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Collection Number: 20510

Collection Title: Michael Jarrett Collection for the Study of Record Production, circa 1990-2010

This collection has access restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.


Archival processing of the Michael Jarrett Collection for the Study of Record Production was made possible through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

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Size 525 items
Abstract Michael Jarrett is professor of English at Penn State University, York. He is the author of Drifting on a Read: Jazz as a Model for Writing, Sound Tracks: A Musical ABC, and Producing Country: The Inside Story of the Great Recordings. The Michael Jarrett Collection for the Study of Record Production Collection consists of interviews conducted by Jarrett with noted country music and jazz record producers. Notable interviewees include Dave Alvin, Pete Anderson, Chet Atkins, George Avakian, Carla Bley, Cowboy Jack Clement, Ornette Coleman, Lawrence Cohn, Michael Cuscuna, Milt Gabler, Tompall Glaser, Charlie Haden, Nat Hentoff, Bob Irwin, Orrin Keepnews, Jerry Kennedy, Buddy Killen, Teo Macero, Buddy Miller, Gurf Morlix, Ken Nelson, Jim Ed Norman, Creed Taylor, Bob Thiele, Jerry Wexler, and Joe Zawinul, among others. The interviews were originally recorded on audiocassette and later digitized to mp3 by Jarrett. The collection contains both the original audiocassettes and digitized interviews. The collection also contains digital graphic materials and correspondence compiled by Jarrett for his book, Producing Country: The Inside Story of the Great Recordings.
Creator Jarrett, Michael, 1953-
Curatorial Unit University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Folklife Collection.
Language English
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Information For Users

Restrictions to Access
Use of audio materials may require production of listening or viewing copies.
Restrictions to Use
No usage restrictions.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Michael Jarrett Collection for the Study of Record Production #20510, Southern Folklife Collection, Wilson Special Collections Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Acquisitions Information
Received from Michael Jarrett in July 2015 (Acc. 102281).
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Processing Information

Encoded by: Amanda Loeb, July 2015; Anne Wells, April 2017

Processed by: Anne Wells, April 2017

Archival processing of the Michael Jarrett Collection for the Study of Record Production was made possible through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subject Headings

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Biographical Information

Dr. Michael Jarrett (1953- ) is professor of English at Penn State University, York. He is the author of Drifting on a Read: Jazz as a Model for Writing, Sound Tracks: A Musical ABC, and Producing Country: The Inside Story of the Great Recordings.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Scope and Content

The Michael Jarrett Collection for the Study of Record Production Collection consists of interviews conducted by Michael Jarrett with noted country music and jazz record producers. Notable interviewees include Dave Alvin, Pete Anderson, Chet Atkins, George Avakian, Carla Bley, Cowboy Jack Clement, Ornette Coleman, Lawrence Cohn, Michael Cuscuna, Milt Gabler, Tompall Glaser, Charlie Haden, Nat Hentoff, Bob Irwin, Orrin Keepnews, Jerry Kennedy, Buddy Killen, Teo Macero, Buddy Miller, Gurf Morlix, Ken Nelson, Jim Ed Norman, Creed Taylor, Bob Thiele, Jerry Wexler, and Joe Zawinul, among others. The interviews were originally recorded on audiocassette and later digitized to mp3 by Jarrett. The collection contains both the original audiocassettes and digitized interviews. The collection also contains digital graphic materials and correspondence compiled by Jarrett for his book, Producing Country: The Inside Story of the Great Recordings.

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Contents list

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series Quick Links

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 1. Interviews and Transcripts, 1999-2015.

Approximately 300 items.

Arrangement: By type and alphabetical by interviewee. Please note that audiocassettes may contain more than one interviewee.

Processing Information: Audiocassette titles and descriptions compiled from original containers and transcripts found in DF-20510/1. Distinct interviews are separated by semi-colon. Please note that the digitized interviews found in DF-20510/1 have yet to be arranged, described, or associated with corresponding audiocassette.

Interviews that Michael Jarrett conducted with noted country music and jazz record producers for various publications, including Producing Country: The Inside Story of the Great Recordings, on audiocassette and mp3. Created by Jarrett, the mp3 files found in digital folder 1 (DF-20510/1) consist of digitized versions of audiocassettes found in the collection, as well as a handful of digitized interviews with no corresponding audiocassette. Digital folder 2 (DF-20510/2) includes 107 corresponding digital transcripts created by Jarrett.

