ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS & RESOURCES
The Hogan Jazz Archive was originally conceived when Richard B. Allen, a Tulane grad student (and later curator of the Archive), embarked on a jazz oral history fieldwork project for his thesis. William Ransom Hogan, the chair of the Department of History at the time, wrote the initial Ford Foundation grant proposal that funded the project. Today, the Hogan Jazz Archive has over 2,000 reels of taped interviews with written transcripts - the largest collection of jazz oral history extant. While these interviews remain at the heart of the Archive's collections, other valuable primary source materials are available to researchers, including manuscript collections, local business records and vertical files.
HOGAN JAZZ ARCHIVE ORAL HISTORIES
The oral history finding aid lists the oral histories on file at the Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane University. They are arranged in alphabetical sequence by name of interviewee. Digital transfers from the original reel-to-reel tapes have been made for most of the interviews, which can be accessed in the archive using our on-site listening station. Transcripts, digests and notes are also available for most of the interviews.
TRANSCRIPTS - These are word-for-word renderings of the interview, allowing a patron to read along as the tape is played. The Archives undertook a multi-year cross-indexing project, whereby all the information pertaining to personal names, place names, and band names were collected.
DIGESTS - These represent a more coherent, albeit abbreviated version of the interview. All the highlights are present, while the casual remarks have been left out. Most of the hard copies available are in the digest format.
NOTES - Usually, upon completion of an interview, notes were compiled on persons and bands mentioned during the talk. These notes are rough outlines, of only limited value to the researcher.
VERTICAL FILES
The Archive keeps extensive files on people, bands, discography, and a wide variety of jazz-related subjects. Files contain newspaper clippings, correspondence, cross-reference forms, journal articles, and other ephemera and memorabilia, as well as public documents and official records.
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS LOCAL 174-496
The records for the American Federation of Musicians (AF of M) Local 174-496 is a rich resource for anyone conducting research on specific jazz musicians or who want to track the development of the music industry in New Orleans. The collection includes records from the local African American chapter, the Local 496 and from the Local 174 which served white musicians in the city until the two chapters merged in 1969.
OTHER PROCESSED COLLECTIONS
The Hogan Jazz Archive has several manuscript collections and archival holdings relating to jazz and the musical culture of New Orleans. Searchable finding aids are available though our online finding aid database. Some notable collections that are open and available for research include:
Includes research materials assembled by Marquis for his monograph In Search of Buddy Bolden, First Man of Jazz.
Dominic James "Nick" LaRocca papers
Nick LaRocca was the leader of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, which made the first recording of jazz in New York City in 1917. His papers include clippings, correspondence, photographs, sheet music, business and personal documents, scrapbooks, albums and test pressings.
Don Ewell was a popular pianist who worked with several prominent New Orleans musicians and was a leading member of the Jack Teagarden band. His papers include clippings, correspondence, LP records and performance cassette tapes.
Al Hirt was a world famous trumpeter and band leader from New Orleans. This collection documents his musical career and outside business ventures between 1959 and 1977. It includes programs and brochures, scripts, photographs, correspondence, fan mail, business papers and press clippings.