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Joe and Odell Thompson - "Old Corn Liquor" [Official Audio]

Creator:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2009-04-06T17:58:14.000Z
YouTube Category:
Music  Search this
Topic:
Cultural property  Search this
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Data Source:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
YouTube Channel:
smithsonianfolkways
EDAN-URL:
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Dink Roberts - "John Hardy" [Official Audio]

Creator:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2009-04-06T17:45:31.000Z
YouTube Category:
Music  Search this
Topic:
Cultural property  Search this
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Data Source:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
YouTube Channel:
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EDAN-URL:
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Dink Roberts - "High Sheriff" [Official Audio]

Creator:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2009-04-06T17:38:07.000Z
YouTube Category:
Music  Search this
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Cultural property  Search this
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Data Source:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
YouTube Channel:
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EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_I7UsXKciznc

John Snipes - "Old Rattler (Fox Chase)" [Official Audio]

Creator:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2009-04-06T17:23:33.000Z
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Music  Search this
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Data Source:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
YouTube Channel:
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EDAN-URL:
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Paul Robeson - "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?" [Official Audio]

Creator:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2009-03-26T19:02:54.000Z
YouTube Category:
Music  Search this
Topic:
Cultural property  Search this
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Data Source:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
YouTube Channel:
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EDAN-URL:
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Dink Roberts - "Georgia Buck" [Official Audio]

Creator:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2009-04-06T17:31:48.000Z
YouTube Category:
Music  Search this
Topic:
Cultural property  Search this
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Data Source:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
YouTube Channel:
smithsonianfolkways
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_js6y2oBpLck

Dink Roberts - "Garfield" [Official Audio]

Creator:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2009-04-06T17:52:17.000Z
YouTube Category:
Music  Search this
Topic:
Cultural property  Search this
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Data Source:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
YouTube Channel:
smithsonianfolkways
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_kPg4y-T1mak

John Snipes - "The Coo Coo (Coo Coo Bird)" [Official Audio]

Creator:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2009-04-06T17:11:36.000Z
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Music  Search this
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Data Source:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
YouTube Channel:
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EDAN-URL:
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Paul Robeson - "On My Journey: Mount Zion" [Official Audio]

Creator:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2009-03-26T18:47:43.000Z
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Music  Search this
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Data Source:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
YouTube Channel:
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EDAN-URL:
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Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Series 3: African American Music

Creator:
DeVincent, Sam, 1918-1997  Search this
Extent:
79 Boxes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1828-1980
Summary:
Sam DeVincent loved music and art and began collecting sheet music with lithographs at an early age.

Series 3: African-American Music, contains circa 7,800 pieces of sheet music and folios dating from the 1820s to the 1980s; most of the material dates from after 1890.

An overview to the entire DeVincent collection is available here: Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music.
Scope and Contents note:
The African-American series contains circa 7,800 pieces of sheet music and folios dating from the 1820s to the 1980s; most of the material dates from after 1890. Many of the pieces were composed or performed by Afro-American musicians; other pieces were created by white musicians using black musical styles (for example Joseph Lamb's classic ragtime compositions). A large part of the series consists of songs about African-Americans (minstrel show songs), often written in dialect and usually filled with negative stereotypes. Most, but not all, of the composers of this material were white. Subseries 3.1-3.7 are organized by musical genre and arranged by the chronological first appearance of the genre in American popular culture. The last subseries, 3.8, is a composer/performer aggregation including many musical genres but only African-American musicians.

The DeVincent Collection holds a wealth of ragtime material which forms an important part of series 3. There are approximately 530 items of vocal ragtime and approximately 2,800 instrumental ragtime items. The principle composers of ragtime have separate folders and are indexed by name (however, some of their material may be in the general ragtime folders). One of the strengths of the DeVincent ragtime file is its diversity and inclusion of lesser-known figures. Sam DeVincent built the ragtime section with a broad conception of the genre, a conception in keeping with the thinking of the time. Characteristic two-steps, syncopated marches, and some dances from the ragtime dance craze (turkey trots, a few tangos, etc.) are included in the general file indicating the widespread infusion of ragtime rhythms into American popular music during the early 20th century.

