Back in 2013, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the saga of trumpeter Roy Eldridge's earthly possessions came to light. All may have seem to be lost, but only a few days ago it was announced that the University of North Texas Music Library had "finished digitization and metadata for almost 700 photos, newspaper clippings, date books, and other documents in the Roy Eldridge Collection belonging to the Sherman (Texas) Jazz Museum." This collection can now be seen here.
As of today, the collection holds 527 photographs. Even with some damage, these are a treasure, like the numerous images of Eldridge's short-lived big band, the JATP tours with Norman Granz, or the December 7, 1945 gig by this group:
- Coleman Hawkins, "Texas Tom" Archia: tenor saxes
- Roy Eldridge: trumpet
- Thelonious Monk: piano
- Al McKibbon: bass
- Denzil Best: drums
- Helen Humes: vocals
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| Thelonious Monk, Helen Humes, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge (Source) |
Let it be a reminder that there is lot of jazz beyond the records.
