Abstract: The James and Randall Lester Big Band Sheet Music collection contains hundreds of pieces of sheet music for big band, swing, and jazz standards. The sheet music itself was a gift to donor Randy Lester’s brother James, an accomplished saxophonist, from his father. The provenance before this is murky, with rumors of an association with big band leaders Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Some of the sheet music is stamped “WJR,” the local Detroit radio station, and was potentially used for live broadcasts of big band music. The sheet music is organized alphabetically by title, and contains separate charts for each instrument in the arrangement. Some of the sheet music is commercially released copies with hand-written notes, others are completely hand-notated charts. All illuminate the level of musicianship present in big band arrangements.
Donor(s): Randy Lester
Dates: ca. 1920s-1950s
Extent: 4 LF
Collection Type: Physical
Subjects: Jazz, Big Band, Radio, Dorsey Brothers
Related Collections and Artifacts:
- Graystone International Jazz Museum Collection
- Jim Ruffner Live Jazz Audio Collection