Contents:
13 parts and 1 score.

Little Joe from Chicago is contained in one folder consisting of 1 two-page conductor score in Bb Major concert, and 13 parts in G Major concert -- in ink and pencil -- in unidentified hand (Whaley, other?).

Score indicates parts for alto 1, alto 3, tenor, tenor 2, baritone, trumpet. Score appears incomplete. Parts for 4 reeds - alto 1, alto 3, tenor, alto 4; 3 trumpets - 1, 2, 3; 3 trombones - 1, 2, 3; bass; guitar; piano. -- from the Duke Ellington Library.
Biographical / Historical:
Statement of responsibility taken from Popular Music, 1920-1979, ed. by Nat Shapiro.
Local Numbers:
AC0301-0000078.tif (AC Scan No.?)
General:
A part for "I'll see you in my dreams" is noted on the verso of the bass part. Handwriting and other details have been reported based on the notes of David Berger, Andrew Homzy, Dr. Theodore Hudson, Walter van de Leur, and Dr. Mark Tucker.
Unsigned Strayhorn composition.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but the original and master audiovisual materials are stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Copyright restrictions. Consult the Archives Center at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Paul Ellington, executor, is represented by:

Richard J.J. Scarola, Scarola Ellis LLP, 888 Seventh Avenue, 45th Floor, New York, New York 10106. Telephone (212) 757-0007 x 235; Fax (212) 757-0469; email: rjjs@selaw.com; www.selaw.com; www.ourlawfirm.com.
Topic:
Music -- United States -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Conductor scores
Copy scores
Manuscripts
Music
Parts (musical)
Collection Citation:
Duke Ellington Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
See more items in:
Duke Ellington Collection
Duke Ellington Collection / Series 1: Music Manuscripts / 1.1: Music Manuscripts / 1.1.13: L / Little Joe From Chicago
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep84871ffd6-8fa3-4397-ad28-9fe6685d06ba
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0301-ref51879

Herman Leonard Photographic Collection

Creator:
Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Musical History  Search this
Names:
Armstrong, Louis, 1901-1971  Search this
Baker, Chet  Search this
Bennett, Tony, 1926-  Search this
Blakey, Art, 1919-1990  Search this
Brown, Clifford  Search this
Camero, Candido, 1921-  Search this
Cole, Nat King, 1917-1965  Search this
Cole, Nat King, 1917-1965  Search this
Davis, Miles  Search this
Davis, Miles  Search this
Eckstine, Billy  Search this
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Fitzgerald, Ella, 1917-1996  Search this
Garner, Erroll  Search this
Getz, Stan, 1927-1991  Search this
Gillespie, Dizzy, 1917-  Search this
Gordon, Dexter, 1923-1990  Search this
Haig, Al, 1924-1982  Search this
Heath, Percy, 1923-2005  Search this
Holiday, Billie, 1915-1959  Search this
Horne, Lena  Search this
Marsalis, Wynton, 1961-  Search this
Monk, Thelonious  Search this
Mulligan, Gerry  Search this
Parker, Charlie, 1920-1955  Search this
Pettiford, Oscar, 1922-1960  Search this
Roach, Max, 1924-2007  Search this
Russell, Curly  Search this
Sims, Zoot  Search this
Sinatra, Frank, 1915-1998  Search this
Stitt, Sonny  Search this
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Terry, Clark  Search this
Washington, Dinah, 1924-1963  Search this
Webster, Ben  Search this
Young, Lester, 1909-1959  Search this
Extent:
5.6 Cubic feet (10 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
1948-1993
Summary:
Jazz club photographs by noted Jazz photographer Herman Leonard.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of 110 black-and-white photographic prints depicting musicians performing at various American and European jazz clubs between 1948 and 1991. The collection contains mounted and unmounted 11" x 14" and 16" x 20" prints made by Leonard. Artists represented among these photographs are Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Lester Young, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Thelonious Monk. The photographs are organized into three series: Series 1: 11"x 14" prints, Series 2: 16" x 20" prints, and Series 3: Addenda. The series are arranged alphabetically by performer's last name. Unmatted 16" x 20" prints can be found in box 2 but are listed alphabetically by performer.
Biographical / Historical:
Herman Leonard (1923‑2010) was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and served as a military photographer in Burma during World War II. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in photography from Ohio University and began working with Yousuf Karsh, a Canadian portraitist. Settling in New York in 1949, Leonard began photographing jazz musicians at various jazz clubs on Broadway and Fifty‑Second Streets, and in Harlem for such publications as Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Life, Look, Playboy, and Time. He later to Paris to begin a fashion and advertising business. He also continued photographing jazz musicians. In 1988 Leonard presented his first exhibition, "Images of Jazz," in London. This show established his reputation as a leading photographer of jazz and sparked further shows and publications.
Provenance:
The Herman Leonard Photographs were donated to the National Museum of American History by Mr. Leonard on December 17, 1991 and in 2006.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
The Archives Center does not own the rights to the Leonard photographs. All requests for permission to use these photographs for non‑museum purposes must be addressed to: Herman Leonard Photography, LLC, 530 South Lake Avenue #503, Pasadena, CA 91101 (818) 509-8987.
Topic:
Jazz musicians -- United States  Search this
Jazz  Search this
Music -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 19th-20th century
Citation:
Herman Leonard Photographic Collection, 1948-1993, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0445
See more items in:
Herman Leonard Photographic Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8e44f9017-2701-439c-ac51-9916f1092b09
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0445
Online Media:

