Joel Dorn Papers
name: label: Creator
content: Dorn, Joel, 1942-2007
label: Names
content: Atlantic Recording Corporation
topic: label: Topic
content: Music -- Publishing
label: Topic
content: Music -- 20th century
label: Topic
content: Jazz musicians -- United States
label: Topic
content: Jazz musicians
label: Topic
content: African American musicians
label: Topic
content: Musicians
label: Topic
content: Musicians -- Salaries, etc
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Mr. Joel Dorn, Gift, 9/8/1995.
creator: label: Creator
content: Dorn, Joel, 1942-2007
setName: label: See more items in
content: Joel Dorn Papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: Recording session logs, correspondence, newsclippings, photographs, and accounting sheets and ledger documenting Dorn's career as a producer for Atlantic Records.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Joel Dorn began his career in 1961 as a disc jockey for WHAT FM, a Philadelphia jazz station.  His tenure at WHAT FM lasted until 1967 when he  joined Atlantic Records as an assistant for Nesuhi Ertegun, one of the founders of Atlantic.  Dorn remained at Atlantic until 1974, eventually rising to the position of Vice President  His accomplishments at Atlantic included the discovery and signing of Roberta Flack and Bette Midler, and the production of their early recordings.  Dorn produced many other records for Atlantic, including recordings from notable artists such as Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Max Roach, Herbie Mann, Yusef Lateef, and David (Fathead) Newman. 

Joel Dorn won four Grammy's while at Atlantic: two Records Of The Year for "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Killing Me Softly" by Roberta Flack, Jazz Record Of The Year for AKeith Jarrett and Gary Burton", and Best Original Cast Album for "The Me Nobody Knows."  Dorn left Atlantic Records in 1974 and continued to produce recordings through his two production companies, The Masked Announcer and Please And Thank You Music.  Over the next eight years Dorn produced recordings for Leon Redbone, Peter Allen, and the group Asleep At The Wheel.  During this period Dorn was awarded Best Country and Western Instrumental for, "One O'clock Jump" by Asleep At The Wheel and two Gold albums for his Leon Redbone recordings.

In 1982 Dorn took a two-year sabbatical from the recording industry.  After this sabbatical he briefly promoted music for the World Wrestling Federation.  In 1986 Dorn began work on a compilation of unreleased live recordings from various American musicians.  In 1989 he established Night Records, a label dedicated to live jazz, and released albums by Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Les McCann, and Eddie Harris.  Dorn is currently a full time consultant for Rhino Records, and has been working on re-releasing the classic Atlantic Records jazz catalog.  Dorn's other recent projects include: a seven CD history of John Coltrane's Atlantic years and a series devoted to Coltrane's live European performances, a series of five CD's and five videos from the Montreux Jazz Festival archives, a three CD history of classic performances at the Newport Jazz Festival, a four CD history of Ella Fitzgerald's Decca years, a new album by Charles Lloyd ,an album by Cuban guitarist Rene Toledo, and releases of rare performances by Horace Silver with Joe Henderson, and Mose Allison.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 8 Cubic feet (17 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1966-1987
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0536
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Clippings
label: Type
content: Account books
label: Type
content: Black-and-white photographic prints
label: Type
content: Correspondence
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into one series.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Noah Wester and Scott Schwartz   

November 6, 1996

Revised January 18, 2001
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings
label: Genre/Form
content: Account books -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Black-and-white photographic prints -- Silver gelatin -- 1950-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 1930-1950
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Dorn Papers consist of correspondence, publicity files, and session reports.  The correspondence includes letters, memoranda, contracts, lyrics, and demo records/tapes documenting the personal and business interactions between Dorn and the artists.  The publicity files include press packets, black and white photos, and newspaper and magazine articles.  The session reports include receipts for studio and equipment rental.  Also included in the collection are the financial records, accounting ledgers, royalty statements, and bills from Dorn's two production companies, The Masked Announcer and Please and Thank You Music.  The papers are arranged alphabetically by either the performers last name or the name of the music group.  Oversized materials have been placed at the end of the collection but are listed alphabetically.

The papers document Joel Dorn's career as a producer between 1966 and 1982.  During this period his work with several important artists stands out: Roberta Flack, Eddie Harris, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Yusef Lateef, Les McCann, Bette Midler, Charlie Mingus, David "Fathead" Newman, Leon Redbone, and Max Roach.  

Of special interest are Dorn's production files for the soundtrack to the film "Boardwalk" and for the play "The Me Nobody Knows".  The Best of Series Notes contains song lists and memos regarding several "Best of..." albums, including Rahsaan Roland Kirk, David Newman, and Yusef Lateef.  In addition there is the Commodore Series containing information on various compilations of classic artists on the Commodore label, and a catalog of Rahsaan Roland Kirk recordings that survived the Longbranch fire of 1979.