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DUKE ELLINGTON COLLECTION, 1927-1988, #301

Subseries 1c: Sidemen's Books

Scope and Content Note

Subseries 1C: Sidemen’s Books consists of ten cubic feet of parts for individual soloists, including parts for early Ellington Orchestra instumentalists, Barney Bigard, Joe “Tricky Sam” Nanton and Otto Hardwick; later soloists including Paul Gonsalves; and long time band members Harry Carney and Lawrence Brown.  Some folders are identified by a specific instrument.  When individual soloists left the band their “books” were passed on to the next man who occupied the instrument chair.  Therefore parts for an early band member might be found in later sidemen’s books (for example: many parts for Barney Bigard are located in Jimmy Hamilton’s book).  Even though there are no “books” for prominent band members some of their parts might be available (for example; Ben Webster parts can be found in the tenor sax folders).

The parts in Sidemen’s Books were frequently used and many of them are in poor condition.  To reduce handling of the material and to assist the researcher a title guide providing location, copyist and set number is included in this finding aid.  The parts are maintained intact by folder but have been rearranged alphabetically within each folder.  

The Sidemen's Books Subseries is further separated into two container lists. Below is the physical arrangement of the material separated first by individual sideman then by instrument for those pieces of music not attributed to any particular musician. At the end of the list are alphabetically divided links to manuscript titles.

Container List

Box     Folder Band Member/Instrument                            

Titles: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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