A large part of series 3 is organized and indexed by composer or performer; subseries 3.8 is solely organized this way. African-American composers who wrote only ragtime music, such as Scott Joplin, have been kept in subseries 3.6, "ragtime composers and publishers," which includes both black and white musicians.

The jazz holdings in subseries 3.7, "blues and jazz music," are quite small; most of the items are about jazz rather than the creations of jazz musicians. DeVincent organized most of his jazz materials by composer and performer. African-American jazz musicians have been incorporated into subseries 3.8. White jazz musicians are not in series 3. For help in locating jazz material in the DeVincent Collection, see the appendix "Finding Aid to Jazz Sheet Music and Ephemera."

There are four indexes in this register. The first two are for series 3: a Topical Index and a Select Name and Title Index . Following are the two composite indexes which combine the indexes of series 1, 2, and 3. These composite indexes are an important cross-reference tool.

For example, someone doing research on James Reese Europe would naturally start reading the register for series 3. The index to series 3 lists folder 3.8 BB under the heading for Europe. In the composite index, we learn that folder 2.4 XX also has a composition by Europe. Sam DeVincent placed in the Armed Forces file a piece by Europe that he wrote while serving in the Army as director of the 369th Hellfighters Band.

This series is arranged in the following subseries: 3:1 Minstrel Show and Blackface Entertainers; 3:2 Uncle Tom's Cabin; 3:3 African-American Folk-song and Spirituals; 3:4 Songs about African-American/Vocal Ragtime; 3:5 Instrumental and Ragtime Music; 3:6 Ragtime Composers and Publishers; 3:7 Blues and Jazz Music; 3:8 Composers and Performers.
Arrangement note:
Arranged in 9 subseries.

3.1: Minstrel Shows and Blackface Entertainers

3.2: Uncle Tom's Cabin

3.3: African-American Folk-songs and Spirituals

3.4: Songs about African-American/Vocal Ragtime

3.5: Instrumental and Ragtime Music

3.6: Ragtime Composers and Publishers

3.7: Blues and Jazz Music

3.8: Composers and Performers

3.9: Ephemera
Materials in Other Organizations:
Sam DeVincent Collection of American Sheet Music, Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

This collection contains duplicates of materials in the Smithsonian collection, as well as materials acquired by Mr. DeVincent after the donation to the Smithsonian. The phonograph records described above were transferred to the University of Missouri at Kansas City.
Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History:
Donald J. Stubblebine Collection of Musical Theater and Motion Picture Sheet Music and Reference Material, 1843-2010 (AC1211)
Forms Part Of:
Series 3: African-American Music forms part of the Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music .

An ongoing, updated list of DeVincent topical series is available via the Smithsonian finding aid portal.
Provenance:
This collection was purchased by the Smithsonian Institution in 1988 from Sam and Nancy Lee DeVincent.
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.
Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0300.S03
See more items in:
Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Series 3: African American Music
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep890e4c587-014e-4836-8164-82069059301b
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0300-s03
Online Media:

Bernice Johnson Reagon Collection of African American Sacred Music

Consultant:
Richardson, Deborra  Search this
Collector:
Reagon, Bernice Johnson, 1942-  Search this
Names:
Chick Webb Orchestra  Search this
Hampton University Choir  Search this
Harmonizing Four  Search this
Jubilee Singers  Search this
Dett, Nathaniel  Search this
Dorsey, Thomas A.  Search this
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Tharpe, Rosetta  Search this
Tindley, Charles  Search this
Extent:
6.55 Cubic feet (17 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1822-1994
Summary:
The collection documents the customs and culture of black gospel song and its performance in 19th- and 20th-century America. Dr. Reagon collected photographs, sheet music, and other primary and secondary sources chronicling the development and legacy of this medium, from the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement, from blues to Gospel to classical to jazz.

