Special Collections - Frank Driggs
Jazz Oral History Collection Inventory
Author
and music historian Frank Driggs gave his collection of oral histories
to the Marr Sound Archives, a division of Special
Collections in the Miller Nichols Library at the University of Missouri-Kansas
City. The oral histories, conducted from 1956 to 1986, capture the truths
of the development of jazz as related by a host of musicians and band leaders
who defined the tradition. All aspects of the jazz experience are captured
in the interviews, ranging from musical triumphs to hardships on the road
during the Great Depression. Reflecting Driggs' interest in the development
of Southwestern and Kansas City jazz, the collection is rich in oral histories
of the bandleaders and musicians who defined those traditions, including Andy
Kirk, Buster Smith, Gene Ramey,
Thamon Hayes, Jesse Stone and Ed
Lewis. Many of the oral histories in the Driggs collection survive as
the only known record of a musician's experiences and voice.
The 314 oral histories in the collection are listed below in alphabetical order by the last name of the interviewee/performer. Each name links to the catalog entry in the Missouri Education and Research Libraries Information Network (MERLIN). Note that some interviews include several individuals, so there are times when two names will link to the same record in Merlin.
The interviews were recorded on cassette as well as reel-to-reel audio tape. They are housed in the Marr Sound Archives and are in the process of being preserved and made available for research and scholarship. In addition to the links below, you may search the collection in the Libraries' online MERLIN catalog via a title search = Frank Driggs Collection.
For more information about the Frank Driggs Jazz Oral History Collection contact Chuck Haddix, Marr Sound Archives, Miller Nichols Library, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 800 E. 51st Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, (816) 235-2798, Chuck Haddix.
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - R - S - T - U - V - W - Y
| Don Albert | Sam Allen | Lloyd Armon |
| Allegretto Alexander | Lou Alter | Leo Arnaud |
| Fletcher Allen | Ken Anderson | Willie Austin |
| Jap Allen | Bob Anthony |
| Bob Eberle | Joan Edwards | Pee Wee Erwin |
| Jack Echols | Charles Elgar | Floyd Estep |
| Billy Eckstine | Cecil "Snaps" Elliott aka C.J. Elliott |
Ruth Etting |
| Freddie Falensby | Herb Flemming | Curtyse Foster |
| Bill Farrell | Lorenzo Flennoy | Jack Free |
| Preston Jackson | Leslie Johnakins | Jimmy Jones |
| Zaidee Jackson | Eddie Johnson | Pete Jones |
| George James | J.C. Johnson | Jimmy Joy |
| Ralph James | Clyde "Rusty" Jones |
| Gene Kardos | Clifford King | Andy Kirk |
| Kenny Kersey | Leon King | Herb Kurtin |
| I. Khalil | Chet Kingsbury |
| Peg La Centra | Ed Lewis | Sammy Lowe |
| Jimmy La Mare | L. T. Lewis | Nick Lucas |
| Milt Larkin | Sammy Long | |
| R. Leatherwood | Clarence Love | |
| Jack Leonard | Preston Love |
| Joey Nash | Freeman Northcutt |
| Ray O'Brien | Abe Olman | George Orendorff |
| Francis "Cork" O'Keefe | John "Bones" Orange | Gilbert O'Shaughnessy |
| Singleton Palmer | Hayes Pillars | Pete Pumiglio |
| Ted Parrino | Ed Plotkin | |
| Hal Peppie | Earres Prince | |
| Leonard Phillips | Gene Prince |
| Buddy Tate | Gene Thomas | Oliver Todd |
| Arcima Taylor | Joe Thomas | Jasper Tompkins |
| Myra Taylor | Liz Tilton | Mrs. Ruth Towles |
| Norma Teagarden | Martha Tilton | Lee Trammel |
| James Telphy | Dick Todd |
| Rudy Vallee | Irvin Verret |
Special Collections is a non-circulating and non-browsing resource center. The Special Collections Reading Room is open to researchers Monday through Friday during the academic year. Public service hours for the current semester are listed at http://library.umkc.edu/spec-col/index.html#hours but researchers are encouraged to call ahead for verification of hours due to University intersessions and other events. Special Collections is located on the fourth floor of the Miller Nichols Library at 5100 Rockhill Road in Kansas City, Missouri. All inquiries concerning access to the collections should be addressed to Special Collections Library Information Specialists Teresa Gipson or Kelly McEniry.
| Teresa Gipson Special Collections Library Information Specialist Miller Nichols Library 5100 Rockhill Rd Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-1532 Teresa Gipson Fax (816) 333-5584 |
Kelly McEniry Special Collections Library Information Specialist Miller Nichols Library 5100 Rockhill Rd Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-1532 Kelly McEniry Fax (816) 333-5584 |
