Jazz Archive

Leeds College of Music’s Jazz Archive, opened by Digby Fairweather in 1990, holds a wide range of recordings, printed music and memorabilia. In addition there are valuable collections of biographical files and original manuscripts.

Some items, such as journals and books, are incorporated into the library collection. The LPs are kept in the listening room. The rest of the collection is kept in a separate stack, and may only be accessed by appointment with a member of library staff.

All materials in Special Collections are for reference purposes only, but may be taken into the library where listening facilities and study spaces are available to allow you to make full use of the resources.

Collections

• Recordings and ephemera relating to Ted Heath and the musicians he worked with.
  
• Newspaper cuttings collected by former Melody Maker journalist Chris Hayes.
  
• Diaries, manuscripts and other papers of drummer Max Abrams.
  
• Manuscripts of the late bandleader Ronnie Aldrich.
  
• Approximately 5,000 hours of recordings of Duke Ellington (some of which have never been made available commercially).
  
• Music and manuscripts collected by the drummer Joe Daniels.
  
• A number of jazz enthusiasts’ lifelong collections of vinyl and CD recordings, which have been donated to the Archive