Among the subjects included in this collection are trailblazers such as Charles Tindley, Thomas A. Dorsey, Rosetta Tharpe, Duke Ellington, and Nathaniel Dett. Noted performers are the Fisk Jubilee Singers, the Harmonizing Four, the Hampton University Choir, and the Chick Webb Orchestra.
Scope and Contents:
The Bernice Johnson Reagon Collection of the African American Sacred Music Tradition documents the music, and the society, history, and customs from which it emerged. The materials were collected by Dr. Reagon during her tenure as Director of the Program in Black American Culture, Curator, and Curator Emerita at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution (1977-1997). The records span the nineteenth century and greater part of the twentieth century. The collection is important because it allows an understanding of the interconnectivity of African American musical forms. Gospel, Jazz, and Protest Songs document the African experience in America through verse and melody. Dr. Reagon collected photographs, sheet music and other primary and secondary sources chronicling the development of African American sacred music tradition from its birth during the period of slavery through the creation of concert spiritual, gospel music, jazz and the performance of protest song in the century following Emancipation.

The records, which measure approximately six linear feet, contain photographs, sheet music, and what Dr. Reagon calls "cultural files" pertaining to figures in, types of, and history of African American music. The cultural file material formats include book, news and magazine articles, programs, bio-sketches, and music. Information about personalities such as Marian Anderson, La Verne Baker, Dorothy Love Coates, Nathaniel Dett, Thomas Dorsey, Frederick Douglass, Duke Ellington, and the Golden Gate Quartet are contained among the collection materials. Also, there are items on gospel trailblazers such as Charles Tindley, Thomas A. Dorsey, and Rosetta Tharpe. In addition, the collection features materials connected to historians and other scholars who participated in a number of teams Reagon organized to carry out specific research initiatives in sacred music traditions and the larger African American experience.

The collection, which was arranged by Dr. Reagon and staff, consists of four parts: a cultural file, a sheet music file, a photography file, and a negative file. The cultural file includes primary documents such as programs from historic performances, personal letters, press releases, and programs from scholarly conferences as well as secondary materials such as journal articles, excerpts from books, and biographical notes. The photography (and negative) files contain photographs of performers and scholars who have participated in the evolution of the African American sacred music tradition. The sheet music file encompasses songbooks and individual pieces of music.

Series 1: Cultural Files, ca. 1836 - 1994: The bulk of materials date from the 1920's to the 1960's. Four document boxes of materials which relate to prominent personalities, groups and events that contributed to the popularization of African American sacred music. Also included in this series is information on slave songs, the Civil War, the Black Church, the Civil Rights Movement, and popular music culture.

Series 2: Sheet Music, ca. 1901 - 1993: The bulk of materials date from the 1900's to the 1950's. Three document boxes of sacred music sheets and songbooks including concert, spiritual, and gospel arrangements. Also included are a few popular compositions, some written by classically trained musicians.

Series 3: Negative Files, ca. 1880's - 1993: The bulk of the materials ranges from 1940 to 1965. Two boxes document boxes of photographic negatives depicting gospel music performers and performances. Included .are contact sheets and individual negatives of varying sizes.

Series 4: Photographs and Illustrations, ca. 1822 - 1993: The bulk of materials range from the 1900's to the 1980's. Eight document boxes of photographs featuring gospel performers, performances, sacred rituals, sacred organizations, Civil Rights activity , and gospel music conferences (primarily black and white).
Biographical / Historical:
Bernice Johnson Reagon, noted vocalist, musician, curator, historian, writer and civil rights activist, provided the impetus for the Smithsonian Institution's research into African American sacred song and music traditions from 1977 until ca. 1997.

Dr. Reagon was born October 2, 1942 to a rural Georgia Baptist minister (Jesse Johnson) and his wife (Beatrice Wise) whose religious influence is evident in her research and performance style. She came of age during the 1960's Civil Rights era, and was a Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Freedom Singer. The SNCC Freedom Singers were an African American group whose vocal singing style was an integral element in the civil rights struggles. The Singers traveled throughout the country performing protest songs such as "We Shall Not Be Moved" and "This Little Light of Mine". Their songs reflected the Black church theology of the era, emphasizing freedom, long denied, but fervently sought by civil rights activists and the people they represented.

