University of Wyoming
Calvin Jackson was born in Philadelphia in 1919 and studied piano for 17 years, four of those years at Julliard School of Music and New York University. He was a classical and jazz pianist, composer, conductor, and arranger. He began his popular career playing with Frankie Fairfax' band in the early 1940s and did arrangements for the Harry James Band. He then joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as assistant musical director under George Stoll. There he scored 14 musical pictures, including "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" for which he received an Academy Award nomination. While in Los Angeles, he gave concerts and wrote scores for television. He toured with his own 21-piece orchestra, jazz trio, and jazz quartet and spent 5 years in Toronto where he was a soloist for the Toronto Symphony and performed for the CBC. While in Toronto, he wrote two ballets, "Marie Chapdelaine" and "The Loon's Necklace". He returned to New York City, where he recorded for Columbia Records. One of his famous recordings was of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". In the mid-1970s he moved to San Diego to compose and died there in 1985.
The Calvin Jackson collection includes original, hand-written musical scores, artifacts such as his tennis trophies (1982,1984), biographical information, newspaper clippings, notes for radio programs, scripts, and ephemera. Reel to reel tapes of radio programs and recordings from 1970-1972 which include "Jazz with Jackson", a video tape entitled "Portrait in Jazz", one 16 mm film, and 13 LPs of his recorded performances of a wide variety of jazz and classical music are included, for example "Tonal Expressions" and album of piano music played by Jackson for Discovery Records. A cassette contains a rerecording of "Hollywood Melodies" made at MGM in 1946, with Jackson playing with the MGM orchestra conducted by George Stoll
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
There is another archival collection related to Calvin Jackson, called the Calvin Jackson papers, at the University of California, San Diego.
This material was received from Hanusha Jackson in 1986 and 1990.
The collection was processed by Shaun Hayes in February 2014.
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
This series contains sheet music of songs performed by Calvin Jackson during his career. The songs not composed by Jackson are arranged alphabetically by the last name of the composer. In most instances, these songs were arranged or transcribed by Jackson. The songs Jackson composed are arranged alphabetically by song or suite title.
This sub-series consists sheet music of songs composed by Calvin Jackson. It is arranged alphabetically by song or suite title.
This sub-series consists sheet music of songs composed by composers other than Calvin Jackson. It is arranged alphabetically by the composer's last name.
Series II. contains information related to Calvin Jackson's professional career. It includes concert promotional material, recording information, professional correspondence, contracts, set lists and notes related to Mr. Jackson's radio show.
Series III. contains information related to Calvin Jackson's personal life. Examples of the material included are correspondence, invitations, photographs and newspaper clippings. Several items contain notes by Jackson's widow that provide greater context to the material.
Series IV. contains information related to Calvin Jackson's personal life. Examples of the material included are correspondence, invitations, photographs and newspaper clippings. Several items contain notes by Jackson's widow that provide greater context to the material.