The collection contains 300+ oral histories, conducted from 1956 to 1986, that capture the development of jazz as related by a host of musicians and bandleaders 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.