Music & Musical Instruments

Gene Autry. side 1: Old Buckaroo Goodbye; side 2: Rhythm of the Range (Okeh 03291), from the album, Gene Autry Cowboy Songs (Okeh K-1).
78 rpm.

The cover art for this album was made by Alex Steinweiss. Alexander “Alex” Steinweiss (1917-2011) was an American artist and graphic designer. He was the first art director of Columbia Records, expanding the use of album covers and cover art. Steinweiss created album cover art from 1938 to 1973.

This clarinet was made by Oskar Oehler in Berlin, Germany around 1900 to 1935. It is an Oehler System clarinet in B-flat, made of ebony with German silver ferrules and keys. This clarinet is stamped:

[lyre]
O.Oehler
Berlin
A

This clarinet was previously owned and used by German-American clarinetist Robert Lindemann (1884-1975). Lindemann was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1911. He is best known as the principal clarinetist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1923 to 1949.

Jelly Roll Morton. side 1: New Orleans Blues; side 2: La Paloma (Circle JM-27/28), from the album, Jelly Roll Morton, Volume 4: The Spanish Tinge (Circle Limited Edition #306).
78 rpm.

This recording is part of a limited edition 45 twelve-inch record set, The Saga of Mr. Jelly Lord. The set is comprised of interviews and musical performances of musician Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton (1890-1941) recorded by American ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax (1915-2002) at the Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress, from May 23, 1938 to December 14, 1938. In the interviews, Morton recounts his experiences, both in New Orleans and on the road, as a popular musician of the early twentieth century.

The Saga of Mr. Jelly Lord limited edition record set was issued by Circle Sound Inc., incrementally with two albums every three months, beginning in late 1947. The recordings were pressed on red vinylite. Album design and typography for this set was by Jimmy Ernst (born Hans-Ulrich Ernst, 1920-1984), a German-born American painter.

This khaki blouse was worn by Rosalind "Roz" Cron during the USO-sponsored tour of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm to France and Germany between July 1945 and January 1946.

The International Sweethearts of Rhythm was the nation's first racially-integrated all-girl swing and jazz band. The group was initially formed from a girls' band at Missippi's Piney Woods Country Life School in the late 1930s. In 1941, the girls severed ties with the school and turned professional. Soon the group was recognized on a national level, and the girls began touring throughout the country. They even put on shows in the Jim Crow South where it was illegal for mixed races to travel and perform together. During WWII, their popularity with soldiers overseas also landed them a spot with the USO Camp Shows which toured France and Germany for six months from 1945-1946.

At age 18, Roz Cron was the youngest and one of the few white women to join the Sweethearts. Cron joined the group in 1943 to play alto sax for the band.

This harmonica was made by M. Hohner in Germany, 1930s. It is a Chromatic No. 261 model with 35 double holes and 70 reeds. The harmonica has a brown stained wooden comb with metal cover plates attached to the top and bottom with screws and nuts. Accessioned with original cardboard box. The box has two embossed labels:

M.HOHNER’s
Chromatica
Germany

(and):

No.261

The harmonica is engraved:

M.HOHNER'S
[awards] CHROMATICA No.61

The reeds in this harmonica are set in a position of adjacent half steps in a horizontal row (left to right-A, A#, B, C, etc., chromatic, without a slide button). It is an octave-tuned instrument, blow only. On an octave tuned harmonica, each vertically paired set of holes has 2 reeds tuned 8 diatonic scale notes apart.

This harmonica was previously owned and played by Johnny Puleo (1907-1983), an American harmonica player and actor. Puleo got his big break after performing at a contest held by harmonica player and actor, Borrah Minevitch (born Boruch Meinewitz, 1902-1955), and leader of the group The Harmonica Rascals. After Minevitch’s death in 1955, Puleo formed his own group, The Harmonica Gang. The group performed throughout the world and made several recordings during their association. Puleo appeared in several television programs and films.

This harmonica was made by Koch in Germany, 1935. It is a Chromatic model in the key of G, with 10 single holes and 40 reeds. This harmonica has a black stained wood and metal comb, metal slide, and metal cover plates attached to top and bottom with screws and nuts. Accessioned with original cardboard box. The harmonica is engraved:

Chromatic
KOCH-HARMONICA
MADE IN GERMANY

Jelly Roll Morton. side 1: Creepy Feeling [part 1]; side 2: Creepy Feeling [conclusion] (Circle JM-29/30), from the album, Jelly Roll Morton, Volume 4: The Spanish Tinge (Circle Limited Edition #306).
78 rpm.

This recording is part of a limited edition 45 twelve-inch record set, The Saga of Mr. Jelly Lord. The set is comprised of interviews and musical performances of musician Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton (1890-1941) recorded by American ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax (1915-2002) at the Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress, from May 23, 1938 to December 14, 1938. In the interviews, Morton recounts his experiences, both in New Orleans and on the road, as a popular musician of the early twentieth century.

The Saga of Mr. Jelly Lord limited edition record set was issued by Circle Sound Inc., incrementally with two albums every three months, beginning in late 1947. The recordings were pressed on red vinylite. Album design and typography for this set was by Jimmy Ernst (born Hans-Ulrich Ernst, 1920-1984), a German-born American painter.

This sheet music is for the song “We’ll Gather Lilacs,” with words and music by Ivor Novello. It was published by Chappell and Co. in New York, New York in 1935.

The cover art for this sheet music was made by American artists Benjamin “Jorj” Harris (1904-1957) and Georgette Harris (1902-1963). The couple was known for their airbrush art and Art Deco style.