John Gensel Collection of Duke Ellington Materials
name: label: Creator
content: Gensel, John
label: Creator
content: Morgen, Joe
label: Creator
content: Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974
label: Names
content: Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1993 by  John Gensel.   The collection was turned over to the Archives Center in October 2000, with the Deed of Gift being signed in January 2001 by Gensel's widow.   It is unknown clear how the materials came into the possession of Father Gensel from Joe Morgen.
creator: label: Creator
content: Gensel, John
label: Creator
content: Morgen, Joe
label: Creator
content: Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974
setName: label: See more items in
content: John Gensel Collection of Duke Ellington Materials
abstract: label: Summary
content: Papers relating to Duke Ellington, once owned by Ellington's publicist Joe Morgen: Morgen's correspondence, much of it relating to appearances by Ellington; photographs; some financial records; some music manuscripts of Ellington's; concert and theater programs; a film of Ellington at the White House in 1969 when he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Nixon; and press releases and newspaper and magazine articles.
bioghist: label: Biographical/Historical note
content: Rev. John Garcia Gensel, a Lutheran minister at St. Peter's church in New York City, 1956-1993, was a close confidant and spiritual presence within the New York jazz community.  Conducting evening jazz vespers from 1965 until 1993, Gensel was able to develop close ties with New York's jazz musicians and their families.  He believed that jazz was the best music for worship because it spoke to the existential nature of the person playing it.  Along with conducting his jazz vespers, Gensel also officiated at weddings, baptisms, and funerals for much of the jazz community, including those of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie.  Duke Ellington, a close friend and confidant, dedicated part of his Second Sacred Concert, The Shepard (Who Watches Over the Night Flock) to Gensel.   

Joe Morgen, described as a fast talking Broadway-beat publicist, was hired by Ellington in 1957 to manage his public relations.  Although he was disliked by Billy Strayhorn and perceived by others as graceless and aggressive, Ellington nonetheless overlooked Morgen's weaknesses.  In his memoir Music Is My Mistress Ellington wrote, "I think he does a great job. He is an extraordinary individual, and I always say he is a man who doesn't have the tiniest facet of the devious in his makeup".   Regardless of his reputation, Morgen proved highly adept at regaining media attention for Duke Ellington's music through features published in publications such as Look, the New York Times, and Newsweek.  Phoebe Jacobs, head of promotion for the Basin Street Nightclub, said, "Joe Morgen made all of that happen.  He sold everybody on Ellington."   Morgen remained loyal to Ellington long after his death by working with his foundation to produce a benefit show and tribute to Duke to help raise money for the Ellington Cancer Foundation.  

Sources

Fuller Up: The Dead Musicians Directory.  Rev. John Gensel, 80, Pastor of Jazz Community'
  
www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/7219/revjohngensel.html.

Ellington, Edward Kennedy Duke. Music is My Mistress. New York: Double Day, 1978. 435.
  
Hajdu, David.  Lush Life, A Biography of Billy Strayhorn. New York: Farrar, Strauss,& Giroux, 1996. 166-169.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1.5 Cubic feet (5 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1950-1979
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0763
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Clippings
label: Type
content: Black-and-white photographic prints
label: Type
content: Theater programs
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Music
label: Type
content: Programs
label: Type
content: Press releases
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is organized into eleven series: 

Series 1: Joe Morgen Correspondence and Personal Papers

Series 2: Photographs, Slides, and Negatives

Series 3: Judy Garland Show Sheet Music

Series 4: Ellington Materials

Series 5: Sound Recordings

Series 6: Biographical and Press Related Materials

Series 7: Programs, Invitations, and Flyers

Series 8: Publications

Series 9: Magazine and Newspaper Clippings 

Series 10: Film Reel, Duke Ellington at the White House

Series 11: Miscellaneous
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Will Crafton, undated.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings
label: Genre/Form
content: Black-and-white photographic prints -- Silver gelatin -- 1950-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Theater programs -- 1950-1990
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 1950-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Music -- Manuscripts
label: Genre/Form
content: Programs -- Concerts
label: Genre/Form
content: Programs
label: Genre/Form
content: Press releases
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents note
content: The collection consists of material compiled by Joe Morgen as an employee of Duke Ellington from 1957 to 1979.  This includes correspondence, some of Morgen=s personal financial records, photographs, magazine articles, and newspaper clippings about Ellington.  In addition there are public relations and biographical sketches about Ellington,  a 35mm film of Ellington at the White House when he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Nixon, and an acetate reference recording of AAfro-Bossa.@  There are also materials not related to Ellington that include miscellaneous sheet music from the AJudy Garland Show,@ documents for the 1960s program AYouth Wants to Know,@ some 45 rpm commercial and test sound recordings of Mary Lou Williams performing some of her music, broadsides of various jazz musicians printed on black cloth, and other unidentified documents.