Skip to main content

James F. Condell Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MS-0048

Scope and Contents

The James F. Condell Collection was gifted to LaBudde Special Collections and Marr Sound Archives by Dr. Yvonne C. Condell, wife of the late Dr. James F. Condell. The collection focuses on Condell’s longtime interest and scholarly pursuits in the field of jazz from 1980-1998, although some items date back to his time in Spain in the early 1970s.

Included in the manuscript collection is information on his radio programs, A Little Jazz Music and Condell’s Corner, which aired on KCCM 91.1FM in Moorhead, Minnesota, and KDSU 91.9FM in Fargo, North Dakota, respectively. Also included is research material about Kansas City Jazz pianist Jay McShann and the writing of his autobiography, on which Condell worked closely with McShann. Other material includes a collection of music scores, some of which possibly date from his musical studies in Spain; a small photograph collection; correspondence; writings and notes; various articles and clippings; and other miscellaneous ephemera and memorabilia.

An addendum to the manuscript collection primarily focuses on his interest in jazz music and his writings on jazz. Condell was an avid researcher of jazz, and had a great amount of research dedicated to Duke Ellington and Jay McShann. There is also a large collection of guitar sheet music, music theory texts, and jazz arrangements.

The audiovisual materials contain a wide variety of reel-to-reel and cassette tapes of radio programs hosted by James F Condell at KDSU such as A Little Jazz Music, Condell’s Corner, Condell and Karen, Coghill and Condell. It also contains live performances by various jazz musicians, high school and college groups, and Condell himself. There are several tapes of lectures by Condell and other jazz legends like Slide Hampton. Other materials include Jay McShann letters transcribed on cassette tape for biographical purposes.

Dates

  • 1930s - 2014

Creator

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright status is unknown

Extent

22 Linear Feet (LaBudde: 37 manuscript boxes, 40 photographs.)

48.5 Linear Feet (Marr: 455 Open Reel Audiotapes, 1450 Compact Cassettes, 11 VHS Tapes, 1 CD-R.)

Language of Materials

English

Author
LaBudde: Kelly McEniry, Suzanne Golden, Robert C. Ray (supervising archivist); Addendum 1: Lydia Bechtel-Edmonson, Lindsay Schettler (supervising archivist). Marr: Carrie Wade, Rebekah Green, Andrew Hansbrough.
Date
LaBudde: February-April 2006; Addendum 1: February-March 2018. Marr: 2015.
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Special Collections and Archives Repository