Scope and Contents The Judy Chaikin Collection was gifted to the UMKC University Libraries by Chaikin in October 2016. The collection contains materials related to the creation and production of Chaikin’s 2011 documentary film, The Girls in the Band. The film tells the story of female jazz musicians, from the genre’s inception to contemporary times, detailing prominent figures and the struggles they faced competing in a male-dominated world.Among the collection, there are biographical notes on...

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The Kansas City Jazz Festival Collection was gifted to the UMKC Miller Nichols Library by the Ed Roche family estate after his death in 1997. The collection consists of festival programs for every year between 1964 and 1972, which are housed in LaBudde Special Collections. Also in the collection are live recordings engineered by Roche between the years 1964 and 1971, which are housed in the Marr Sound Archives.

Scope and Contents The Kerry Strayer collection was a gift to the University Libraries in October 2016 from Strayer’s wife, Gailyn. The collection is comprised of jazz arrangements for ensembles of varying size and instrumentation, with many pieces arranged by Strayer himself. There are also a handful of original compositions by Strayer, such as “Jeru Blue” and “KAS’s Blues.” In this collection, there are arrangements for the Polycurrents ensemble; jazz quartet, quintet, and sextet; Kerry Strayer and the New...

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Live recordings of performances by Kansas City jazz musicians on cassette tapes.

Scope and Contents The Louis Katzman Collection was a gift of Michael M. Katzman in July 2013. Housed in LaBudde Special Collections, the bulk of the manuscript collection consists of sets of band and orchestra parts, mostly for tunes arranged by Katzman. Also present are some pieces of sheet music (individual songs and collections) in which Katzman played a role as composer or arranger, as well as publications including advertising materials, discographies, and periodicals.Housed in...

Scope and Contents The Major N. Clark Smith Collection was gifted to the University of Missouri-Kansas City by Mrs. Robert Lee Groves on April 25, 1973. Housed in the Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections, the collection consists of original and photocopied manuscript music scores and published sheet music composed and/or arranged by Major N. Clark Smith, including Frederick Douglass Funeral March, O’ Lincoln High, Tuskegee Institute March, and Negro Folk Suite. Also included are titles by...

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This collection consists of many recordings that were accumulated since the founding of the Marr Sound Archives but the provenance and/or donors are unknown. There is limited information about the recordings in this collection. Much of the collection are lacquer discs of various music performances and home recordings. The collection also holds various test pressings, open reel tapes, cassettes, CD-Rs, and films.

Scope and Contents The Mel Lewis Collection was donated to the Miller Nichols Library at the University of Missouri-Kansas City by Doris Sokoloff in 1996. The collection consists of material related to Lewis’ life and career and dates from the 1940s to the 1990s.Housed in LaBudde Special Collections, the manuscript materials include biographical information, correspondence, business records, programs, datebooks, publications, clippings, awards, music scores, miscellaneous ephemera and memorabilia,...

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The audiovisual materials in this collection consists of many live recordings of renown jazz musicians playing in the Kansas City area and surrounding region, including Jay McShann, Pat Metheney, Clark Terry, Zoot Simms, Woody Herman, Barney Kessel, and Ella Fitzgerald, among other legends. The collection also consists of jazz festival recordings, including the Mid-America Jazz Festival, Wichita Jazz Festival, Jazz Olympics, and the Kansas City Women's Jazz Festival.

Scope and Contents The Norman Saks Collection was donated by Saks to LaBudde Special Collections in the summer of 2014. The expansive nature of this collection is a reflection of Mr. Saks’ dedication to all aspects of Jazz music. A series of personal documents feature Saks ’correspondences as well as research materialsspecifically related to jazz artists, including: newspaper clippings, interviews, and artist contracts. Includedwith this series is a copy of The Charlie Parker Discography, completed by Saks,...

Scope and Contents Photos in UMKC Digital Special CollectionsThe collection consists of 65 black-and-white photographs related to the entertainment complex formerly at Linwood and Main in Kansas City, Missouri. Included are architectural renderings of the proposed development; interior and exterior shots; bandleaders and musicians, most notably Pla-Mor band director Chic Scoggin and his orchestra; as well as other...

Scope and Contents The Raymond Scott Collection was donated to the University of Missouri-Kansas City by Mitzi Scott, Raymond Scott’s widow, in 1993.Housed in LaBudde Special Collections, the original manuscript collection, which encompasses much of Scott’s career until 1980, is organized into 11 series: manuscript music scores; published music; correspondence; news clippings; journals, diaries and scrapbooks; production notes; personal; engineering and inventions; miscellaneous; oversized...

