Floyd Levin Jazz Reference Collection

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There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .

Object Details

Scope and Contents: Research materials on jazz, jazz artists, jazz festivals and jazz organizations compiled by Levin over several decades. The richest portion is the series of biographical files on jazz artists, with emphasis on lesser known but influential artists, and includes such things as obituaries, memorial programs, press releases, concert programs, and newsletters. Photographs are also widely found in this series, many of them inscribed to, or taken with Levin and his wife Lucille, as well as posters, recordings, letters and other correspondence, awards and plaques, Levin's writings, business cards, newspaper articles, advertisements, and miscellaneous ephemeral items. Artists who are strongly represented include one-time Ellington Orchestra clarinetist "Barney" (Albany Leon) Bigard, who was a close personal friend of the Levins and whose personal papers are in the collection; Louis Armstrong; "Jelly Roll" (Ferdinand Lemott) Morton; "Wild" Bill Davison; "Duke" (Edward Kennedy) Ellington; Joe Darensbourg; Edward Bertram "Montudie" Garland; "Kid" (Edward) Ory; "Eubie" (James Herbert) Blake; and "Rosy" (James) McHargue.

Summary: Floyd Levin was a Los Angeles textile manufacturer who turned his passion for jazz into a second career as an influential jazz journalist and historian. The collection consists of research materials including biographical files. In addition, there are numerous photographs that were taken and collected by Levin.

Restrictions: The collection is open for research. Only reference copies of audiovisual materials may be used.

Provenance: Donated to the Archives Center in 2011 by Floyd Levin's widow, Lucille Levin.

Arrangement: The collection is divided into ten series. Series 1, Personal Papers, 1920-2010, undated Series 2, Correspondence, 1948-2006, undated Series 3, Research Materials, 1914-2006, undated Series 4, Writings, 1949-2006, undated Series 5, Artists Files, 1880-2010, undated Subseries 5.1, General Materials, 1880-2010, undated Subseries 5.2, Obituaries, 1941-2004 Subseries 5.3, Interviews, 1969-2001 Series 6, Subject Files, 1916-2004, undated Series 7, General Materials, 1908-2006, undated Series 8, Jazz Organizations and Publications, 1943-2010, undated Series 9, Photographs, 1939-2001, undated Series 10, Audiovisual Materials, 1964-1997, undated Subseries 10.1, Audiocassettes, 1970-1997, undated Subseries 10.2, Compact Discs, 1966-1994, undated Subseries 10.3, Sound Tape Reels, 1964-1973, undated

Biographical / Historical: Floyd Levin (1922 - 2007) was a Los Angeles textile manufacturer who turned his passion for jazz into a second, contemporaneous, career as an influential jazz journalist and historian. His numerous reviews, profiles, and articles were published in magazines such as Down Beat, Jazz Journal International, Metronome, and American Rag. He also authored Classic Jazz: A Personal View of the Music and the Musicians (University of California Press, 2000), which –like his articles – chronicled his first-hand encounters with countless jazz musicians. In 1949, he co-founded the Southern California Hot Jazz Society, the second-oldest jazz appreciation club in the country. Levin led the drive to create the Louis Armstrong Park and statue in New Orleans in the 1970s. During his career, he conducted scores of oral history interviews with jazz musicians, which he donated to NMAH and to Tulane University's jazz archive. He received several awards for his work, including the Leonard Feather Communicator Award, given annually by the Los Angeles Jazz Society. Levin died in 2007.

Creator: Garland, Ed; Armstrong, Louis, 1901-1971; Morton, Jelly Roll, 1890-1941
Collector: Levin, Floyd, 1922-2007
Creator: Darensbourg, Joe, 1906-1985; Davison, Bill; Blake, Eubie (James Herbert), 1883-1983; Wilson, Buster
Donor: Levin, Lucille
Creator: Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974

Genre/Form: Newsletters -- 20th century; Posters -- 20th century; Obituaries; Correspondence -- 20th century; Photographs -- 20th century; Advertisements -- 20th century; Ephemera -- 20th century; Concert programs -- 20th century; Clippings; Business cards; Audiocassettes; Signatures (names); Audiotapes; Interviews; Personal papers -- 20th century; Biography files; Awards; Writings

Creator: Garland, Ed; Armstrong, Louis, 1901-1971; Morton, Jelly Roll, 1890-1941
Collector: Levin, Floyd, 1922-2007
Creator: Darensbourg, Joe, 1906-1985; Davison, Bill; Blake, Eubie (James Herbert), 1883-1983; Wilson, Buster
Donor: Levin, Lucille
Creator: Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974

Type: Collection descriptions; Archival materials; Newsletters; Posters; Obituaries; Correspondence; Photographs; Advertisements; Ephemera; Concert programs; Clippings; Business cards; Audiocassettes; Signatures (names); Audiotapes; Interviews; Personal papers; Biography files; Awards; Writings

Citation: Floyd Levin Jazz Reference Collection, 1880-2010, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Processing Information: Collection processed by Rebekah Keel, intern; Elizabeth Livesey, intern; Justine Thomas, intern; Cooby Greenway, volunteer; Marian Tatum-Webb, volunteer; Ramona Williamson, volunteer and Vanessa Broussard Simmons, archivist, 2016.

Rights: Reproduction restricted due to copyright or trademark. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.