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Jazz Society of Oregon Records, 1973-1988

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Jazz Society of Oregon
Title
Jazz Society of Oregon Records
Dates
1973-1988 (inclusive)
Quantity
3 linear ft., (4 document cases; 1 box Oversize A—11x14)
Collection Number
Mss 2808
Summary
Administrative records include articles of incorporation, by-laws, correspondence, financial records, mailing lists, meeting agendas, and Board of Trustees minutes. The records also contain information about activities and events sponsored by the Jazz Society of Oregon, including concerts and the Otter Crest Jazz Weekends. Public relations records consist of promotional materials for the Jazz Society of Oregon and other related organizations. The records also include two scrapbooks which contain photographs, newspaper articles, and ephemera.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
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Historical Note

The Jazz Society of Oregon was established in 1973 to advance public acceptance of jazz music as a viable force in contemporary culture. The society’s founders attempted to incorporate their group as the Oregon Jazz Society, but that name was unavailable, so they chose Portland Jazz Society. In 1976, the board officially changed the name to the Jazz Society of Oregon to extend the organization's reach beyond the Portland metropolitan area. The group has promoted jazz through its sponsorship of scholarships, concerts, picnics, and other activities. Membership has expanded to include thousands of individuals from Oregon and other states. A Board of Trustees oversees the nonprofit organization. The group functions largely through the work of volunteers.

In 1973, the Jazz Society began to produce a monthly publication known as the Jazz Society of Oregon Newsletter, and the name was changed to Jazzscene in 1976. Jazzscene contains listings of local performance dates and venues, album and concert reviews, musician interviews, and commentaries about developments in the field of jazz. The society has extended its promotion of jazz music and related activities through radio and local newspapers, and by maintaining a presence at public events.

The Jazz Society's first sponsored event was a benefit performance by local musicians in May 1973. During the mid- to- late 1970s, the society co-sponsored the Jazz in the Bank concert series at the Oregon Bank in Lake Oswego. The Jazz Society also participated in or contributed to community cultural events, including Artquake, Cathedral Park, Neighborfair, and Jazz at the Zoo. The group occasionally used grants to fund its sponsorship of jazz-related events, including a concert by Thara Memory’s Creative Jazz Orchestra at the Civic Auditorium in January 1981.

The Jazz Society sponsored its first annual jazz picnic in August 1975. The first Sunday after New Year’s Party was also held in 1975, and this event later evolved into First Jazz. In 1978, the organization sponsored its first Otter Crest Jazz Weekend at the Inn at Otter Crest on the Oregon Coast. Several big-name jazz musicians performed during this three-day event, and although the festival was not a financial success, it raised the profile of the Jazz Society of Oregon. Subsequent festivals were more profitable, and the Otter Crest Jazz Weekend became the society's best-known event.

Since 1976, the society has sponsored the Andre Garand Memorial Scholarship for musicians who plan to study jazz music. The group also sponsors workshops on jazz performance and appreciation. Other educational programs include lectures, listening, films, and video presentations that are open to the public, frequently free of charge.

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Content Description

Administrative records include articles of incorporation, by-laws, correspondence, financial records, mailing lists, meeting agendas, and Board of Trustees minutes. The records also contain information about activities and events sponsored by the Jazz Society of Oregon, including concerts and the Otter Crest Jazz Weekends. Public relations records consist of promotional materials for the Jazz Society of Oregon and other related organizations. The records also include two scrapbooks which contain photographs, newspaper articles, and ephemera.

Administrative records include a history of the Jazz Society by Linda Alexander (1980), information about the Salem Chapter of the Jazz Society of Oregon, and materials concerning the Andre Garand Memorial Scholarship. Records of activities and events include information about the First Jazz and Jazz in the Bank concert series and the Otter Crest Jazz Weekends. Public relations records include the "Here Come Da Prez" newsletter by Gary A. Thye and information about the Don Ellis Music Scholarship.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

Jazz Society of Oregon Records, Mss 2808, Oregon Historical Society Research Library

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into three series:

  • Series A: Administrative Records, 1973-1988
  • Series B: Activities and Events, 1973-1988
  • Series C: Public Relations, 1973-1984

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Jazz Society of Oregon, 1988. Accession number 19111.

Processing Note

Some pages from Scrapbook 1 have been photocopied for preservation purposes. The photographs and some pages from Scrapbook 2 have been photocopied for preservation purposes, and the photographs have been added to Organized Lot 560.

Separated Materials

Photographs have been separated into Organized Lot 560 at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Related Materials

Jazzscene, the newsletter of the Jazz Society of Oregon, is located in the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Serials Collection.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Andre Garand Memorial Scholarship
  • Jazz --Periodicals
  • Jazz --Oregon
  • Music --Societies, etc.

Personal Names

  • Brown, Mel
  • Clark, Homer
  • Corkum, Gordon C.
  • Ellis, Don
  • Memory, Thara
  • Newton, Odille A.
  • Thye, Gary A.

Corporate Names

  • Creative Jazz Orchestra (Portland, Or.)
  • First Jazz (Portland, Or.)
  • Inn at Otter Crest (Otter Rock, Or.)
  • Jazz Society of Oregon
  • KBOO (Radio station : Portland, Or.)
  • Otter Crest Jazz Weekend (Otter Rock, Or.)
  • Portland Jazz Society

Form or Genre Terms

  • Scrapbooks

Finding aid prepared by Andrew N. Bryans
2004

CC0

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