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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:

Eubie Blake Letter and Music Manuscripts

Composer:
Blake, Eubie (James Herbert), 1883-1983  Search this
Donor:
Dwyer, Lawrence  Search this
Extent:
0.15 Cubic feet (1 folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Music
Correspondence
Date:
1969 - 1969
Summary:
Collection consists of one letter and six music manuscripts by James H. "Eubie" Blake.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of one handwritten letter by Eubie Blake to Professor John Garvey, director of the University of Illinois Jazz Band, dated August 3, 1969. There are five undated manuscripts in Blake's hand of his arangements for the songs Manda, Poor Archie, Brittwood Rag, March of the Senegalese, and the W.C. Handy song, Yellow Dog Blues. In the letter Blake requests that Garvey, when playing any of these songs (for which he enclosed the manuscripts,) please mention his (Blake's) name as the arranger.

In the letter Blake also mentions Here Tis, but that manuscript was not included in this donation.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged in one series.

Series 1: Letter and Music Manuscripts, 1969
Biographical / Historical:
James Herbert "Eubie" Blake, noted ragtime pianist, was born February 7, 1883 in Baltimore, Maryland. Some government records show his birth year as 1887. His parents Emily "Emma" Johnston and James Sumner Blake had formerly been enslaved. Blake was their only child to live to maturity. Blake learned to play the pump organ and the piano while still a young child. Blake began his career as a pianist, songwriter, and arranger in 1915 in Baltimore playing piano in Aggie Shelton's bordello. He formed a songwritng partnership with Noble Sissle in 1915. In 1921, their musical Shuffle Along became a hit on Broadway and ran for fourteen months. Blake's career spanned his entire life. Perhaps his most recognizable song, I'm Just Wild About Harry, is considered a standard of the American musical canon. His life was the subject of the Broadway musical, Eubie, that premiered in 1978.

Blake married twice first to Avis Elizabeth Cecelia Lee (1881-1939) the daughter of Lawrence and Florence Lee. After her death from tuberculosis in March 1939, Blake married Marion Gant Tyler (1896-1982), widow of Willie Tyler, violinist, and daughter of James H. Gant and Nattie Thomas, on December 27, 1945 in Norfolk, Virginia. Marion acted as his business manager until her death.

Blake died in Brooklyn, New York, on 1983 February 12. He and Marion are both buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.

Sources

The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, page 114. Death certificate for Avis Blake, dated 1939, New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949," database Family Search, accessed July 5, 2019

Certificate of Marriage for James Hubert Blake and Marion Louise Gant, dated 1945 December 27, Virginia Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988, Family Search, accessed July 5, 2019
Provenance:
Donated to the Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution by Lawrence Dwyer in 2016.
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:
Arrangement (Music)  Search this
Jazz  Search this
Genre/Form:
Manuscripts -- Music -- 1960-1970
Music -- Manuscripts
Correspondence -- 1960-1970
Citation:
Eubie Blake Letter and Music Manuscripts, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1400
See more items in:
Eubie Blake Letter and Music Manuscripts
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep89742b2ae-423b-45b2-b29f-5cba8c7594b8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1400

Child [music]

Collection Creator:
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (manuscript, 32 cm.)
8 Items (copy scores, 32 cm.)
Container:
Box 74 (Series 1), Folder 2
Type:
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Copy scores
Music
Parts (musical)
Piano vocal scores
Scope and Contents:
8 parts and 1 score
Child is contained in one folder consisting of 1 two page piano vocal score and 8 parts in Bb Major concert -- in ink and pencil -- in unidentified hands.
Two page piano vocal score appears incomplete. Lyrics begin "He's just a dreamer, a foolish schemer ...". Parts for 4 reeds - alto 1, alto 2, tenor 3, tenor 4; 2 trumpets - 1, 2; 2 trombones - 1, 2. -- from the Duke Ellington Library.
General:
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.
Condition: fair.
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:
Manuscripts -- Music -- 20th century
Copy scores
Music
Parts (musical)
Piano vocal scores
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 / 1.1.4: C
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep861d315f7-6bd1-4118-a293-7af4d352b6b0
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0301-ref38523

Child's walk [music]

Composer:
Schifrin, Lalo  Search this
Collection Creator:
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (part (photocopy), 32 cm.)
Container:
Box 74 (Series 1), Folder 3
Type:
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Music
Parts (musical)
Photocopies
Scope and Contents:
1 part
Child's walk is contained in one folder consisting of 1 part in f minor concert -- in photocopy -- in unidentified hand.
Part for guitar. Part includes melodic line as well as chord symbols. -- from the Duke Ellington Library.
General:
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.
Condition: fair.
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:
Manuscripts
Music
Parts (musical)
Photocopies
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 / 1.1.4: C
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep85d937b63-18d8-4361-9a1c-aa05877b2702
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0301-ref38524