Scope and Contents The Robert Brookmeyer Collection consists of manuscript scores and copies of manuscript scores created for performance by jazz ensembles. The vast majority of the material was either composed or arranged by Robert Brookmeyer, although there are five arrangements by jazz musician and composer Bill Holman. The manuscripts date from 1958 to 1982 with the majority having been created between the years 1979-1982.The collection is arranged in three series: Jazz Ensemble Compositions,...

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The collection consists of DVDs, VHS Tapes, and U-matic tapes of Ruth's Music Corner, a public access television program hosted by Ruth Rhoden from 1988-1996. The collection contains many interviews and recordings of live performances by Kansas City jazz musicians. Other recordings include live performances and raw footage from Kansas City Alive, where Ruth had her own jazz-oriented segment, which evolved into Ruth’s Music Corner.

Scope and Contents Sheet Music Collection Finding Aid (PDF).Sheet music from the Kansas City, World War I and World War II imprint collections is temporarily unavailable through Digital Special Collections. If you'd like to request any titles, please contact SpecialCollections@umkc.edu. The Sheet Music...

Scope and Contents The Steve Miller Collection was a gift to the University Libraries in September 2011. Materials date from 1951-2012, with the majority of non-musical materials originating from the 1980s and 1990s. The impressive bulk of this collection can be found in the music manuscripts. Contained are over one thousand pieces of music, including pieces that are original arrangements and pieces that were performed by Miller’s ensembles.Most non-musical items in the collection give a wide...

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The Stuart MacKay Collection was gifted to the LaBudde Department of Special Collections in May 2010. The collection consists primarily of jazz and classical music arrangements by John Saunders for MacKay’s woodwind quintet and band. These manuscripts are undated and unpublished. Included also are copies of two published MacKay compositions, fake books, bassoon and woodwind scores, a theory textbook, and some promotional material and personal papers. Inclusive dates are 1938-1986.

Scope and Contents The Vic Damon Collection was donated to LaBudde Special Collections by his son, George Damon, in the 1990s.The manuscripts collection consists of the handwritten logbook kept by Damon documenting recording sessions produced by his Kansas City studio; related correspondence and notes; 17 photographs; and a trophy awarded by Cash Box for the success of the 1948 song My Happiness, produced by Damon. Mounted captions used for a Vic Damon exhibit previously on display in the UMKC Miller...

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The Vince Giordano Collection was gifted by Giordano to LaBudde Special Collections in 2014. The collection relates to the noted New York bandleader and film/TV consultant specializing in 1920s and 1930s music. It comprises parts for over 2000 dance band arrangements of the era and consists of 34 boxes, each identified by title range. A complete list of tunes that includes title, composer, lyricist, arranger, publisher, and publishing date is also available.

Scope and Contents The Warren Durrett Collection was donated to the Miller Nichols Library at the University of Missouri-Kansas City by Janice Durrett, his widow. The manuscript collection is housed in LaBudde Special Collections, while the sound recordings are held in the Marr Sound Archives.The manuscripts collection contains 145 boxes and is divided into nine series, which includes correspondence, contracts, financial logbooks, miscellaneous, photographs, manuscript scores (Books I-XVI),...

Scope and Contents The Wilbur "Buck" Clayton Collection was donated to LaBudde Special Collections by Clayton's wife, Patricia. The collection, which spans from 1928 to Clayton’s death in 1991, contains material related to the jazz composer/arranger/trumpeter’s personal and professional life. The collection was acquired in two parts: August 1997 and August 2000. Both parts (formerly MS15 and MS25) have since been consolidated into one collection (MS15).Materials in the first accession include...

Scope and Contents The Trumbauer Collection was donated to the UMKC Libraries in June 2006 by drummer Bill M. Trumbauer, son of trumpeter William (Bill) F. Trumbauer and grandson of jazz saxophonist Frank Trumbauer. Included were materials related to Frank and Bill F. An addendum of material was gifted in September 2010 by Bill M. and Mary Trumbauer, widow of Bill F. At that time the collection was separated into two distinct collections: Frank Trumbauer Collection and William F. Trumbauer Collection....

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The Women’s Committee for the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance Collection was gifted by the organization to LaBudde Special Collections in late 2016. The collection includes organizational materials such as officer and board member files, committee papers, and meeting materials; correspondence from various members regarding business; financial documents; scholarship and benefit information; scrapbooks; and photographs from the 1980s to the present.