John R. Tumpak Big Band Oral History Collection
name: label: Interviewee
content: Alexander, Van, 1915-
label: Interviewee
content: Alpert, Trigger, 1916-
label: Creator
content: Beneke, Tex
label: Interviewee
content: Bernardi, Ernani
label: Interviewee
content: Bernhart, Milt, 1926-2004
label: Interviewee
content: Camaratta, Tutti, 1913-2005
label: Interviewee
content: Cecil, Chuck, 1922-
label: Interviewee
content: Chiacco, Bob
label: Interviewee
content: Childers, Buddy, 1926-2007
label: Interviewee
content: Comstock, Frank
label: Interviewee
content: Costanzo, Jack, 1922-
label: Interviewee
content: Cron, Rosalind
label: Interviewee
content: Duncan, Cleveland
label: Interviewee
content: Hanna, Jake
label: Interviewee
content: Heidt, Horace, Jr.
label: Interviewee
content: Hillman, Roc, 1910-
label: Interviewee
content: Jeffries, Herb
label: Interviewee
content: Jerome, Henry
label: Interviewee
content: Kahn, Donald, 1918-2008
label: Creator
content: Kahn, Gus, 1886-1941
label: Interviewee
content: King, Dick
label: Interviewee
content: King, Donna
label: Interviewee
content: Kitchens, Mildred
label: Creator
content: Knowles, Legh
label: Interviewee
content: LaPorta, John
label: Creator
content: Leonard, Jack
label: Interviewee
content: Malone, Raymond J.
label: Interviewee
content: Mandel, Johnny
label: Interviewee
content: May, Billy
label: Interviewee
content: Miller, Bill
label: Interviewee
content: O'Neill, Dolores, 1917-
label: Creator
content: Purtill, Maurice
label: Interviewee
content: Rey, Alvino, 1908-2004
label: Interviewee
content: Robertson, Alastair
label: Interviewee
content: Simon, George Thomas
label: Interviewee
content: Shaw, Artie, 1910-2004
label: Interviewee
content: Sheils, Tom
label: Interviewee
content: Sesma, Chico
label: Interviewee
content: Sevano, Nick
label: Interviewee
content: Schwartz, Peggy
label: Interviewee
content: Spear, Sam
label: Interviewee
content: Stafford, Jo
label: Interviewee
content: Starr, Kay
label: Interviewee
content: Stevens, Garry
label: Interviewee
content: Stone, Butch
label: Interviewee
content: Tilton, Martha
label: Interviewee
content: Tracey, Sheila
label: Interviewee
content: Tucker, Orrin
label: Donor
content: Tumpak, John R., 1940-
label: Interviewee
content: Wain, Bea
label: Interviewee
content: Wilson, Gerald, 1918-
label: Interviewee
content: Whiting, Margaret
label: Interviewee
content: Zarchy, Zeke, 1915-2009
label: Interviewee
content: Pinches, Barbara Knowles
label: Names
content: Sinatra, Frank, 1915-1998
topic: label: Occupation
content: Band directors
label: Topic
content: Band music
label: Topic
content: Band musicians
label: Topic
content: Big band music
label: Topic
content: Big band music -- 1940-2000
label: Topic
content: Big bands -- United States -- 1930-1950.
label: Topic
content: Musical arrangers
label: Topic
content: Musicians
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated to the Archives Center by John Tumpak in 2010. Addendum received in November 2014.
creator: label: Interviewee
content: Alexander, Van, 1915-
label: Interviewee
content: Alpert, Trigger, 1916-
label: Creator
content: Beneke, Tex
label: Interviewee
content: Bernardi, Ernani
label: Interviewee
content: Bernhart, Milt, 1926-2004
label: Interviewee
content: Camaratta, Tutti, 1913-2005
label: Interviewee
content: Cecil, Chuck, 1922-
label: Interviewee
content: Chiacco, Bob
label: Interviewee
content: Childers, Buddy, 1926-2007
label: Interviewee
content: Comstock, Frank
label: Interviewee
content: Costanzo, Jack, 1922-
label: Interviewee
content: Cron, Rosalind
label: Interviewee
content: Duncan, Cleveland
label: Interviewee
content: Hanna, Jake
label: Interviewee
content: Heidt, Horace, Jr.
label: Interviewee
content: Hillman, Roc, 1910-
label: Interviewee
content: Jeffries, Herb
label: Interviewee
content: Jerome, Henry
label: Interviewee
content: Kahn, Donald, 1918-2008
label: Creator
content: Kahn, Gus, 1886-1941
label: Interviewee
content: King, Dick
label: Interviewee
content: King, Donna
label: Interviewee
content: Kitchens, Mildred
label: Creator
content: Knowles, Legh
label: Interviewee
content: LaPorta, John
label: Creator
content: Leonard, Jack
label: Interviewee
content: Malone, Raymond J.
label: Interviewee
content: Mandel, Johnny
label: Interviewee
content: May, Billy
label: Interviewee
content: Miller, Bill
label: Interviewee
content: O'Neill, Dolores, 1917-
label: Creator
content: Purtill, Maurice
label: Interviewee
content: Rey, Alvino, 1908-2004
label: Interviewee
content: Robertson, Alastair
label: Interviewee
content: Simon, George Thomas
label: Interviewee
content: Shaw, Artie, 1910-2004
label: Interviewee
content: Sheils, Tom
label: Interviewee
content: Sesma, Chico
label: Interviewee
content: Sevano, Nick
label: Interviewee
content: Schwartz, Peggy
label: Interviewee
content: Spear, Sam
label: Interviewee
content: Stafford, Jo
label: Interviewee
content: Starr, Kay
label: Interviewee
content: Stevens, Garry
label: Interviewee
content: Stone, Butch
label: Interviewee
content: Tilton, Martha
label: Interviewee
content: Tracey, Sheila
label: Interviewee
content: Tucker, Orrin
label: Donor
content: Tumpak, John R., 1940-
label: Interviewee
content: Wain, Bea
label: Interviewee
content: Wilson, Gerald, 1918-
label: Interviewee
content: Whiting, Margaret
label: Interviewee
content: Zarchy, Zeke, 1915-2009
setName: label: See more items in
content: John R. Tumpak Big Band Oral History Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection consists primarily of oral history interviews on audio cassette tapes conducted by Tumpak with Big Band
arrangers, bandleaders, musicians, and vocalists. There are also articles he wrote based on these interviews.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: John R. Tumpak, American jazz journalist, has an extensive knowledge and personal relationship with arrangers, bandleaders, musicians, and vocalists of the Big Band Era.  His writings have appeared in American and international publications on the subject.  In 2009, his book When Swing Was the Thing: Personality Profiles of the Big Band Era, provided great insight into the Big Band Era.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2 Cubic feet (5 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1995-2014, undated
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1215
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Advertising fliers
label: Type
content: Articles
label: Type
content: Audio cassettes
label: Type
content: Fliers (printed matter)
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Oral history
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Collection arranged in three series:

