Audiotapes, CDs and digital files: an ongoing project to interview and preserve the memories of people important in the jazz world, including jazz musicians, singers, dancers, producers, arrangers, and others. A list of interviewees and interviewers follows.
The following is a list of the individuals who conducted the interviews.
1. Brown, Anthony
2. Baker, Lida
3. Burstein, Julie
Interviewer
2. Bluiett, Hamiet
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged into six series.
Series 1, DAT and CD Original Interview Recordings, 1992-2012
Series 2, Cassette Reference and Master Interview Tapes, 1992-2012
Series 3, Audio CD Reference Copies, 2000-2012
Series 4, Video/CD, 1994-2012
Series 5, Transcripts and Abstracts, 1992-2014
Series 6, Supplemental Documentation, 1992-2012
Biographical / Historical:
The Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program, a project of "America's Jazz Heritage, A Partnership of the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund and the Smithsonian Institution" initiative was created in 1992. More than 150 in-depth oral history interviews were conducted from 1992 through 2002. The collection was transferred to the Archives Center of the National Museum of American History in 2000. Now part of the National Museum of American History's American Music History Initiatives, the Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program continues to conduct interviews as funding is available.
The Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program was established to document significant jazz musicians, performers, producers, and business associates in their own words and voices. Program staff contacted and worked with potential interviewees to arrange for interviews. Each interview was conducted by a jazz authority and was recorded on digital audiotape by a professional audio engineer. The interviews averaged 6 hours in length and covered a wide range of topics including early years, initial involvement in music, generally, and jazz specifically, as well as experiences in the jazz music world, including relationships to musicians. The original DAT interview tapes were then dubbed to audiocassettes and CD to create protection and access copies. More recent interviews have been recorded using fully digital technology and the interviews are preserved and made availbel as digital files.
A number of the interviews were conducted as part of the Ella Fitzgerald Oral History Project of the Jazz Oral History Program. Funded by the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, these interviews focus on the life and work of Ella Fitzgerald. The National Endowments for the Arts Jazz Masters Oral Histories Program continues to support new interviews with NEA Jazz Masters.
For more information about jazz concerts, education, collections, Jazz Appreciation Month, and the Jazz Master orchestra, visit Smithsonian Jazz.
Provenance:
The interviews were made for the Smithsonian Institution under the auspices of the Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program supported by America's Jazz Heritage, funded by the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Oral Histories Program. Additional interviews were conducted with support from the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Researchers must use reference copies.
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. Release forms exist for most interviews.
[Interviewee name] Interview, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program Collection, 1992-2014, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Sponsor:
The interviews were made for the Smithsonian Institution under the auspices of the Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program and supported by America's Jazz Heritage, funded by the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Oral Histories Program. Additional interviews were conducted with support from the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation.
Photographic prints taken by photographer William Claxton (October 12, 1927-October 11, 2008) of jazz musicians.
Scope and Contents:
Collection consists of twenty-eight photographic prints processed in 1999 by a professional laboratory for photographer William Claxton. The prints document jazz artists in recording sessions and performing throughout the United States. It is divided into two series: Series 1, Duke Ellington, 1955-1960, and Series 2, Other Artists, 1955-1970.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into two series.
Series 1: Duke Ellington, 1955-1960
Series 2: Other Artists, 1951-1970
Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Duke Ellington Collection, NMAH.AC.0301
William H. Quealy Collection of Duke Ellington Recordings, NMAH.AC.0296
Duke Ellington Oral History Project, NMAH.AC.0368
Billy Strayhorn Ephemera Collection, NMAH.AC.0383
Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera and Related Audio-visual Materials, NMAH.AC.0386
Robert Udkoff Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera, NMAH.AC.0388
Frank Driggs Collection of Duke Ellington Photographic Reference Prints, NMAH.AC.0389
New York Chapter of the Duke Ellington Society Collection, NMAH.AC.O390
Felix Grant Collection, NMAH.AC.0410
Carter Harman Collection of Interviews with Duke Ellington, NMAH.AC.0422
Archives Center Collection of Music Transcriptions of Duke Ellington Compositions, Carter Harman NMAH.AC.0430
Jazz Oral History Collection about Duke Ellington, NMAH.AC.0431
Herman Leonard Photoprints, NMAH.AC.0445
Don Brown Collection of Duke Ellington Recordings, NMAH.AC.0472
Betty McGettigan Collection of Duke Ellington Memorabilia, NMAH.AC.0494
Dr. Theodore Shell Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera, NMAH.AC.0502
Jay McCarter Phonograph Record Collection, NMAH.AC.0541
Tom Whaley Collection, NMAH.AC.0652
Edward and Gaye Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials, NMAH.AC.0704
Andrew Homzy Collection of Duke Ellington Stock Arrangements, NMAH.AC.0740
John Gensel Collection of Duke Ellington Materials, NMAH.AC.0763
W. Royal Stokes Collection of Music Publicity Photoprints, Interviews and Posters, NMAH.AC.0766
Milt Gabler Papers, NMAH.AC.0849
Paquito D'Rivera Music Manuscripts and Photograph, NMAH.AC.0891
Charismic Productions Records of Dizzy Gillespie, NMAH.AC.0979
Floyd Levin Jazz Reference Collection, NMAH.AC.1222
Al Celley Collection of Duke Ellington Materials, NMAH.AC.1240
James Moody Papers, NMAH.AC.1405
Provenance:
The National Museum of American History purchased the collection on March 31, 1999.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Gloves required with unprotected photographs.
Rights:
Copyright restrictions. Contact staff for information.
Topic:
Musicians -- 1950-1960 -- United States Search this
Reproduction restricted due to copyright or trademark. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Duncan Schiedt Jazz Collection, 1900-2012, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Sponsor:
Processing and encoding funded by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.
Collection is open for research. Researchers must use reference copies.
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. Release forms exist for most interviews.
Collection Citation:
[Interviewee name] Interview, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program Collection, 1992-2014, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Sponsor:
The interviews were made for the Smithsonian Institution under the auspices of the Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program and supported by America's Jazz Heritage, funded by the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Oral Histories Program. Additional interviews were conducted with support from the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation.
Interview made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Oral Histories Program.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Researchers must use reference copies.
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. Release forms exist for most interviews.
Collection Citation:
[Interviewee name] Interview, Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program Collection, 1992-2014, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Sponsor:
The interviews were made for the Smithsonian Institution under the auspices of the Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program and supported by America's Jazz Heritage, funded by the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Oral Histories Program. Additional interviews were conducted with support from the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation.
