Duke Ellington Oral History Project

Object Details

Creator: Smithsonian Institution; Greenlee, Marcia (oral historian); Willard, Patricia
Names: Duke Ellington Orchestra; Aasland, Benny; Babs, Alice; Bell, Aaron; Bellson, Louis; Boatwright, Ruth Ellington, 1915-2004; Bolling, Claude; Bridgers, Aaron; Burrell, Kenny; Carneiro, Luis; Celley, Al; Cohen, Oscar; Cole, Maria; Cook, John; Cooper, Buster; Courtney, Shirley; Dance, Helen Oakley, 1913-2001; Dance, Stanley, 1910-1999; Davis, Kay; Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974; Ellington, Mercer Kennedy, 1919-1996 (musician); Granz, Norman; Hamilton, Jimmy; Jeffries, Herb; Jones, Herbie; Jones, Max; Kerr, Brooks; Lamb, John; Lowe, Arnold "Jim"; McCuen, Brad; Roche, Betty; Sanders, John; Sherrill, Joya; Szterenfeld, Alejandro; Terry, Clark; Udkoff, Evelyn; Udkoff, Robert, 1918- (businessman); Vono, Caio; Wein, George; Woode, James; Woodman, Britt

Topic: Jazz; Jazz musicians -- Interviews -- 1989-1991 -- United States; African American musicians

Provenance: Collection created by the National Museum of American History, 1989-1993.

Creator: Smithsonian Institution; Greenlee, Marcia (oral historian); Willard, Patricia

Summary: Thirty-nine oral history interviews created by the Archives Center with Duke Ellington's music and business associates. The interviews cover a range of topics including Ellington as a musician, the significance of race in Ellington's work and life, Ellington and the economics of the music business, Ellington as international cultural figure, and Ellington and the historical record.

Biographical / Historical: The collection was created by the Archives Center to provide research background about the Duke Ellington Orchestra. It complements a growing number of Archives Center collections related to Ellington and American music. The interviewees were asked about their own backgrounds, their personal and musical relationships with Duke, and their assessment of Ellington's strengths and weaknesses and his role in twentieth century American music. The discussions centered on five major themes including Ellington as a musician, the significance of race in Ellington's work and life, Ellington and the economics of the music business, Ellington as international cultural figure, and Ellington and the historical record. Recollections range from approximately the 1940s through the mid 1970s. The thirty-nine Interviews were conducted by oral historian Marcia Greenlee and former Duke Ellington publicist Patricia Willard with former Ellington music and business associates.

Citation: Duke Ellington Oral History Project, 1989-1993, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Arrangement: The collection is arranged in one series. Series 1, Oral History Tapes, 1989-1993

Rights: Copyright and commercial use restrictions. Contact Archives Center staff for information.

Scope and Contents: Interviews with musicians who performed with Ellington, producers and other business associates, Ellington scholars and fans, and family members documenting personal and musical relationships with Duke Ellington.

Restrictions: Collection is open for research but the master tapes 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.

Related Materials: Materials in the Archives Center Annual International Conference of the Duke Ellington Study Group Proceedings (AC0385) Al Celley Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC1240) Duke Ellington Collection (AC0301) Edward and Gaye Ellington Collection (AC0704) Ruth Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC0415) Carter Harman Collection of Interviews with Duke Ellington (AC0422) New York Chapter of the Duke Ellington Society Collection (AC0390) William Russo Transcription and Arrangement of Duke Ellington's First Concert of Sacred Music (AC0406) Ernie Smith Jazz Film Collection (AC0491)