Felix Grant - Archives

Archives

The Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives are maintained by the Jazz Studies Program, College of Arts and Sciences, and the Learning Resources Division at the University of the District of Columbia. The majority of the holdings are commercially issued LPs (approx. 45,000) and CDs (10,000) in addition to reel-to-reel tapes, audio cassettes, 45s and 78s. Books, periodicals, photographs, and other paper materials complement the commercially-issued sound recordings. The Felix E. Grant Digital Collection gives a sampling of the types of materials housed in the Archives. Some standouts are:

1. Felix Grant's interviews of radio personalities which include jazz giants such as - Cannonball Adderley, Cab Calloway, Monty Alexander, Art Farmer, Johnny Hartman, Jimmy Rushing, Sonny Stitt, as well as those with more local flavor such as Barnee Breeskin, author of "Hail to the Redskins"; Tommy Gwaltney, original owner of Blues Alley and Shep Allen, manager of the Howard Theater - in addition to Brazilian artists such as João Gilberto, Dorival Caymmi, Tania Maria and Leny Andrade, Flora Purim and Airto. He has also interviewed historians and archivists like Thornton 'Tony' Hagert of Vernacular Music Research.
2. Lorton Reformatory Jazz Festival. Lorton was once the location of a jazz festival featuring some of the top names in jazz Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Nancy Wilson, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown. A commemorative booklet and rare photographs can be viewed.
3. Duke Ellington

Cataloging of holdings is ongoing.