Hy child [music]

Collection Creator:
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Extent:
9 Items (manuscripts, 32 cm.)
Container:
Box 149 (Series 1), Folder 14
Type:
Archival materials
Music
Parts (musical)
Manuscripts
Scope and Contents:
9 parts.
Hy child is contained in one folder consisting of 9 parts in c minor concert -- in pencil -- in unidentified hand (Tizol?).
Parts for 3 reeds - Johnny, Otto, Carney; 2 trumpets - Wetz, Cooty; 1 trombone - Browne; 2 basses - bass, Billy; guitar. -- from the Duke Ellington Library.
General:
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.
Condition: fair, stained.
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:
Music
Parts (musical)
Manuscripts -- Music -- 20th century
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 / 1.1.9: H
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8f804fe16-c9bf-4e5b-9bf9-2d3c706bd7c7
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0301-ref40648

In memoriam [music]

Composer:
Russo, William, 1928-2003  Search this
Lyricist:
Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967  Search this
Gimbel, Barbara  Search this
Joyce, Henry.  Search this
Collection Creator:
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (part (photocopy), 33 cm.)
Container:
Box 165, Folder 13
Type:
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Music
Photocopies
Piano vocal scores
Scope and Contents:
1 score
In memoriam is contained in one folder consisting of 1 forty three page piano vocal score in Bb Major concert -- in photocopy -- in unidentified hand.
Piano vocal score for a multi-sectional work. Lyrics for "Miss Blues'es child" begin "If the blues would let me, Lord knows I would smile ...". Lyrics for "Baby, oh baby" begin "Baby, oh baby; the years run swiftly by ...". Lyrics for "Requiem and kyrie" begin "Requiem, aeternam ...". Lyrics for "Take me, death" begin "Take me, death, away from Earth ...". Lyrics for "Sleep now" begin "Sleep now, o sleep now, o you unquiet heart ...". -- from the Duke Ellington Library.
General:
Piece is dedicated to the memory of Philip Ball. 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.
Condition: fair.
Other Title:
Miss Blues'es child.
Baby, oh baby.
Requiem and kyrie.
Take me, death.
Sleep now.
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:
Sleep  Search this
Music -- United States -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Manuscripts
Music
Photocopies
Piano vocal scores
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 / 1.1.10: I
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8958869d8-5501-4142-ad12-4ebe47646e18
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0301-ref41038

Motherless child [music]

Collection Creator:
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Extent:
2 Items (copy scores, 32 cm.)
1 Item (manuscript, 32 cm.)
Container:
Box 231, Folder 16
Type:
Archival materials
Copy scores
Manuscripts
Music
Piano vocal scores
Scope and Contents:
3 scores
Motherless child is contained in one folder consisting of 1 three page piano vocal score in c minor concert, and 1 three page piano vocal score and 1 one page piano vocal score in f minor concert -- in ink -- in identified hand (Whaley).
Piano vocal scores lyrics begin "Poor me, poor me ...". One page score appears incomplete. -- from the Duke Ellington Library.
General:
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.
Condition: fair, brittle, torn.
Other Title:
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child.
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:
Copy scores
Manuscripts
Music
Piano vocal scores
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 / 1.1.14: M
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep83188f490-abcd-4d96-ba92-3e5d3c4781b6
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0301-ref42691

Study 42, Arched Ceiling, General Foods Theme

Designer:
John De Cesare, American, b. Italy, 1890–1972  Search this
Medium:
Color pencil, graphite on pink wove paper
Dimensions:
H x W: 57.8 × 45.7 cm (22 3/4 in. × 18 in.)
Type:
music
Drawing
Object Name:
Drawing
Made in:
New York, NY, USA
Date:
September 8, 1950
Credit Line:
Gift of the Estate of John De Cesare
Accession Number:
1982-25-6
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design Department
Data Source:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq4f5e32f14-c6cb-4b30-8bcf-ace3b60127ad
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:chndm_1982-25-6
Online Media:

Great books for African-American children Pamela Toussaint

Author:
Toussaint, Pamela  Search this
Physical description:
278 pages 21 cm
Type:
Bibliography
Juvenile
Bibliographie
bibliographies
Literature
Bibliographies
Juvenile works
Littérature
Place:
United States
États-Unis
Date:
1999
Topic:
African American children--Books and reading  Search this
Children's literature, American  Search this
English literature--Black authors  Search this
African Americans  Search this
Children--Books and reading  Search this
Black people  Search this
Enfants noirs américains--Livres et lecture  Search this
Littérature de jeunesse américaine  Search this
Littérature anglaise--Auteurs noirs  Search this
Enfants--Livres et lecture  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_561403

