Burt C. Porter Jazz and Sound Recordings, 1950-1962

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Porter, Burt C.
Title
Burt C. Porter Jazz and Sound Recordings
Dates
1950-1962 (inclusive)
Quantity
136 items, (8 boxes, 128 audio reels)
Collection Number
201201
Summary
This is Burt C. Porter's personal collection of sound recordings on open reel. A majority of the recordings are dated in the early to mid-1950's. The collection includes and recorded television and radio programming, as well as bootleg club recordings. Some of the more unique recordings include jazz artists in Seattle, Cecil Young Quartet and Ernestine Anderson.
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Media Archive
University of Washington Libraries Media Archive
University of Washington
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065436051
medialib@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Due to preservation concerns, access to the original items is restricted. For access questions please contact the UW Libraries Media Center.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Burt C. Porter, born near Spokane, WA on June 10, 1916 (Bureau of the Census, 1920), started his own business in Seattle, WA selling electronics in the late 1940s. From notes found in his collection printed on the Burt C. Porter Co. letterhead, as well as from an audio reel of dictation, it was identified that he sold a variety of electronics, but mostly audio recording machines. His business spread from Seattle throughout the greater Pacific Northwest and into Canada. Not only was he selling to individual consumers, but he also worked on deals with larger companies, such as Boeing.While there are reels that reflect his work in the electronics industry, the majority of the collection is based on his hobby in amateur sound recording.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This is Burt C. Porter's personal collection of sound recordings on open reel. A majority of the recordings are dated in the early to mid-1950's. The collection includes recorded television and radio programming, as well as bootleg club recordings. Some of the more unique recordings include jazz artists in Seattle, Cecil Young Quartet and Ernestine Anderson. This collection consists of 128 reels onsite and about 80 reels off-site in a storage facility in Sandpoint. The reels off-site have deteriorated and will likely not be handled or transferred for safety reasons.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

Selections from this collection have been digitized, and are available through the UW Libraries Soundcloud page.

Restrictions on Use

Portions or all of this collection may be subject to copyright restrictions.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

The Burt C. Porter Jazz and Sound Recordings were donated to the University of Washington Libraries in 2012 by a family member of Porter. The collection consists of over two hundred open audio reels, most of which were created in the 1950's.

Custodial History

The audio reels were stored in original cases (cardboard) in a barn for a number of decades in western Washington until the time of the donation in 2012.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Box One, UndatedReturn to Top

Container(s): Box BCP 1

Contains 17 1/4 inch sound reels

Container(s) Description Dates
Reel
BCP 01-001
Cecil Young
Cecil Young, Gerald Brashear, Jimmy Rodgers, Trafford Hubert. Race Horse; Black Magic; Small Hotel
1951-03-11
BCP 01-002
Cecil Young
Cecil Young, Gerald Brashear, Jimmy Rodgers, Trafford Hubert. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Vocal-Cecil); September in the Rain; Johnson Rag
1951-03-11
BCP 01-003
Cecil Young
Strike Up The Band; I Got It Bad - Vocal; Symphony Kid
1951-03-11
BCP 01-004
Cecil Young
Savoy; You Are the Promised Breath of Spring; Fine and Dandy
1951-03-11
BCP 01-005
Cecil Young
House Rent Party Blues; Lester Leaps About
1951-03-11
BCP 01-006
Cecil Young
15" p/s- Full-Mono; Deep Purple-Piano Solo; Tennessee Waltz-Piano Solo; Gerald
1951-03-11
BCP 01-007
Cecil Young
Who Parked the Car; Back in Nagasaki
1951-03-11
BCP 01-008
Cecil Young
Sweet Georgia Bop; Penthouse Serenade
1951-03-11
BCP 01-009
Cecil Young
Nights and Day, Dawn and Dusk; Flying Home; Gone With the Wind
1951-03-11
BCP 01-010
Cecil Young
Cecil--Off To 'Frisco
1951-07-19
BCP 01-011
Cecil and Ernestine
15" Mono - Cecil Young/Ernestine; Sept Song; Camels are Coming; Ema Sumac-908 Club; Somebody Got To Go
1951-05-30
BCP 01-012
Cecil Young
M-15"; Cecil Young Quartette; Theme Song; Savoy; Piano Pastels; Norm Bobrow-Announce
1951-06-10
BCP 01-013
Cecil Young
Cecil Young Quartette; Formula X-9; Sweet Georgia Bop; Oooh Diga Gow; I'm In the Mood for Love
1951-06-10
BCP 01-014
Cecil Young
Cecil Young Quartette; Flying Home; Too Marvelous For Words; Who Parked the Car
1951-06-10
BCP 01-015
Cecil Young
Cecil Young Quartet; Going to Shanghai-3:47; I Get Ideas-3:12; Old Man River-3:20
1951-11-12
BCP 01-016
Cecil Young
Cecil Young Quartet; E Flat B Flat-3:20; Further Out X-1:53; Passing Fancy X-3:00; Get Out of Town-3:12
1951-11-12
BCP 01-017
Cecil Young
Cecil Young Quartette; Streamliner Club; Dancing In The Dark; Out Waltz; ?
1954-02-24

