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Jazz Institute of Chicago. DeMicheal, Don. Papers

Acknowledgments

The Jazz Institute of Chicago Don DeMicheal Papers were processed and preserved as part of the "Uncovering New Chicago Archives Project," funded with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Jazz Institute of Chicago. DeMicheal, Don. Papers
Dates
1962-1997
Language
Documents in English
Size
3.25 linear feet (6 boxes)
Repository
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
University of Chicago Library
1100 East 57th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.
Abstract
Don DeMicheal, vibraphonist, music journalist, and critic. The Don DeMicheal Papers contain articles, book reviews, and liner notes written by DeMicheal as well as catalogs and discographies, jazz periodicals, a record journal, and other publications.

Information on Use

Access

This collection is open for research.

Citation

When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Jazz Institute of Chicago. DeMicheal, Don. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library

Biographical Note

Don DeMicheal was born in Louisville, KY in 1928. DeMicheal was co-leader of the Don DeMicheal-Chuck Hedges Swingtet in which he played vibraphone, and a drummer in the Hot Three with pianist Art Hodes and clarinetist Kenny Davern. DeMicheal helped to bring Chicago jazz to New York City when he played with Hodes and Wild Bill Davison at the Goin' to Chicago Kool (Newport) Jazz Festival which took place at Carnegie Hall in 1981.

From 1961-1967, DeMicheal was the editor-in-chief of Down Beat magazine, where as a journalist interviewed prominent jazz figures such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane. DeMicheal also was president of the Jazz Institute of Chicago from 1974-1978 and as program chair in 1979, he spear-headed the first free Chicago Jazz Festival in Grant Park.

DeMicheal also wrote about jazz, including coauthoring a book, A Manual for the Modern Drummer and editing several trade magazines. Until his death, he was the editor of Plate World magazine.

DeMicheal died in 1982 at the age of 53.

Scope Note

The Jazz Institute of Chicago Don DeMicheal Papers are divided into three series: Series I, Personal; Series II, Catalogs and Discographies; and Series III, Publications. The papers contain articles, a book review, and liner notes written by DeMicheal as well as catalogs and discographies, jazz periodicals,a record journal, membership lists, and other publications.

Series I, Personal, contains writings by DeMicheal, membership lists, and an illustration. The book review is of Whitney Balliett's Alec Wilder and his Friends and the liner notes are for Walt Dickerson's To My Queen Revisited and Warren Kime's Jazz. DeMicheal wrote the biography and notes on the music of Red Norvo for Time-Life Records’ Giants of Jazz. Articles and books written by DeMicheal highlight jazz musicians such as Stan Getz and Paul Desmond. The illustration is of various jazz musicians. Also included are membership lists for the Chicago Federation of Musicians.

Series II, Catalogs and Discographies, contains various jazz record catalogs and discographies.

Series III, Publications, contains books, magazines, a pamphlet, jazz periodicals and a record journal. "Hot Jazz" is a pamphlet published for the Discographical Society. There are various books on jazz and blues, including Basic Jazz on Long Play, John Lucas; Jazz, Andre Francis; New Orleans Blues, Marty Most; The Poetry of the Blues, Samuel Charters; The Sound, Ross Russell; and This is Our Music, John Sinclair. Les Cahier du Jazz is in French and Schwarzer Gesang II: Blues is in German and English. Oversize publications are listed last and include jazz periodicals, Scholastic Roto, and Specifying Engineering.

Related Resources

Browse finding aids by topic.