At one march, Reagon was jailed along with hundreds of other demonstrators. This experience taught her the importance of music as a political act. Reagon reflected on this in the book We Who Believe in Freedom: Sweet Honey in the Rock... She founded Sweet Honey in the Rock, a highly regarded female a capella ensemble dedicated to performing traditional music of the African diaspora in 1973, started working full time at the Smithsonian Institution in 1974, and earned a Ph. D. from Howard University in 1975.

Reagon's life has combined political activism with music and cultural history. She began directing the Smithsonian's Program in Black American Culture in 1976. In 1988 she became a curator at the National Museum of American History and after retirement in 1993 continued her work in African American songs of protest and sacred traditions as a curator emeritus at the Smithsonian and a distinguished professor at American University.

Dr. Reagon has authored and edited numerous publications including, We'll Understand It Better By and By: African American Pioneering Gospel Composers, (Smithsonian Press, 1992) and We Who Believe in Freedom: Sweet Honey in the Rock...Still on the Journey (Anchor Books, 1993). She was principal scholar, producer and host of the National Public Radio series "Wade in the Water: African American Sacred Music Traditions (1994). Dr. Reagon has served as consultant composer and performer for several film and video projects including programs for PBS,"Eye on the Prize" (Blackside Productions) and "We Shall Overcome" (Ginger Productions), and has won a number of awards for her scholarship and pioneering work (MacArthur Fellowship, 1989; the Charles Frankel Prize,1995 and the Isadora Duncan award, 1996).
Provenance:
Collection donated by Bernice Johnson Reagon.
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:
Gospel music  Search this
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0653
See more items in:
Bernice Johnson Reagon Collection of African American Sacred Music
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8bbe93fc4-7c52-4442-bc61-ecb16e21a0b2
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0653
Online Media:

W. C. Handy Collection

Creator:
Shurr, Robert L.  Search this
Handy, W. C. (William Christopher), 1873-1958  Search this
Names:
Pace, Harry (song writer)  Search this
Extent:
0.3 Cubic feet (1 box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sheet music
Letters (correspondence)
Correspondence
Photographs
Personal papers
Date:
1928
1948 - 1948
Summary:
A photograph, letters written, and pieces of music by African American composer William Christopher "W.C." Handy (1873-1958) sometimes called the "Father of the Blues".
Scope and Contents note:
The collection consists of a photograph, several letters written by Handy, and several pieces of music which he published.

Handy remains among the most influential of American Blues songwriters. Handy is credited with giving Blues, its contemporary form. While Handy was not the first to publish music in the blues form, he took the blues from a regional music style with a limited audience to one of the dominant national forces in American music.

Handy was an educated musician who used folk material in his compositions. He was scrupulous in documenting the sources of his works, which frequently combined stylistic influences from several performers.
Arrangement:
Divided into 4 series: (1) Correspondence, 1928; (2) Photographs, 1948; (3) Sheet music, 1948; and (4) Robert L. Shurr papers.
Biographical/Historical note:
William Christopher Handy, a composer and music publisher, was born in Florence, Alabama on November 16, 1873. He is known as the "father of the blues" because he was the first person to collect and write the songs down which had been played by workers, illiterates, and share croppers. These original blues songs had a three line verse, a definite musical pattern which usually expressed a lament of some kind, and often ended in "ironical self -ridicule, fatalistic resignation, or absurd incongruous laughter" He also had a minstrel show band.

Among the more than sixty songs he wrote were "Memphis Blues, St. Louis Blues, Beale Street Blues, Mississippi Blues, and Joe Turner Blues." Handy wrote other secular songs, made arrangements of spirituals, and did orchestral work as a composer and conductor.