Box Two, UndatedReturn to Top

Container(s): Box BCP 2

Contains 15 1/4 inch sound reels

Container(s) Description Dates
Reel
BCP 02-001
Santa Monica Beethoven
Santa Monica Beethoven Piano Concerts #2 1st Movement; Arthur Lange Conductor
Unknown
BCP 02-002
Santa Monica Mendelssohn
Santa Monica; 1st Movement Mendelssohn Seventh Symphony; 2nd Movement (illegible)
Unknown
BCP 02-003
Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee, and the Gonzaga Glee Club
RCA Sauter-Finnegan; 7 1/2" Recording Speed
Unknown
BCP 02-004
Whitman College Choir
Whitman College Choir; We Wish You a Merry CHristmas; I heard the Bells on Christmas Day; ?; Glorious in Excelcis Deo; The First Noel; While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks; ?; Jingle Bells; Silent Night; Bing Crosby; I Had a Dream; The Old Ox Road; Were You There--(Gonzaga Glee Club)
Unknown
BCP 02-005
Frank Sinatra TV Show
Frank Sinatra T.V. Show; Guest: Bing Crosby; Dean Martin; Mitzi Gaynor; Jimmie Durante; Music Direction by Nelson Riddle; Recorded on MDVICORDER
1959-10-19
BCP 02-006
Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington-Carnegie Hall; Tell Me Why; Wheel of Fortune; Blues; Blow Top Blues; Time Out For Tears
1952
BCP 02-007
John Kirby and His Orchestra
John Kirby and his Orchestra; Charles Shivers-Trumpet; Buster Bailey-Clarinet; Russell Procofie-Alto Sax; Billy Kyle-Piano; John Kirby-Bass; O'Neil Spencer-Drums.; 1. Anitra's Dances-Serenade-Opus 5-Nocturne-Fronto Ceuler-(illegible)-Milumba-Double Fath-Blues Polyle-Beethoven RIffs On.; 2. Stanley Black and his Orchestra; Rhumba tamba-Linola-Chilena-Adioes etc.; 2. Joe Bushkin with Rhythm Acc.
1952-05-27
BCP 02-008
Capitol
Jones Jenne, Paul Weston; Kitten on the Keys; Finigus Carr; Nobles June; Paul Weston; If I KNew You Were Coming-Benny Strong; Does the Spearmint Lose Its Flavor-Benny Strong
Unknown
BCP 02-009
Capitol
Spaghetti Rag-Ray Anthony; Down the Lane-Stafford Mac Race; Maria from Bahia-Cherry Reyes; Open Door-Jo Stafford; Panama-Paul Weston
Unknown
BCP 02-010
Multiple
I. Mary Ann McCall; Paul Smith Quartet; II. Gerry Mulligan (PJLP-2); Lee Konitz; Dave Brubeck (3-5-alt but (illegible) on one side)
Unknown
BCP 02-011
Jimmy Lyons
Jimmy Lyons-San Francisco; Bewitched-Mel Torme, Sax, Piano; Someone to Watch Over Me, Piano; Body and Soul, Sax; Sleepytime Gal; Piano, Sax, Trombone, Sax, Piano
Unknown
BCP 02-012
Unknown
Page Cavanaugh Trio; Dixieland Jazz Band
Unknown
BCP 02-013
Unknown
4TS-7-1/2"--Side I; 1. Gene Krupa/Buddy Rich-JAPT-1952
Unknown
BCP 02-014
Unknown
Practice Session
Unknown
BCP 02-015
Dr King
Dr King
Unknown

Box 3, UndatedReturn to Top

Container(s): Box BCP 3

Contains 9 1/4 inch sound reels

Container(s) Description Dates
Reel
BCP 03-001
Alice Hall Quartette
Alice Hall Quartette; A The A Train 2:30; B Jazz Me Blues 2:00; C Petite Watte 2:03; D Tennesses Schmaltz 2:57; E Perdido 2:37; F Where or When 2:55
1951-10-21
BCP 03-002
Alice Hall Quartette
Alice Hall Quartette; A Makin Whooppee 2:16; B Just You Just Me 2:17; C Polka 2:09; D Brazil 2:15; E Dream a Little Dream of Me 2:47; F How High the Moon 2:33
1951-10-21
BCP 03-003
Alice Hall Quartette
Alice Hall Quartette; A You Stepped Out of a Dream 2:17; B Big Noise From Winztka 4:43
1951-10-21
BCP 03-004
McPartland
McPartland #1; Sweet Georgia Brown; Jazztown Ball
Unknown
BCP 03-005
McPartland
McPartland; Embrace Me; When the Saintsl (Left channel very low vol.)
Unknown
BCP 03-006
Woody Herman
Woody Herman-Carnegie Hall; Perdido; Early Autumn; Bijou
1952-Unknown
BCP 03-007
Woody Herman
Woody Herman-Carnegie Hall; Third Man Theme-Chubby Jackson; Drum Solo
1952-Unknown
BCP 03-008
Woody Herman
Woody Herman; Sidney Bechet; Summertime; Royal Garden Blues
1953-11-14