  • Jazz Institute of Chicago Administrative Records

Indexed Terms

INVENTORY

Series I: Personal
Box 1
Folder 1
Title
Article, "A Day in the New Lives of Two Russian Defector-Jazz Musicians," undated
Box 1
Folder 2
Title
Article, "A Day with Music Greats at WTTW," 1975
Box 1
Folder 3
Title
Article, "Gene Lees: Cavalier of the Month," 1968
Box 1
Folder 4
Title
Article, "A Long Look at Stan Getz," undated
Box 1
Folder 5
Title
Book Review, "Alec Wilder and his Friends," undated
Box 1
Folder 6
Title
Chicago Federation of Musicians, Membership List, 1957
Box 1
Folder 7
Title
Chicago Federation of Musicians, Membership List, 1958
Box 1
Folder 8
Title
Giants of Jazz: Red Norvo, 1980
Box 1
Folder 9
Title
Illustration, Modern Jazzmen, undated
Box 1
Folder 10
Title
Liner Notes, 1979
Box 1
Folder 11
Title
Manuscript, "Paul Desmond," undated
Box 1
Folder 12
Title
Manuscript, "Yearbook," 1979
Box 1
Folder 13
Title
Notes on the History of Recording, undated
Series II: Catalogs and Discographies
Box 1
Folder 14
Title
Chess Checker LP Catalog, 1968
Box 1
Folder 15
Title
Discography, Art Tatum and Bud Powell, 1961
Box 1
Folder 16
Title
Discography, Big Band, Vol. 1, 1965
Box 1
Folder 17
Title
Discography, Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane, 1961
Box 1
Folder 18
Title
Discography, Charlie Barnet, 1965
Box 1
Folder 19
Title
Discography, Dizzy Gillespie, 1961
Box 1
Folder 20
Title
Discography, Duke Ellington, 1964
Box 1
Folder 21
Title
Discography, Duke Ellington’s Story on Records, 1925-1931, 1966
Box 1
Folder 22
Title
Discography, Hot Lips Page, 1961
Box 1
Folder 23
Title
Discography, Jay Jay Johnson, 1962
Box 1
Folder 24
Title
Discography, Les Brown, 1965
Box 1
Folder 25
Title
Discography, Nat "King" Cole, 1965
Box 1
Folder 26
Title
Discography, Stan Kenton, 1959
Box 2
Folder 1
Title
Discography, Stan Kenton on Capitol, 1966
Box 2
Folder 2
Title
Discography, Woody Herman Vol. 3, 1959-1965
Box 2
Folder 3
Title
Index to Jazz, Vol. 3, 1947
Box 2
Folder 4
Title
Jazz Catalog, Vol. 6, 1965
Box 2
Folder 5
Title
Jazz Catalog, Vol. 7, 1966
Box 2
Folder 6
Title
Jazz Catalog, Vol. 9-10, 1970
Box 2
Folder 7
Title
Jazz Discography, 1958
Box 2
Folder 8
Title
Jazz Discography: Additions and Corrections, 1944
Box 3
Folder 1
Title
Jazz Katalog, 1962
Box 3
Folder 2
Title
The Jazz Record Catalog, 1962
Series III: Publications
Box 3
Folder 3
Title
Basic Jazz on Long Play, 1954
Box 3
Folder 4
Title
Coda, 1973
Box 3
Folder 5
Title
Down Beat Jazz Record Reviews, 1958
Box 3
Folder 6
Title
Down Beat Jazz Record Reviews, 1960
Box 3
Folder 7
Title
"Hot Jazz," 1947
Box 3
Folder 8
Title
Kings of Jazz: Bessie Smith, 1961
Box 3
Folder 9
Title
Kings of Jazz: Bix Beiderbecke, 1961
Box 3
Folder 10
Title
Kings of Jazz: Charlie Parker, 1961
Box 3
Folder 11
Title
Kings of Jazz: Dizzy Gillespie, 1961
Box 3
Folder 12
Title
Kings of Jazz: Duke Ellington, 1961
Box 3
Folder 13
Title
Kings of Jazz: Fats Waller, 1961
Box 4
Folder 1
Title
Kings of Jazz: King Oliver, 1961
Box 4
Folder 2
Title
Kings of Jazz: Louis Armstrong, 1961
Box 4
Folder 3
Title
Les Cahiers du Jazz, 1963
Box 4
Folder 4
Title
Les Cahiers du Jazz, 1965
Box 4
Folder 5
Title
Les Cahiers du Jazz, 1966
Box 4
Folder 6
Title
Jazz, 1960
Box 4
Folder 7
Title
The Jazz Cats, 1960
Box 4
Folder 8
Title
Just Jazz 3, 1959
Box 4
Folder 9
Title
Negro Digest, 1961
Box 4
Folder 10
Title
New Orleans Blues, 1964
Box 5
Folder 1
Title
The Poetry of the Blues, 1963
Box 5
Folder 2
Title
Schwarzer Gesang II: Blues, 1962
Box 5
Folder 3
Title
The Sound,1962
Box 5
Folder 4
Title
This is Our Music, 1965
Box 6
Folder 1
Title
Down Beat NAMM Daily, 1962-1965
Box 6
Folder 2
Title
Down Beat NAMM Daily, 1966-1967
Box 6
Folder 3
Title
International Association of Jazz Record Collectors Journal, 1978-1980
Box 6
Folder 4
Title
Radio Free Jazz, 1979
Box 6
Folder 5
Title
Scholastic Roto, 1967-1968
Box 6
Folder 6
Title
Specifying Engineering, 1967-1997