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/1

Dave Alvin, March 1999; Jack Clement, March 1999; Jerry Kennedy part 1, March 1999

Audiocassette

Jerry Kennedy continues on FS-20510/37

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/2

Chet Atkins, 2 March 1999; Ken Nelson, 15 March 1999

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/3

George Avakian parts 1 and 2

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/4

George Avakian parts 3 and 4

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/5

George Avakian on Louis Armstrong

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/6

George Avakian 2nd Time

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/8

Bob Belden, 31 July 1998

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/7

Bob Belden, 5 July 2001

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/9

Steve Berkowitz part 2, March 1999; Blake Chancey, March 1999; Lawrence Cohn, March 1999

Audiocassette

Berkowitz interview begins on FS-20510/37

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/10

Carla Bley parts 1 and 2

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/11

Carla Bley parts 3 and 4

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/12

Stephen Bruton, 22 February 1999; Buddy Miller, 22 February 1999; Jeremy Tepper part 1, 23 February 1999

Audiocassette

Tepper interview continues on FS-20510/55

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/13

Larry Cohn; Don Pierce, March 1999; Blake Mevis, March 1999; Don Cook, fall 1995

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/14

Ornette Coleman

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/15

Michael Cuscuna; Willie Mitchell

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/16

Michael Cuscuna; John Szwed, 5 July 2011

Audiocassette

Note on original container: "Szwed wrote a book on Miles Davis. Project was on MD's In a Silent Way"

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/17

Joel Dorn; Sue Mingus; Alfred Wertheimer; Krin Gabbard

Audiocassette

Note on original container: "Krin Gabbard (prof) working on a Mingus project. Alfred Wertheimer - early Elvis [Presley] photographer"

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/18

Joel Dorn parts 2 and 3; Marshall Crenshaw

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/19

Joel Dorn; Teo Macero

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/20

Tom Dowd, summer 1995

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/21

Esmond Edwards, fall 1995

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/22

Manfred Eicher; Teo Macero; Hal Willner; Orrin Keepnews

Audiocassette

Note on original container: "Manfred Eicher - not for publication"

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/23

Leo Feigin, spring 1987

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/24

Tompall Glaser part 2; James Austin, March 1999; Sid Feller, March 1999; Pete Anderson, March 1999

Audiocassette

Tompall Glaser interview begins on FS-20510/44

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/25

Bob Ferguson, March 1999; James Stroud, 30 March 1999

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/26

Milt Gabler part 1, fall 1995

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/27

Milt Gabler part 2, summer 1998

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/28

Charlie Haden, 27 January 1997

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/29

Kip Hanrahan parts 1 and 2, December 1994

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/30

Kip Hanrahan parts 3 and 4, December 1994

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/31

Scott Hendricks, March 1999; Shelby Singleton, March 1999

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/32

Nat Hentoff; Brian Bacchus, fall 1995

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/33

Watusi Guys [Kal Mann and Steve Caldwell]; Nat Hentoff

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/34

Dave Holland, 12 August 2001; George Avakian; George Moore [Dave Brubek's manager], 12 August 2001

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/35

Wayne Horvitz, fall 1995

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/36

Orrin Keepnews; Michael Cuscuna

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/37

Jerry Kennedy part 2, March 1999; Tony Brown, March 1999; Paul Worley, March 1999; Steve Berkowitz part 1, March 1999

Audiocassette

Kennedy Interview beings on FS-20510/1; Steve Berkowitz interview continues on FS-20510/9

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/38

Buddy Killen, 17 March 1999; Allen Reynolds

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/39

Bob Koester, 18 May 1998; Manuel Cuevas

Audiocassette

Note on original container: "Cuevas for an article on clothes"

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/40

Steve Lake, fall 1995

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/41

Bill Laswell part 1, fall 1995

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/42

Bill Laswell part 2, fall 1995; Helen Keane, summer 1995

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/43

Teo Macero

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/44

William E. McEuen part 2; Eric "Roscoe" Ambel, March 1999; Gurf Morlix, 24 February 1999; Tompall Glaser part 1