Box 4, UndatedReturn to Top

Container(s): Box BCP 4

Contains 10 1/4 inch sound reels

Container(s) Description Dates
Reel
BCP 04-001
Jazz at the Philharmonic
Jazz at the Phil 1952; 15 IPS Full Track Mono; Oscar Peterson; Buddy De Franco; Ray Brown; Buddy Rich; Herb Ellis; Paper Moon; Summer Time*; Huckle Buck; Air Mail Special; Great!
1952
BCP 04-002
Jazz at the Philharmonic
Jazz at the Phil-1951; 15" p/s-Full-Mono; Fast Number; Solos by: Roy Eldridge; Dizzy Gilespie (great duet at end); Drum Solo-Buddy Rich; (Play only for real jazz listeners)
1951
BCP 04-003
Ernestine Anderson
Ernestine Anderson; Fine and Dandy; So Long; Sunny Side of the Street
Undated
BCP 04-004
Shearing
BN 11/51; Shearing-Ernestine Anderson; Sunny Side; Them Their Eyes; #112 Summertime; Them Their Eyes (x) up-tempo, better!; Lover Man
1951-11
BCP 04-005
Ernestine Anderson
Ernestine-Stealing Time
Undated
BCP 04-006
Unknown
Porter; Ernestine - Sweden; Yak; Les- "Harris in for Porter"
Undated
BCP 04-007
Band of America
Band of America; 15"; M-80
Undated
BCP 04-008
Unknown
#4; Ballad Session; Roy Eldridge-Body and Soul; Ben Webster-Tenderly; Bill Harris-Imagination; Flip Phillips-I'll Never be the Same; Oscar Peterson Trio (Roy Brown - Herb Ellis); Just One of Those Things; The Continental; Autumn in N.Y.; It's Almost Like Being in Love; ?Serenade?; Surry-Frin´ge-Fast-Fast-Fast
Undated
BCP 04-009
Spokane Symphony
Spokane Symphony-15" p.p.s-S
Undated
BCP 04-010
Spokane Symphony
Spokane Symphony
Undated

Box 5, UndatedReturn to Top

Container(s): Box BCP 5

Container(s) Description Dates
Reel
BCP 05-001
Don Shirley
1954-04-23
BCP 05-002
Don Shirley
1954-04-23
BCP 05-003
Don Shirley
1954-04-23
BCP 05-004
Don Shirley
1953-04-23
BCP 05-005
Don Shirley
"Rachmaninoff-Piano Concerto" and "Moonlight in Vermont" are labelled in red as "ERASED"
1954-02-24
BCP 05-006
Don Shirley
1954-05-24

Box 6, UndatedReturn to Top

Container(s): Box BCP 5

Container(s) Description Dates
Reel
BCP 06-001
Stokowsky Detroit Symphony
"Tocata and Fugue in D"; Bach; Stokowsky Detroit Symphony
Undated
BCP 06-002
Stokowsky Detroit Symphony
"Tchaikovsky 5th 1-Andante"; Stokowsky Detroit
Undated
BCP 06-003
Stokowsky Detroit Symphony
Time 1:52 to 2:26 PM; Archibald Varey 2:06;(On Reel) Wagner; WOtan's Farewell; Magic Fire Music Part 1; Stokowsky Detroit
Undated
BCP 06-004
Stokowsky Detroit Symphony
Tchaikovsky 5th; 4-Finale-Allegro Vivace; Stokowski Detroit
Undated
BCP 06-005
Stan Kenton
Stan Kenton-Blue Note; Rumba; Stardust; September Song
Undated
BCP 06-006
Stan Kenton
"Wild Jive"; "Artistry in Bolevo"; "Stella By Starlight"; Stan Kenton
Undated
BCP 06-007
Stan Kenton
"Laura"; Stan Kenton
Undated
BCP 06-008
Seattle Symphony
Seattle Symphony; Director-Manuel Rosenthal; Symphony in G Major-George Bizet; 1. Allegro Vivo; 2. Adagio; Oboe Solo-Norman Benno
1950-12-01
BCP 06-009
No Title
"Latin American Symphonette"; 3rd. Movement Tango (and illegible)
Undated
BCP 06-010
No Title
"Latin American Symphony" 1st Movement; 1st Movement "Rhumba"; 2nd Movement "Tango"
Undated
BCP 06-011
Roy Neusch
Pines of Rome
Undated
BCP 06-012
No Title
Labor
Undated
BCP 06-013
No Title
"Serenade for Harp and Strings"
Undated
BCP 06-014
No Title
"Conga"
Undated
BCP 06-015
No Title
"Romeo and Juliet"
Undated

Box 7, UndatedReturn to Top

Container(s): Box BCP 7

Contains 29 1/4 inch sound reels

Box 8, UndatedReturn to Top

Container(s): Box BCP 8

Contains 27 1/4 inch sound reels

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Jazz
  • Radio
  • Sound recordings

Personal Names

  • Anderson, Ernestine
  • Hall, Alice
  • Herman, Woody

Corporate Names

  • Cecil Young Quartet

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.)