To get his music published. Handy, with Harry Pace, a songwriter, founded a music publishing house in Memphis in 1907 which was moved to New York in 1918. Among the songs his company published was "A Good Man is Hard to Find" which Sophie Tucker, a white singer, sang on Broadway and helped to make it a hit.

Handy died on March 29, 1958 in New York City. Later that year a movie based on his life was issued. It was titled "St. Louis Blues" and Nat "King" Cole played the role of Handy.
Related Archival Materials:
Received with George Washington Carver Collection, same donor.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Robert L. Shurr.
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.
Occupation:
Composers -- 20th century  Search this
Topic:
Popular music -- Writing and publishing  Search this
Blues (Music)  Search this
African American music -- 20th century  Search this
African American composers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sheet music
Letters (correspondence) -- 1900-1950
Correspondence -- 20th century
Photographs -- 1900-1950
Personal papers
Citation:
W. C. Handy Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0132
See more items in:
W. C. Handy Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep889b345d0-64a5-43c8-be50-ef59e2676638
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0132

Jonas Bernholm Rhythm and Blues Collection

Creator:
Bernholm, Jonas, 1946-  Search this
Extent:
8 Cubic feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Articles
Notes
Correspondence
Newsletters
Press releases
Date:
1976-1991.
Summary:
Collection documents Jonas Bernholm's interest and work promoting African American Music, specifically rhythm and blues.
Scope and Contents note:
Series 1: Correspondence, 1972-1994, undated

This series is divided into four subseries: Subseries 1.1 (Artists), Subseries 1.2 (Collaborators), Subseries 1.3 (Douglas Seroff), and Subseries 1.4 (Record Companies). Subseries 1.1 (1972-1993) consists mostly of correspondence exchanged between Bernholm and recording artists, as well as letters about the artists from their agents, family members, etc. Other types of materials included in this subseries are: copies of newspaper clippings, death certificates, contracts, and receipts. This subseries is, mostly, in alphabetical order by the artist's last name. Subseries 1.2 (1978-1985) is largely a collection of letters between Bernholm and those helping him create his albums. Topics include: photos, financial transactions and technical information about creating an album. Bills and receipts are also found in the subseries. Two folders deal specifically with correspondence Bernholm exchanged between Felix Prochaska and Lou Doggett. Subseries 1.3 (1979-1986) documents the correspondence between Bernholm and independent music scholar, music producer and businessman Douglas Seroff. It includes an exchange of letters regarding the start of a new record label for gospel music and the creation and reissue of gospel LPs. It also includes auction results, bills, postage labels, and information on a 1985 Grammy nomination. Subseries 1.4 (1977-1990) consists of correspondence between Bernholm and such recording companies as Clanka Lanka, Rounder Records, Big J Records, Blues King Records, Bogus Records, J.D. Productions, Fleetville Records, La Val Records and Relic Records. Also included are contracts/agreements, statements, artist promotion, as well as information on taping sessions and royalties.

Series 2: Promotional/Publicity Materials, 1971-1991, undated

This series is divided into two subseries: Subseries A (Promotion and Collaborator Correspondence) and Subseries 2.2 (Fan Club Materials). Subseries 2.1 (1976-1991) consists mostly of correspondence about artist or album promotion; including published articles, photographs, and information about concerts, tours, and radio stations throughout the US and Europe. Subseries B contains artist biographies, newsletters, promotional material, and information regarding contemporary artist-related events from record companies, talent agencies and official fan clubs.

Series 3: Research Materials, undated

This series is divided into four subseries: Subseries 3.1 (Artists), Subseries 3.2 (Record Company), Subseries 3.3 (Ray Funk), and Subseries 3.4 (Record Labels). Subseries A is composed of album liner notes for individual artists, as well as photocopies of magazine/newspaper articles that detail biography and album information for several artists. Other information includes correspondence about artists, and album song listings. Subseries 3.2 is an alphabetical listing, by record company name, of their discographies. Subseries C includes music related articles and correspondence from and by Alaskan writer, music aficionado and radio host Ray Funk. Copies of artist photos from Norbert Hess are also available. Subseries 3.4 contains listings of songs from specific artists and the labels they can be found on.