Black Europe / by Jeffrey Green, Rainer E. Lotz and Howard Rye

Title:
Sounds and images of Black people in Europe pre-1927
Producer:
Green, Jeffrey P.  Search this
Lotz, Rainer E.  Search this
Rye, Howard  Search this
Author:
Bergmeier, Horst  Search this
Nowakowski, Konrad  Search this
Ziegler, Susanne  Search this
Mahrenholz, Hans-Jürgen  Search this
Stoecker, Holger  Search this
Performer:
Weeks, Seth  Search this
Davis, Belle  Search this
Woolf, Gipsy 1882-1986  Search this
Fields, Arabella 1879-  Search this
Zabriskie, Pete  Search this
Hampton, Pete  Search this
Bowman, Laura 1881-1957  Search this
Carlisle, George Horace 1883-1963  Search this
Wellmon, Harry  Search this
Johnson, Jack 1878-1946  Search this
Roberts, Bob 1885 or 1889-1926  Search this
Boyd, Joseph 1870-  Search this
Garland, Will 1878-1938  Search this
Jenkins, Edmund Thornton 1894-1926  Search this
Parker, Herbert Eugene 1896-  Search this
Mitchell, Louis A. 1885-1957  Search this
Dixon, Rudolph 1896-1944  Search this
Dove, Evelyn 1902-1987  Search this
Jones, Russell 1892-1959  Search this
Payne, John 1872-  Search this
Hayes, Roland 1887-1977  Search this
Stretton, Gordon  Search this
Boucher, James 1902-1973?  Search this
Granstaff, Earl 1893 or 1894-1929  Search this
Sissle, Noble 1889-1975  Search this
Blake, Eubie 1887-1983  Search this
Wooding, Sam 1895-1985  Search this
Briggs, Arthur 1899-1991  Search this
Caillaux, Pierre de  Search this
Pollard, Hughes 1892-1926  Search this
Baker, Josephine 1906-1975  Search this
Hednoff, Harry 1896-1982  Search this
Tessema Eshete 1876-1964  Search this
Ransome-Kuti, J. J (Josaiah Jesse) 1855-1930  Search this
Plaatje, Sol. T (Solomon Tshekisho) 1876-1932  Search this
Cole, M (Singer)  Search this
Martin, E. O.  Search this
Nathaniels, R. C. -1962  Search this
Solanke, Ladipo  Search this
Four Black Diamonds (Musical group)  Search this
Black Troubadours  Search this
Georgia Piccaninnies (Musical group)  Search this
Ciro's Club Coon Orchestra  Search this
Savoy Quartet  Search this
Versatile Four (Musical group)  Search this
Dan & Harvey's Jazz Band  Search this
Famous Broadway Band  Search this
Layton and Johnstone  Search this
Hatch and Carpenter  Search this
Four Harmony Kings  Search this
Author:
Coleridge-Taylor, Samuel 1875-1912 Scenes from The song of Hiawatha Hiawatha's wedding feast Selections  Search this
Coleridge-Taylor, Samuel 1875-1912 Songs op. 37 Elëanor  Search this
Phonothèque nationale (France)  Search this
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Lautarchiv  Search this
Berliner Phonogramm-Archiv  Search this
Exposition universelle ) (1900 : Paris, France)  Search this
Physical description:
2 volumes : color illustrations, facsimiles, maps, portraits ; 31 cm + 1 case of 44 sound discs (digital, mono. ; 4 3/4 in.) + 1 CD-ROM (PDF ; 4 3/4 in.)
Type:
Music
Folklore
Field recordings
Place:
Europe
Africa
Date:
2013
C2013, p2013
To 1921
1921-1930
Topic:
Black people  Search this
African Americans--Influence  Search this
African Americans  Search this
Music  Search this
Folk music  Search this
Popular music  Search this
Ragtime music  Search this
String band music  Search this
Spirituals (Songs)  Search this
Jazz  Search this
Minstrel music  Search this
African languages  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1036702

Will the day ever come [music]

Composer:
Hunter, Alberta  Search this
Collection Creator:
Boatwright, Ruth Ellington, 1914-2004  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (copy score, 32 cm.)
Container:
Box 39, Folder 36
Type:
Archival materials
Copy scores
Manuscripts
Music
Piano vocal scores
Scope and Contents:
1 score
Will the day ever come is contained in one folder consisting of 1 three page piano vocal score in F Major concert -- in ink -- in unidentified hand (Whaley?).
Piano vocal score lyrics begin "When I was a child of three ...". -- from the Ruth Ellington Collection.
General:
Handwriting and other details have been reported based on the notes of David Berger, Andrew Homzy, Dr. Theodore Hudson, Walter van de Leur, Wayne Shirley, and Dr. Mark Tucker.
Condition: fair, tape.
Related Materials:
Ruth Ellington Collection Music Manuscripts (Series 3), 1940-1991
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but 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. Copyright restrictions exist. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Music -- United States -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Copy scores
Manuscripts
Music
Piano vocal scores
Collection Citation:
Ruth Ellington Collection, 1923-1992, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
Ruth Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials
Ruth Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials / Series 1: Music Manuscripts, Scripts, and Compositional Materials / 1.1: Music Manuscripts
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep84f4cd0b0-2c8a-4884-b05b-a82d88d6691e
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0415-ref2420

