HJA. Hogan Jazz Archive
Record Group
Identifier: HJA
The Hogan Jazz Archive is the leading research center for the study of New Orleans jazz and related musical genres, including New Orleans ragtime, gospel, blues, rhythm and blues, and Creole songs. It was founded as the Archive of New Orleans Jazz in 1958 when Richard B. Allen, a Tulane graduate 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 Archive has over 2,000 reels of taped oral history interviews with musicians, family members, and observers that document the stories surrounding the emergence of jazz in New Orleans from the late 19th century forward. It is the largest collection of jazz oral history extant.
With jazz historian William Russell as its first curator, Tulane University administered the Archive of New Orleans Jazz through its early collecting and cataloging phase. In that period, it held space in the History Department where Dr. Hogan then served as chairman. In 1965, the Archive moved to the library where it began operation as a research center. Cofounder and oral historian Richard Allen became curator under the administrative supervision of the Director of Tulane University Libraries and the Archive changed its name to the Hogan Jazz Archive in 1974 after the death of William Ransom Hogan.
Found in 13 Collections and/or Records:
Al Hirt papers
Collection
Identifier: HJA-003
Scope and Contents
This collection comprises materials donated by the family of trumpeter and band leader Al Hirt documenting his musical career between 1959 and 1977. It includes programs and brochures, scripts, photographs, correspondence, fan mail, business papers and press clippings.
Found in:
Tulane University Special Collections
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Al Hirt papers
Allison Miner papers
Collection
Identifier: HJA-039
Scope and Contents
The Allison Miner papers span the years 1971-1995. The collection features business and financial files pertaining to New Orleans blues singer and pianist, Professor Longhair, whose career Miner managed from the late 1970s until his death in 1980. It also includes research materials for a biography she intended to pen and publish about him.
American Federation of Musicians Local 174-496
Collection
Identifier: HJA-001
Scope and Contents
The American Federation of Musicians Local 174-496 Records include members' records, former president Dave Winstein's correspondence, meeting minutes, financial and property records, legal documents, publications, photographs and scrapbooks. These records date from 1904 to 1992, but are not complete. Membership applications for 1921-1922 are missing, as are the board minutes for 1918-1922. Other types of information might be duplicated in several ledgers, and still other bits of information...
Antonia Compass Picou papers
Collection
Identifier: HJA-013
Abstract
Antonia Compass was the third wife of jazz clarinetist, Alphonse Picou. This small collection of her personal papers from 1942-1961 includes incoming correspondence addressed to both Antonia and Alphonse Picou, financial and legal documents for several properties that she owned (including Picou’s Bar) as well as some personal documents. Of note is a letter from Lizzie Miles addressed to “Tony” (Antonia) and “Pic” (Alphonse).
Dominic James "Nick" LaRocca papers
Collection
Identifier: HJA-007
Scope and Contents
The collection contains newspaper clippings, fliers, posters, programs and other publicity materials, along with photographs, books, test pressings of O.D.J.B. records, correspondence and sheet music. The collection also includes five scrapbooks, created by Nick LaRocca.
Don Ewell Collection
Collection
Identifier: HJA-005
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of correspondence, newspaper clippings, LP records, performance cassette tapes, books, and other papers of Don Ewell.
Hogan Jazz Archive Oral Histories Collection
Collection
Identifier: HJA-OH 001
Abstract
The Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane University was established with Ford Foundation funding in 1958 as the Archive of New Orleans Jazz and was posthumously renamed in honor of William Ransom Hogan, the chair of the Department of History who wrote the initial grant proposal. Ford funding enabled an oral history fieldwork project with pioneers of New Orleans jazz under the direction of William Russell, the archive's first curator, and his successor, Richard B. Allen. This generated nearly 2,000...
Jazz National Historic Park Oral History collection
Collection
Identifier: HJA-019
Abstract
In 1998, New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park and the New Orleans Jazz Commission conducted a series of videotaped oral histories of New Orleans jazz legends to continue the work that first began here at the Hogan Jazz Archive in 1958. Both projects were created to collect and preserve the memories and oral traditions of New Orleans musicians.
Mina Lea Crais papers
Collection
Identifier: HJA-060
Scope and Contents
The Mina Lea Crais papers include the records of various businesses run by Mina Lea Crais and her husband, Bill Crais, including the Vieux Carre Music Shop, Carnival Records and Mecca Magazine. It also contains the personal papers and scrapbooks of Bill Crais, photographs of friends and events, numerous clippings, programs and brochures (primarily jazz related) as well as materials documenting the New Orleans Jazz Club (NOJC), of which both Mina and Bill were...
Paul Barbarin Collection
Collection
Identifier: HJA-011
Abstract
This collection was embedded in the Danny Barker Collection, which was salvaged from Danny and Blue Lu Barker’s flooded Seventh Ward home in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Robert Palmer Collection
Collection
Identifier: HJA-027
Scope and Contents
The Robert Palmer Collection at Hogan Jazz Archive, still in process, includes: some 8,000 LPs; 900 books; 300 interview transcriptions, 250 interviews on cassette tape; 1200 commercial and promostional music cassette tapes; 200 photographs; appointment calendars for 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, and 1996; 10 linear feet of vertical files; 3 linear feet of letters and correspondence; 4 linear feet of manuscripts and rough drafts; 20 linear feet of...
Tad Jones Rhythm and Blues Collection
Collection
Identifier: HJA-056
Scope and Contents
Multiple boxes of 45-7" Phonodiscs, 33-12" Phonodiscs, Album Covers
Tim Kelly papers
Collection
Identifier: HJA-012
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of materials related to Kelly’s music career and his career in music industry sales from 1923-1982. It includes scrapbook pages, clippings, correspondence, telegrams, photographs and some ephemeral material. Most of the telegrams were sent from listeners to the Buddies Blue Melody Boys via Radio WFAA in Dallas, Texas, however several personal telegrams can be found interspersed throughout Series II of the collection.
