Jazz
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Lionel Hampton helped bring the vibraphone to jazz with a series of important recordings and a long career as a musician and bandleader. He famously worked with Benny...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Jess Stacy was a very early jazz pianist, starting his career in 1918 and playing with many of the early pioneers of jazz as well as the most popular band leaders during...
George Benson recalls befriending Bob Cavanagh at the EU Wurlitzer Music store in Boston long before his noted career as an entertainer took off. George often visited the store and spent hours playing the instruments while Bob often showed him chords, provided picks and let him try out various...
This audio only interview was conducted by David Schwartz and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Tony Bennett, the legendary jazz and pop music singer, provided his thoughts about the recording process to David Schwartz, who interviewed Tony for MIX Magazine in 1986. During the interview,...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Raymond Scott was a noted bandleader and songwriter during the Big Band Era who achieved fame for supplying music to countless Warner Brother cartoons. Raymond was also an...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Phil Harris was a big band leader, singer, and actor who hit fame as the voice of Baloo the bear in Disney’s 1967 movie The Jungle Book. His career began as a drummer who...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Kenny Davern was just a kid when he heard Pee Wee Russell play and it was a moment that changed Kenny's life. Learning the clarinet, he focused on Dixieland Jazz, like his...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Billy Butterfield's smooth and melodic trumpet can be heard on Margret Whiting’s recording of "Moonlight In Vermont." His performance was often singled out as a defining...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Gus Johnson played drums for several big bands and jazz bands during his long career, but may be best remembered for the work he did backing up vocalists such as Ella...
Butch Miles was born in Ironton, Ohio on the 4th of July during a family reunion. Raised by his single mother, Butch decided to play drums when he was asked to join the school band. By the time he was in high school, Butch was playing in local bands and studying jazz with Frank Thompson at the...