Ken Rattenbury Collection

Composer:
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Collector:
Rattenbury, Ken, 1920-  Search this
Interviewee:
Anderson, William "Cat", 1916-1981 (musician)  Search this
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Extent:
0.16 Cubic feet (1 box)
Container:
Box 1
Box 2
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Transcriptions
Audiotapes
Theses
Date:
1967-1991
Summary:
Materials collected and created by Ken Rattenbury, professional musician and author.
Scope and Contents:
Five cassette audiotapes, master's degree thesis, and Billy Strayhorn music transcription to Duke Ellington's "Lotus Blossom.",Material documents the career and compositional techniques of Duke Ellington, and interviews with Duke Ellington and Cat Anderson.
Arrangement:
1 series. Unarranged.
Biographical / Historical:
Professional musician, author of "Duke Ellington Jazz Composer", editor of "Crescendo International", and member/organizer of the music group "Jazz Five."
Provenance:
Collection donated by Ken Rattenbury, June 15, 1991.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Copyright restrictions. Contact staff for information.
Topic:
Musicians -- United States  Search this
Jazz musicians -- United States  Search this
Music -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Jazz -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Genre/Form:
Transcriptions
Audiotapes
Theses
Citation:
Ken Rattenbury Collection, 1967-1992, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0432
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep84cbcf899-d837-40af-ae29-5c11de1ca8c9
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0432

Archives Center Collection of Music Transcriptions of Duke Ellington Compositions

Creator:
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Mandel, Roberta  Search this
Berger, David, 1920-1966  Search this
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Schirmer, G., Inc.  Search this
Extent:
0.12 Cubic feet (1 box)
Container:
Box 1
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Transcriptions
Music
Date:
undated and 1988-1989.
Summary:
Two transcriptions by Strayhorn and Ellington works by Roberta Mandel, David Berger and G. Schirmer.
Scope and Contents note:
Two transcriptions by Roberta Mandel of Billy Strayhorn's composition, "Blood Count"; five transcriptions by David Berger: "Harlem Airshaft", "Ko-Ko", "Subtle Lament", "Flaming Sword", "Mainstem", and "Jack the Bear", all composed by Duke Ellington; and two G. Schirmer transcriptions of Ellington's "Come Sunday".
Arrangement:
1 series.
Provenance:
Donated by Roberta Mandel in 1991 (part of collection only).
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Music -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Genre/Form:
Transcriptions
Music -- Manuscripts
Citation:
Archives Center Collection of Music Transcriptions of Duke Ellington Compositions, undated and 1988-1989, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0430
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep885364356-a930-45d0-8b5c-0a9b3aceb34c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0430

Jazz Oral History Collection about Duke Ellington

Interviewer:
Hasse, John Edward, 1948-  Search this
Willard, Patricia  Search this
Names:
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Ellington, Mercer Kennedy, 1919-1996 (musician)  Search this
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Interviewee:
Feather, Leonard, 1914-1994  Search this
Woodyard, Sam, 1925-1988  Search this
Extent:
0.4 Cubic feet (3 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Audio cassettes
Audiotapes
Transcripts
Date:
1988
1990
Summary:
Collection consists of original cassettes, open-reel master, and reference cassette audiotapes of two oral history interviews about the life and career of Duke Ellington. Leonard Feather's oral history interview has a transcript.

In separate interviews jazz critic Leonard Feather and Sam Woodyard discuss their relationships with and knowledge of Ellington and his music.
Scope and Contents:
Audiotape interviews with jazz critic Leonard Feather and drummer Sam Woodyard about their relationships with Duke Ellington and the Ellington Orchestra. John Hasse interviewed Leonard Feather on June 10, 1990. Patricia Willard interviewed Sam Woodyeard on May 30, 1998 and May 31, 1988. The interviews were recorded on audio cassette.
Arrangement:
Collection organized into one series.