Series 1: Oral History Interviews, 1995-2013

Series 2: Writings, 1995-2014, undated

Series 3: Other Materials, 2005-2012, undated
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Vanessa Broussard Simmons, archivist, October 2024. Finding aid encoded by Meredith Clowse, intern, 2024.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Advertising fliers
label: Genre/Form
content: Articles
label: Genre/Form
content: Audio cassettes -- 1990-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Audio cassettes -- 2000-2010
label: Genre/Form
content: Fliers (printed matter)
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews -- 1980-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Oral history -- 1990-2000
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Collection consists primarily of oral history interviews on audio cassette tapes conducted by Tumpak with Big Band arrangers, bandleaders, musicians, and vocalists.  There are also articles he wrote based on these interviews.  In addition, there are some fliers documenting programs primarily remembering the lives and accomplishments of various musicians. The collection is arranged in three series:  series one, oral history interviews; series two, writings; and series three, other materials.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Archives Cernter, National Museum of American History


Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Series 11, Entertainment, NMAH.AC.0300


Duke Ellington Collection, NMAH.AC.0301


Benny Goodman Ephemera Collection, NMAH.AC.0381


Felix Grant Collection, NMAH.AC.0410


Ernie Smith Jazz Film Collection, NMAH.AC.0491


Ella Fitzgerald Papers, NMAH.AC.0584


Jeffrey Kliman Photographs, NMAH.AC.0628


Ray McKinley Music and Ephemera, NMAH.AC.0635


Jack Siefert Woody Herman Collection, NMAH.AC.0659


International Battle of the Bands Records, NMAH.AC.0677


Henry S. Bukowski Big Band Collection, NMAH.AC.0678


Benny Carter Collection, NMAH.AC.0757


Fletcher and Horace Henderson Music and Photographs, NMAH.AC.0797


Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program Collection, NMAh.AC.0808


Milt Gabler Papers, NMAH.AC.0849


Red Norvo Papers, NMAH.AC.0858


Leonard and Mary Gaskin Papers, NMAH.AC.0900


Donald J. Stubblebine Collection of Musical Theater and Motion Picture Music and Ephemera, NMAH.AC.1211


International Sweethearts of Rhythm Collection, NMAH.AC.1218


Leslie Schillinger Collection of Gene Krupa Materials, NMAH.AC.1220


John and Devra Hall Levy Collection, NMAH.AC.1221


Duncan Schiedt Jazz Collection, NMAH.AC.1323


Jazz and Big Band Collection, NMAH.AC.1388

Smithsonian Institution Archives

Smithsonian Press/Smithsonian Productions, Accession 04-091


Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 591, SIA.FARU0591

Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections


Cook Labs Records, CFCH.COOK


Smithsonian Folklife Festival Records: 1971 Festival of American Folklife, CFCH.SFF.1971


Smithsonian Folklife Festival Records: 1975 Festival of American Folklife, CFCH.SFF.1975


Smithsonian Folklife Festival Records: 1976 Festival of American Folklife, CFCH.SFF.1976


Smithsonian Folklife Festival Records: 1979 Festival of American Folklife, CFCH.SFF.1979


Smithsonian Folklife Festival Records: 1996 Festival of American Folklife, CFCH.SFF.1996


Frederic Ramsey Audio Recordings, CFCH.RAMS


Ralph Rinzler Papers and Audio Recordings, CFCH.RINZ


Smithsonian Folklife Festival Records: 1997 Festival of American Folklife, CFCH.SFF.1997


Arhoolie Records, CFCH.ARHO


Moses and Frances Asch Collection, CFCH.ASCH

Other Repositories

B-5-4 John R. Tumpak Collection, Department of Special Collections and University Archives, John P. Raynor, S. J., Library, Room R360, Marquette University