Beautiful beyond [sound recording] : Christian songs in native languages / presented by the National Museum of the American Indian

Title:
Christian songs in native languages
Author:
Bass, Howard  Search this
National Museum of the American Indian (U.S.)  Search this
Smithsonian/Folkways Recordings  Search this
Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this
Physical description:
1 sound disc (71 min., 32 sec.) : digital ; 4 3/4 in
Type:
Sound recordings
Music
Place:
United States
Date:
2004
1988
P2004
Topic:
Sacred music  Search this
Hymns  Search this
Call number:
M2198 .M43 2004
disc 000555
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_778525

Cabin and plantation songs : as sung by the Hampton students / arranged by Thomas P. Fenner, Frederic G. Rathbun, and Bessie Cleaveland

Author:
Fenner, Thomas P  Search this
Rathbun, Frederic G  Search this
Cleaveland, Bessie  Search this
Hampton Institute  Search this
Physical description:
1 close score (166 pages) ; 24 cm
Type:
Music
Spirituals (Songs)
Date:
1901
1901, ©1990
Topic:
African Americans  Search this
Spirituals (Songs)  Search this
Call number:
M1670.H3 1901X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_365555

The keepers of the earth [sound recording]

Author:
Hardman, Rose Red Elk  Search this
Youngblood, Mary  Search this
Physical description:
1 sound disc : digital ; 4 3/4 in
Type:
Sound recordings
Music
Date:
2003
P2003
Call number:
disc 000669
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_939417

Forty Negro spirituals / compiled and arr. for solo voice with pianoforte accompaniment by Clarence Cameron White

Title:
Negro spirituals
Compiler:
White, Clarence Cameron 1880-1960  Search this
Physical description:
129 pages ; 32 cm
Type:
Music
Date:
1927
©1927
Topic:
Spirituals (Songs)  Search this
African Americans  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1063018

The gift to be simple : songs, dances and rituals of the American Shakers / by Edward D. Andrews

Author:
Andrews, Edward Deming 1894-1964  Search this
Subject:
Shakers  Search this
Shakers  Search this
Shakers  Search this
Physical description:
ix, 170 pages, 12 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 21 cm
Type:
Scores
Music
Hymns
Date:
1962
1940
1962, ©1940
Topic:
Hymns, English  Search this
Call number:
ML3178.S52A56 1962
ML3178.S52A56 1962
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_253997

A life of song / Ella Jenkins

Author:
Jenkins, Ella  Search this
Ruby, Rita  Search this
Physical description:
1 audio disc (36 min.) : digital ; 4 3/4 in
Type:
Juvenile sound recordings
Music
Children's sound recordings
Juvenile works
Sound recordings
Children's films
Place:
United States
Date:
2011
℗2011
Topic:
Children's songs  Search this
African Americans  Search this
Folk songs, English  Search this
Gospel music  Search this
Songs  Search this
Call number:
disc 000838
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1089727

Made by hand : a crafts sampler / Carole Lexa Schaefer ; illustrated by Becca Stadtlander

Author:
Schaefer, Carole Lexa  Search this
Illustrator:
Stadtlander, Becca  Search this
Physical description:
1 volume (unnumbered) : color illustrations ; 28 cm
Type:
Juvenile fiction
Fiction
Juvenile
Historical fiction
Juvenile works
Picture books
Place:
United States
Date:
2018
Topic:
Handicraft  Search this
Folk art  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Historical fiction  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1104906

Songs my mother taught me / Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Title:
Fannie Lou Hamer : songs my mother taught me
Speaker:
Hamer, Fannie Lou  Search this
Author:
Hamer, Fannie Lou Speeches Selections  Search this
Interviewer:
Lester, Julius  Search this
Recordist:
Moon, Moses  Search this
Physical description:
1 audio disc (47 min.) : digital, CD audio, stereo. ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 booket (32 pages : portraits ; 12 cm)
Type:
Songs and music
Music
Date:
2015
Topic:
Spirituals (Songs)  Search this
Gospel music  Search this
African Americans--Civil rights  Search this
Hymns, English  Search this
Lullabies  Search this
Call number:
M198 .H214 S6 2015 AEGMCT
M 2198 H214 S6 2015 AEU
disc 000821
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1083302

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