Series 4: Production Materials, undated

This series is composed of production notes used in the assembly of albums. This includes artist biographies and discographies, as well as song listings for specific albums. This subseries is organized alphabetically by artist.
Arrangement:
Series 1, Correspondence, 1972-1994, undated

Series 2, Promotional/Publicity Materials, 1965-1991, undated

Series 3, Research Materials, undated

Series 4, Production Materials, undated
Biographical/Historical note:
Jonas Bernholm (1946-) is a music executive, and African-American music aficionado from Sweden. He is best known for reissuing works of jazz, blues, and R&B artists on his own labels; the most well-recognized being Route 66, and Mr. R&B. His passion was ignited by the energy and charisma seen in the likes of Elvis Presley and Little Richard. He began collecting music from abroad and eventually visited the United States during the summer of 1968. During his trip Bernholm realized that many recording artists from the 40s and 50s were out of work and their music was no longer in circulation. Upon his return to Sweden he resolved to reissue the work of many artists on his own labels. His labels included: Route 66, MR R&B, Jukebox Lil, Whiskey Women, Earth Angel , Dr. Horse, Crown Prince, Gospel Jubilee, and Blues Boy.
Related Materials:
The Division of Music, Sports and Entertainment(now Division of Cultural and Community Life) holds artifacts related to this collection including: posters and sound recordings. See Accession #1996.0153.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Jonas Bernholm, 1996.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research and access on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled with gloves.
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:
Blues musicians  Search this
African American music -- 20th century  Search this
African American musicians  Search this
Popular music -- Writing and publishing  Search this
Rhythm and blues music  Search this
Genre/Form:
Articles -- 1950-2000
Notes
Correspondence -- 1970-2000
Newsletters -- 20th century
Press releases
Citation:
Jonas Bernholm Rhythm and Blues Collection, 1976-1991, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0551
See more items in:
Jonas Bernholm Rhythm and Blues Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8258d8875-b8eb-4899-b519-10798fce1684
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0551

James Lithgow Ewin Patents

Creator:
Ewin, James Lithgow (inventor)  Search this
Extent:
1 Cubic foot (1 box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Articles
Correspondence
Newsletters
Notes
Patents
Press releases
Date:
1873, 1874, 1879.
Scope and Contents note:
This collection includes an English patent paper #2126 for improved vulcanizable water-proof gum, 1873, to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills; a U.S. patent paper #151,109 for improvement in the art of manufacturing horseshoes, 1874; and an English patent paper #1194 for improvement in street-lighting apparatus.
Provenance:
Collection donated by James Lithgow Ewin, March 13, 1894.
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:
Vulcanization  Search this
Street-lighting apparatus  Search this
Rhythm and blues music  Search this
African American music -- 20th century  Search this
African American musicians  Search this
Blues musicians  Search this
Horseshoeing  Search this
Inventions -- 1870-1880  Search this
Inventors -- 1870-1880  Search this
Popular music -- Writing and publishing  Search this
Genre/Form:
Articles -- 1950-2000
Correspondence -- 1970-2000
Newsletters -- 20th century
Notes
Patents -- 1870-1880
Press releases
Citation:
James Lithgow Ewin Patents, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0051
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep887e17dc9-8df2-4d0d-acd9-70865221d22a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0051

