John Tumpak

John Tumpak is the author and music historian who has focused most of his writings on the golden age of swing during the Big Band Era of the 1930-40s.  As a result, John has interviewed and written about many of the big names during that time as well as documenting some of the lesser known musicians, arrangers, singers and leaders.  In 2008, Marquette University Press published his book entitled “When Swing Was the Thing: Personality Profiles of the Big Band Era.”  John has been a strong supporter of the NAMM Oral History program over the years, helping us with research and in connecting with several people now included in our library collection.