Blue Bird Inn Collection
The Blue Bird Inn was an institute for Detroit musicians and a hearth for the Black community. Detroit Sound Conservancy is telling the bar’s story.
Community Jazz History Series: Interviews
The Community Jazz History Series was a video oral history program completed by the Graystone Jazz Museum and preserved by Detroit Sound Conservancy.
Frederick Gale Ruffner, Jr. Collection
The music reference library of Frederick Gale Ruffner, Jr., founder of Michigan-based research company Gale Research, are now a part of our collections.
Graystone Jazz Museum: Collection
The Graystone International Jazz Museum & Hall of Fame was a community-based Black music archive that closed earlier this century that we salvaged in 2015.
McKinney’s Cotton Pickers: Graystone Ballroom Photograph
McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, a Black dance orchestra active from 1927 to 1934, served as the house band at Detroit’s Graystone Ballroom.
Randy Mavis: Cassette Collection
Radio broadcasts and live recordings from Detroit through the 1970s and 80s recorded off the air by Randy Mavis.
Roy Brooks: Detroit Jazz Alive Performance
Roy Brooks, drummer and composer, performs for Detroit Jazz Alive, an on-air program broadcast on public radio station WDET.
The Chessmate: Live6 Program Video
The Chessmate Cafe, at the corner of Livernois and 6, had a history of late night concerts, cutting-edge acts, and legendary troubadours.
Niko Marks: #RecordDET Interview
Niko Marks, Detroit electronic musician and composer, discusses his career and his upcoming performance for Detroit Sound Conservancy’s third conference.
James Jenkins: Graystone Museum Founder
James Jenkins (1916-1994), Founder of the Graystone International Jazz Museum, discusses his motivations for starting the museum in this interview.