Ray Brown Papers

Creator:
Brown, Ray (Jazz musician)  Search this
Composer:
Allen, Steve, 1921-2000  Search this
Musician:
Clarke, Kenny, 1914-1985  Search this
Clayton, John  Search this
Ellis, Herb  Search this
Harris, Gene, 1933-2000  Search this
Jackson, Milt  Search this
Lewis, John, 1920-2001  Search this
Peterson, Oscar, 1925-  Search this
Shank, Bud  Search this
Singer:
Fitzgerald, Ella, 1917-1996  Search this
Producer:
Granz, Norman  Search this
Extent:
8 Cubic feet (8 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographic prints
Posters
Clippings
Music
Audiotapes
Awards
Scrapbooks
Correspondence
Business records
Date:
circa 1940-2010
Summary:
Ray Brown was an African-American musician, composer, bandleader, manager, music teacher and promoter. He became best known for his collaborative work with Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, the Oscar Peterson Trio and Norman Granz' s Jazz at the Philharmonic. Over the course of his career, Brown received awards and accolades from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Jazz Hall of Fame, Down Beat and Playboy. Brown's papers document his professional music career from 1944 to 2002 and include music compositions and notes, publicity materials, photographs, and some recordings of his performances.
Scope and Contents:
The collection primarily documents the near sixty-year music career of upright bass player, bandleader, composer, and instructor Raymond Matthews (Ray) Brown and the various bands that he played with. The materials consist of music manuscripts, musical arrangements, published sheet music, photographs, programs, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, posters, audio and video recordings, honors and awards, correspondence, and publications. There is very little information about Brown's education, family or other aspects of his personal life.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into six series.

Series 1: Musical Compositions and Notes, 1940s-2000s, undated

Series 2: Publicity Materials, 1950s-2002, undated

Series 3: Photographic Materials, 1940-2003, undated

Series 4: Personal Papers, 1954-2010

Series 5: Audiovisual Materials, 1978-1993, undated

Subseries 5.1: Moving Images, 1992-1993, undated

Subseries 5.2: Audio Recordings, 1978-1985, undated

Series 6: Performance Materials, 1964-1995, undated
Biographical / Historical:
Raymond Matthews Brown was an African American musician (double bass and cello) born on October 13, 1926 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He became known for his collaborative work with Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald (to whom he was married for a few years), and others. He was a composer, bandleader, manager, music teacher, and promoter. His professional music career lasted almost sixty years, dating from 1944 to 2002.

Brown's career began with a risky move to New York City in 1945, as a recent high school graduate, which resulted in his being hired on the spot to play with Dizzy Gillespie. Brown continued to play with Gillespie and others in various groups, recording songs such as "One Bass Hit" and "Night in Tunisia," before leaving in 1947. Brown married notable jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald that same year. He and Fitzgerald adopted a son, Raymond Matthew Brown Jr., and performed together in Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic. Granz's tours, which Brown participated in from around 1949 to 1958, allowed him to travel and play all around the world. After being introduced to Oscar Peterson during a Philharmonic tour, Brown became a founding member of the Oscar Peterson Trio in 1952. His growing commitment to the group, along with other factors, led to Brown and Fitzgerald's divorce in 1953. However, the two would continued to collaborate and perform together, as friends and colleagues.

Brown worked with Peterson and other prominent jazz musicians to find the Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toronto, which lasted from 1960 to 1965. He left the Peterson trio in the late 1960s and moved to Los Angeles to work as a composer, manager, educator, and publisher. In California, he worked for several movie and television show orchestras, became bassist for all of Frank Sinatra's television specials, and accompanied some noted singers, including Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Tony Bennett. He composed the theme song to Steve Allen's show, "Gravy Waltz," for which they both won a Grammy Award in 1964. He also managed the Modern Jazz Quartet, and Quincy Jones. In the 1980s, he formed the Ray Brown Trio with pianist Gene Harris, which lasted nine years. He also directed events such as the Monterey Jazz and Concord Summer Festivals, and consulted for the Hollywood Bowl Association. Brown continued to play and record with his trio and various other groups, such as the Oscar Peterson Trio and the Modern Jazz Quartet, for the rest of his life. He also published an instructional book for the bass, Ray Brown's Bass Method, through his own company in 1999. Over the course of his career, Brown received awards and accolades from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Jazz Hall of Fame, Down Beat, Playboy, and many more. Ray Brown died in 2002 at the age of seventy- five.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Charismic Productions Records of Dizzy Gillespie NMAH.AC.0979