Audiocassette

McEuen interview begins on FS-20510/55; Glaser interview continues on FS-20510/24

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/45

Ed Michel, fall 1995

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/46

Walter Murch

Audiocassette

Note on original container: "Walter Murch (film)"

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/47

Ken Nelson part 1, 17 February 1999

Audiocassette

Nelson interview continues on FS-20510/48

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/48

Ken Nelson part 2, 17 February 1999; Bob Irwin, 19 February 1999; Jerry Wexler, March 1999; Jeff Calder

Audiocassette

Nelson interview begins on FS-20510/47

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/49

Jim Ed Norman, 16 March 1999

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/50

Don Schlitten, fall 1995; Hal Willner

Audiocassette

Note on original container: "Hal Willner on Altman's KC" - referring to Robert Altman's film Kansas City

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/51

John Snyder

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/52

Craig Street, 24 September 1998

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/53

Creed Taylor, summer 1994

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/54

Creed Taylor; Artists on Packaging

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/55

Jeremy Tepper part 2, 23 February 1999; Thom Bresh, 23 February 1999; William E. McEuen part 1

Audiocassette

Tepper interview begins on FS-20510/12; McEuen interview continues on FS-20510/44

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/56

Bob Thiele, winter 1995; Herb Jordan, fall 1998

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/57

Michael Timmins; Margo Timmins

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/58

Lee Townsend, fall 1995

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/59

Bob Weinstock, fall 1995

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/60

James Blood Ulmer

Audiocassette

Note on original container: "Interviewed for liner notes" - Likely for liner notes to Harmolodic Guitar with Strings CD (DIW, 1993)

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/61

James Blood Ulmer

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/62

Joe Zawinul, 12 August 2001

Audiocassette

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/63

Sony Legacy Engineers and Producers

Audiocassette

Note on original container: "Much of this interview of Sony's offices in New York is lost"

SFC Audio Cassette FS-20510/64

unidentified sound recording

Audiocassette

Digital Folder DF-20510/1

Digitized interviews, 2015

132 files (.mp3)

Digitized audiocassette interviews conducted by Jarrett with various music producers. The digital folder contains digitized versions of audiocassettes in the collection, as well as digitized interviews with no corresponding audiocassette.

Arrangement: Files are arranged alphabetically by original file name.

Processing information: Files have yet to be arranged, described, or associated with corresponding audiocassette.

Digital Folder DF-20510/2

Interview transcripts, 2015

107 files (.doc, .docx)

Digital document files, or transcripts, that correspond to select interviews found in the collection.

Arrangement: Files are arranged alphabetically by interviewee, or file name.

Processing Information: Folder and file names were altered for ease of use. Please note that the corresponding audiocassettes may contain more than one interview, while the transcripts contain singular interviews or parts of singular interviews. Transcripts may therefore correspond to distinct parts of audiocassettes, rather than to the tapes in their entirety. Corresponding call number relationships are listed in the file description if known.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 2. Graphic Materials and Supporting Documentation, 2015.

171 items.

Processing Information: Folder names were altered for ease of use. Original file names remain intact.

Digital graphic materials and photographs used by Jarrett for his book, Producing Country: The Inside Story of the Great Recordings. Images include album covers (.tif and .jpeg files) and headshots (.jpeg and .tif files) of country music producers. Also included in the series is supporting documentation regarding rights and captions to the headshots (.docx, .pdf, and .xlsx).

Digital Folder DF-20510/3

Producing Country: Album cover images, 2015

186 files (.jpeg, .tif)

Digital Folder DF-20510/4

Producing Country: Producer photographs and supporting documentation, 2015

27 files (.jpeg, .tif, .docx, .pdf, .xlsx)

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 3. Correspondence, 1995-2014.

8 items.

Processing Information: Folder and file names were altered for ease of use.

Document files, or letters, from Jarrett to potential interviewees for his book, Producing Country: The Inside Story of the Great Recordings. All files are Microsoft Word (.docx) files.

Digital Folder DF-20510/5

Producing Country: Correspondence, 1995-2014

8 files (.docx)

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