Series 1, Jazz Oral History Collection, 1988-1990

Subseries 1.1: Leonard Feather

Subseries 1.2: Sam Woodyard
Biographical / Historical:
The Jazz Oral History Collection comprises two oral history interviews about Duke Ellington and his Orchestra.

One interview is with Leonard Feather (1914-1994), noted jazz critic, record producer, and composer. Born in England, Feather became an ardent fan of jazz by listening to recordings. The first time he saw Ellington perform live was in 1933 at the Palladium in London. Feather made his first trip to the United States in 1935 and through music critic and record producer John Hammond he met many of the leading musicians, producers, and concert promoters active in the American jazz scene. Feather was hired by Ellington in 1942 to do publicity and became part of what Feather referred to as "the Ellington family." Feather worked with Mercer Ellington as well and throughout the years he maintained an active involvement and friendship with Ellington.

A shorter interview with drummer Sam Woodyard (1925-1988) is poorly recorded and consequently it is difficult to hear and understand Woodyard's responses to the questions. Sam Woodyard was a drummer with the Ellington Orchestra from 1955 through 1966.
Provenance:
Made for the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research.
Rights:
No release forms exist. Collection items are available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply.
Topic:
Jazz musicians -- United States  Search this
Jazz -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Music -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Genre/Form:
Audio cassettes
Audiotapes -- Open reel
Transcripts
Citation:
Jazz Oral History Collection about Duke Ellington, 1988-1990, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0431
See more items in:
Jazz Oral History Collection about Duke Ellington
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep835c90d35-ef9e-416a-87fe-562818062629
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0431

Three Little Lullabies

Collection Creator:
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Russo, William, 1928-2003  Search this
Collection Photographer:
Claxton, William  Search this
Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010  Search this
Collection Composer:
Kenton, Stan  Search this
Collection Musician:
Mulligan, Gerry  Search this
Container:
Box 73, Folder 2
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but an oil painting is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers, 1920s-2002, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers
William Russo Music and Personal Papers / Series 1: Wiliam Russo's Music / 1.2: Non-Jazz Music
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8057ad841-a690-44ca-8e1b-3a7cc87bd244
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0845-ref1000

Three Pieces for Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra

Collection Creator:
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Russo, William, 1928-2003  Search this
Collection Photographer:
Claxton, William  Search this
Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010  Search this
Collection Composer:
Kenton, Stan  Search this
Collection Musician:
Mulligan, Gerry  Search this
Container:
Box 63, Folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but an oil painting is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers, 1920s-2002, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers
William Russo Music and Personal Papers / Series 1: Wiliam Russo's Music / 1.2: Non-Jazz Music
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8cd787605-ee2e-40fb-9029-0ba25624dc28
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0845-ref1001

Three Pieces for Blues Band Orchestra

Collection Creator:
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Russo, William, 1928-2003  Search this
Collection Photographer:
Claxton, William  Search this
Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010  Search this
Collection Composer:
Kenton, Stan  Search this
Collection Musician:
Mulligan, Gerry  Search this
Container:
Box 55, Folder 2
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but an oil painting is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers, 1920s-2002, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers
William Russo Music and Personal Papers / Series 1: Wiliam Russo's Music / 1.2: Non-Jazz Music
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep87f9ad888-5f61-4430-9a3e-3444b03eda46
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0845-ref1002

Titans

Collection Creator:
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Russo, William, 1928-2003  Search this
Collection Photographer:
Claxton, William  Search this
Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010  Search this
Collection Composer:
Kenton, Stan  Search this
Collection Musician:
Mulligan, Gerry  Search this
Container:
Box 63, Folder 4
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but an oil painting is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers, 1920s-2002, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers
William Russo Music and Personal Papers / Series 1: Wiliam Russo's Music / 1.2: Non-Jazz Music
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8255873f1-0aee-4ad2-bec8-03dd64d601ec
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0845-ref1003

Titans

Collection Creator:
Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this
Russo, William, 1928-2003  Search this
Collection Photographer:
Claxton, William  Search this
Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010  Search this
Collection Composer:
Kenton, Stan  Search this
Collection Musician:
Mulligan, Gerry  Search this
Container:
Box 73, Folder 3
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but an oil painting is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers, 1920s-2002, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
William Russo Music and Personal Papers
William Russo Music and Personal Papers / Series 1: Wiliam Russo's Music / 1.2: Non-Jazz Music
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8f2726ba1-0240-411f-a0ae-e383c6f5f842
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0845-ref1004

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