OHY_Mss2808 Guide to the Jazz Society of Oregon Records 1973-1988 Jazz Society of Oregon Records Finding aid prepared by Andrew N. Bryans 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. Oregon Historical Society, Research Library © 2004 Finding aid encoded by Andrew N. Bryans 2004 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS 2nd edition ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). 2015 Revised to reflect updates to best practices. Oregon Historical Society, Davies Family Research Library Mss 2808 Jazz Society of Oregon Jazz Society of Oregon Records 1973-1988 3 linear ft. 4 document cases; 1 box Oversize A—11x14 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. Records are in English 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.

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.

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

The collection is open to the public.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Brown, Mel Clark, Homer Corkum, Gordon C. Ellis, Don Memory, Thara Newton, Odille A. Thye, Gary A. 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 Andre Garand Memorial Scholarship Jazz --Oregon Jazz --Periodicals Music --Societies, etc. Scrapbooks Oregon Portland Scrapbooks Performing Arts

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

Series A Administrative Records 1973-1988 2.5 linear ft. 3 document cases; 1 box Oversize A—11x14

The administrative records include articles of incorporation, by-laws and amendments, correspondence, financial records and reports, mailing lists, meeting agendas, Board of Trustees minutes, committee minutes, and scholarship information.

 1/1 Articles 1978 1981 undated 1/2 Articles of incorporation, revised articles of incorporation, and Oregon annual reports 1973-1974 1976-1978 1981-1984 1/3 Biographies—Board of Trustees candidates ca. 1984 1/4 Business cards undated 1/5 By-laws and amendments 1973 1976 1979 1981 1983-1984 1/6 By-laws—KBOO Community Radio, 90.7 FM undated 1/7 Committee list 1983-1984 1/8 Contracts— Jazzscene newsletter and events 1979 1981 1983 1/9 Contracts—musicians 1974 1977-1979 1/10 Corporate documents 1979-1982 1/11 Corporate objectives 1984 1/12 Correspondence 1973 1/13 Correspondence 1974 1/14 Correspondence 1976 1/15 Correspondence 1977 1/16 Correspondence 1978 1/17 Correspondence 1979 1/18 Correspondence 1980 1/19 Correspondence 1981 1/20 Correspondence 1982 1/21 Correspondence 1983 1/22 Correspondence 1984 1/23 Correspondence 1987 1/24 Correspondence 1988 1/25 Election ballots 1981-1982 1/26 Financial records 1974-1976 1978 1/27 Financial records 1979 2/1 Financial records 1980 2/2 Financial records 1981 2/3 Financial records 1982 2/4 Financial records 1983 2/5 Financial records 1984-1985 2/6 Financial records 1988 2/7 Financial reports—Otter Crest ’80 Jazz Weekend 1979-1980 2/8 Grants 1978 1980-1981 1983 2/9 Guidelines—Nominating Committee 1983-1984 2/10 History 1980 2/11 Legal documents—bankruptcy 1980-1982 2/12 Mailing list—musicians 1988 2/13 Meeting agendas—Board of Trustees 1976-1979 2/14 Meeting agendas—Board of Trustees 1980-1981 1984-1985 1988 2/15 Members—Board of Trustees and committees 1978-1985 2/16 Membership analysis 1980-1985 2/17 Membership roster and dues list 1973-1975 2/18 Minutes—Board of Trustees 1973 2/19 Minutes—Board of Trustees 1974 2/20 Minutes—Board of Trustees 1975 2/21 Minutes—Board of Trustees 1976 3/1 Minutes—Board of Trustees 1977 3/2 Minutes—Board of Trustees 1978 3/3 Minutes—Board of Trustees 1979 3/4 Minutes—Board of Trustees 1980 3/5 Minutes—Board of Trustees 1981 3/6 Minutes—Board of Trustees 1982 3/7 Minutes—Board of Trustees 1983 3/8 Minutes—Board of Trustees 1984 3/9 Minutes—Board of Trustees 1985 3/10 Minutes—Chapter Formation Committee 1981 3/11 Minutes—Development Committee 1982-1983 3/12 Minutes—membership—annual meetings 1975-1984 undated 3/13 Minutes—membership—general meetings 1973-1974 3/14 Minutes—membership—organizational meeting 1973 3/15 Minutes—Newsletter Committee 1980-1981 3/16 Minutes—Otter Crest Jazz Weekend Advertising Committee 1979-1980 3/17 Notes and memos 1980-1981 undated 3/18 Salem Chapter—Jazz Society of Oregon undated 3/19 Scholarship programs—Andre Garand Memorial Scholarship 1981-1984

Contains photographs of Timothy Charles Myers and Roxane Jackson, scholarship applicants.

 5/1 Mailing lists 1975 5/2 Mailing list 1976 5/3 Mailing list 1977 5/4 Mailing lists 1977-1978 5/5 Mailing lists 1978 5/6 Mailing list 1978 5/7 Mailing list 1979 5/8 Mailing list 1980 5/9 Mailing list 1987 Series B Activities and Events 1973-1988 0.50 linear ft. (1 document case)

Records of activities and events include information about annual picnics, concerts, the First Jazz and Jazz in the Bank concert series, a logo design contest, Otter Crest Jazz Weekends, parties, and seminars.

 4/1 Annual picnics 1979-1980 1983-1984 4/2 Concerts 1973 1976 1983-1984 1986 1988 undated 4/3 Concerts—Creative Jazz Orchestra 1980-1981 4/4 Concert series—First Jazz 1983-1984 1986-1988 4/5 Concert series—Jazz in the Bank 1975 1977 undated 4/6 Contest—logo design 1981-1982 4/7 Otter Crest Jazz Weekends 1978-1981 1983 undated 4/8 Parties 1987 undated 4/9 Seminars 1984 1987 undated Series C Public Relations 1973-1984 0.50 linear ft. (1 document case)

Public relations records include promotional material for memberships, information concerning the Jazzscene newsletter, publicity by various arts organizations, publicity about concerts and festivals, and promotional material for musicians.

 4/10 Calendar 1982 4/11 Membership—promotion undated 4/12 Newsletters—“Here Come Da Prez” 1980-1981 4/13 Newsletters— Jazzscene 1980-1982 undated 4/14 Newsletters— Jazzscene—advertising 1978 1980-1982 4/15 Newsletters—jazz societies (other) 1979-1981 4/16 News releases 1974 1983 undated 4/17 Publicity—arts organizations 1981 undated 4/18 Publicity—concerts and festivals 1978 1980-1982 1984 undated 4/19 Publicity—Don Ellis Music Scholarship ca. 1981

Contains a black-and-white photograph of the Don Ellis orchestra, ca. 1972.

 4/20 Publicity—membership 1973 1980 undated 4/21 Publicity—musicians 1974 undated 4/22 Scrapbook 1 1974 1976-1978 undated

Contains a statement (1974) by Governor Tom McCall designating "Oregon Jazz Day," newspaper articles, issues of the Jazzscene newsletter, and ephemera. Some scrapbook pages have been photocopied for preservation purposes.

 4/23 Scrapbook 2 1977-1979 undated

Contains a photograph of two unidentified men, publicity information about the Otter Crest '79 Jazz Weekend, and photographs from the Otter Crest '78 Jazz Weekend. Organized Lot 560 also contains photographs from the Otter Crest '78 Jazz Weekend. The photographs and some scrapbook pages have been photocopied for preservation purposes, and the photographs have been added to Organized Lot 560.