The eclectic vinyl collection at Eastcheap Records in the City of London immediately set the tone for a unique event. The venue was a fitting location for the world’s largest jazz archive, the Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS), whose Rutgers University (USA) Foundation was the host for “An Evening of Jazz in London.”
I was part of the team representing the UK’s National Jazz Archive, joining Rutgers alumni and supporters for this global fundraising event. IJS Executive Director Wayne Winbourne and Head Archivist Elizabeth Suries shared insights into jazz heritage, highlighting the notable artifacts they brought over for the event such as Ben Webster’s 1938 Selmer Balanced Acrion “Ol’ Betsy” tenor saxophone, Benny Carter’s 1993 Grammy Award, and John Coltrane’s handwritten contribution to Leonard Feather’s Encyclopedia Yearbook of Jazz (1956).
Their collections also include items from Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Lester Young, and Ella Fitzgerald’s still perfumed wigs, as well as a Count Basie suit with a “jazz cigarette” still in the pocket.
The evening underscored the shared challenges faced by jazz archives, including funding constraints, space limitations, and the ongoing need to promote jazz as both a musical genre and a cultural mindset. As Winbourne noted, the Institute relies heavily on philanthropy, grants, and community support, despite having a jazz club on site to help generate revenue. While the IJS has acquired significant collections, some opportunities have been missed, such as the chance to secure Wayne Shorter’s archive.
Like the IJS, the National Jazz Archive benefits from the support of a dedicated local library team and Essex as their local county and we’re excited to explore future transatlantic connections and collaborations with Wayne his dedicated team and the loyal Rutgers alumni.
We’re on the same page – if not quite in the same league just yet. But now that all these similarities have come to light, I’ll be exploring if perhaps we’re jazz-twins separated at birth?
Mark Kass is Executive Chair and CEO of the National Jazz Archive