Ella Fitzgerald Papers NMAH.AC.0584

Duke Ellington Collection NMAH.AC.0301

Duke Ellington Oral History Project NMAH.AC.0368

Edward and Gaye Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials NMAH.AC.0704

Ruth Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials NMAH.AC.0415

Leslie Schinella Collection of Gene Krupa Materials NMAH.AC.1220
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the Archives Center in 2015 by Ray Brown's widow, Cecilia Brown.
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:
African Americans -- Music  Search this
Music -- Performance  Search this
Music -- Songs  Search this
Musicians  Search this
Musicians -- United States  Search this
Jazz musicians -- United States  Search this
African American music -- 20th century  Search this
Jazz  Search this
African American musicians  Search this
Music -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographic prints
Posters
Posters -- 20th century
Clippings
Music -- Manuscripts
Audiotapes
Awards
Scrapbooks -- 20th century
Correspondence -- 20th century
Business records -- 20th century
Citation:
Ray Brown Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1362
See more items in:
Ray Brown Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep81f8e32db-ee2a-4eb0-9267-48e04a1fdec8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1362

When you sang "Hush-a-bye Baby" to me; Companion song to Missouri waltz song (Hush-a-bye ma baby), by Jesse G.M. Glick, Frederic Knight Logan and Abe Olman

Extent:
1 Document (26 x 30 inches )
Type:
Archival materials
Documents
Sheet music
Date:
1918
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Topic:
African American music -- 20th century  Search this
Piano music (Ragtime)  Search this
Songs  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sheet music
Collection Citation:
Sheet Music collection, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Sheet Music collection
Archival Repository:
Anacostia Community Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa782d48e30-2640-49cf-9fab-ac5b2af79bcf
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-acma-10-005-ref24

Interview of Jeff Donaldson for "I'll Make Me a World," Transcript

Collection Creator:
Donaldson, Jeff, 1932-2004  Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 35
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1997
Scope and Contents:
Transcript only.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information. Use of archival audiovisual recordings and born-digital records with no duplicate access copies requires advance notice.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Jeff Donaldson papers, 1918-2005, bulk 1960s-2005. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Jeff Donaldson papers
Jeff Donaldson papers / Series 3: Interviews
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9941fe4c9-20f4-4435-a0dc-f6825334d578
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-donajeff-ref372
1 Page(s) matching your search term, top most relevant are shown: View entire project in transcription center
  • View Interview of Jeff Donaldson for

Oral History Interview with Carol Davis

Interviewer:
Meghelli, Samir  Search this
Creator:
Anacostia Community Museum  Search this
Extent:
1 Sound recording (MP3)
Type:
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Oral histories (document genres)
Interviews
Place:
Adams Morgan (Washington, D.C.)
Date:
2016 April 21
Scope and Contents:
Interview created as part of the research for the Anacostia Community Museum's "A Right to the City" exhibition.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
African American music -- 20th century  Search this
Riots  Search this
Neighborhoods -- Washington, D.C. -- History  Search this
Genre/Form:
Oral histories (document genres)
Interviews -- 21st century
Citation:
Interview with Carol Davis, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
A Right to the City Exhibition Records
A Right to the City Exhibition Records / Series I: Oral History Interviews
Archival Repository:
Anacostia Community Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa7a48fe688-1449-40db-86b7-a2d05ad99413
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-acma-03-119-ref19

20th Century Songs, A - H

Series Creator:
DeVincent, Sam, 1918-1997  Search this
Container:
Box 74, Folder C
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1901-1968
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Series 3: African American Music
Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Series 3: African American Music / 3.4: Songs about African American/Vocal Ragtime
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8ea912f46-64a7-46fe-8f1e-656d82f42966
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0300-s03-ref100

20th Century Songs, I - M

Series Creator:
DeVincent, Sam, 1918-1997  Search this
Container:
Box 74, Folder D
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1901-1968
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Series 3: African American Music
Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Series 3: African American Music / 3.4: Songs about African American/Vocal Ragtime
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep85eec0b73-ea2a-436a-b1dd-2c7de1eb54c3
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0300-s03-ref101

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