Over 100 hours of live radio broadcasts made between 1935 and 1941 and never heard since their initial airing. It’s Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Fats Waller, Coleman Hawkins and more, swinging live in their prime and in higher-fidelity than ever thought possible.
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In 2014, the family of Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis was looking for a home for his personal collection. They were referred to the National Jazz Museum in Harlem by the widow of another jazz giant, Mrs. Frank (Cecelia) Foster. As a native New Yorker and given his close connection with Harlem, it was a natural fit to bring the “Jaws” collection home.
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Sonny Allen is a dance legend from the Savoy and Palladium ballrooms and one of the last surviving interpreters of the Savoy style of Swing. In a career spanning over six decades, Allen has mastered and created his own smooth, suave style of mambo, swing, foxtrot and tap dancing. The National Jazz Museum in Harlem is honored to share Sonny’s memories of the Savoy Ballroom and his unique first person account of what made the era, the place, the dancing, and the music so special. Sonny’s words paint a rich picture of what it was like to go to the Savoy in its final days.
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The National Jazz Museum in Harlem has released a series of never-before-heard concert recordings featuring the legendary Benny Carter, joined by such giants as Dizzy Gillespie, Hank Jones, Clark Terry, Richard Davis, Milt Hinton, Grady Tate, and many others.
ExploreA performance series highlighting the many paths jazz has taken around the world.
ExploreAn interview series with younger musicians on what jazz means to them.
ExploreHarlem Speaks is the Oral History initiative of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. Started in 2004, Harlem Speaks has been supported by many generous donors including the National Endowment for the Arts, Institute of Museum and Library Services, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.
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