The Fillius Jazz Archive

Established in 1995, and dedicated in 2013 in honor of Milt Fillius, Jr. ’44 and Nikki Fillius, the Fillius Jazz Archive holds a collection of 330+ videotaped interviews with jazz musicians, arrangers, writers and critics. The collection generally focuses on artists associated with mainstream jazz and the swing era. Members of bands led by Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton and the Dorsey brothers are well represented. Significant soloists and arrangers from small ensembles dating from the 1930s have also been interviewed.

The holdings are particularly viable for material pertaining to the learning process employed by musicians prior to the establishment of jazz education programs, and the realities of making a career in the jazz world. Other topics addressed include stories of life on the road and in the active New York City recording scene as well as racial relations between musicians and with their audience. Historical periods in American history, including WWII, the Depression and Civil Rights Era are addressed by numerous interviewees. Vocalist Joe Williams was instrumental in establishing the Jazz Archive and interviews with Oscar Peterson, George Shearing, Clark Terry and Milt Hinton were conducted by Mr. Williams.

The interview collection has been fully transcribed and may be reviewed at the Fillius Jazz Archive, Hamilton College, in print, audio and DVD. Interview transcripts can be accessed at http://elib.hamilton.edu/jazz-archive. Support material includes LPs, CDs, photographs, commercial jazz videos, books and memorabilia as well as a concert documentary filmed in 1996 at Hamilton College with Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra. Lists of interviewees and contact information may be found at www.hamilton.edu/jazzarchive.

The gathering of interviews is an ongoing process.

Learn more about the Jazz Archive and Hamilton's Fallcoming jazz events.