Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Duke Ellington Oral History

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0368
Creators:
Smithsonian Institution
Greenlee, Marcia (oral historian)
Willard, Patricia
Dates:
1989- 1993
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
15 Cubic feet
22 boxes
Repository:
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.

Scope and Contents

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.

Arrangement

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

Biographical / Historical

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.

Administration

Author
Deborra A. Richardson
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection created by the National Museum of American History, 1989-1993.
Processing Information
Processed by Deborra A. Richardson, archivist.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Copyright and commercial use restrictions. Contact Archives Center staff for information.
Conditions Governing Access
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.
Preferred Citation
Duke Ellington Oral History Project, 1989-1993, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

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)

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Jazz Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oral history -- 1980-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jazz musicians -- Interviews -- 1989-1991 -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews -- 1980-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American musicians Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dance, Helen Oakley, 1913-2001 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dance, Stanley, 1910-1999 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Davis, Kay Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cole, Maria Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cook, John Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cooper, Buster Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Courtney, Shirley Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Burrell, Kenny Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Carneiro, Luis Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Celley, Al Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cohen, Oscar Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bell, Aaron Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bellson, Louis Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bolling, Claude Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bridgers, Aaron Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Duke Ellington Orchestra Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sanders, John Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Roche, Betty Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Szterenfeld, Alejandro Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sherrill, Joya Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lamb, John Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kerr, Brooks Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
McCuen, Brad Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lowe, Arnold "Jim" Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jeffries, Herb Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hamilton, Jimmy Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jones, Max Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jones, Herbie Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Boatwright, Ruth Ellington, 1915-2004 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Granz, Norman Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Woode, James Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Woodman, Britt Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wein, George Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Udkoff, Robert, 1918- (businessman) Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Vono, Caio Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Terry, Clark Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Udkoff, Evelyn Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Babs, Alice Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aasland, Benny Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ellington, Mercer Kennedy, 1919-1996 (musician) Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-3270
Fax Number: Fax: 202-786-2453
archivescenter@si.edu