Descriptive Summary |
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Creator: | Tommy Benford (1905-1994) |
Title: | The Tommy Benford Collection |
Dates: | 1937-1992 |
Quantity: | 2 boxes, 1 linear foot |
Abstract: | The Tommy Benford Collection (1937-1992) consists of one linear foot of personal papers housed in two archival boxes (one document box and one flat photograph box). Included are letters to Benford, manuscript notes, ephemera, broadsides, clippings, travel memorabilia, and photographs. Benford's drum set has been added to IJS's artifact collection and housed in the Rare Items Room. |
Collection No.: | MC 006 |
Language: | English |
Repository: | Rutgers University Libraries, Institute of Jazz Studies |
Thomas Phoenix (Tommy) Benford (b. April 19, 1905, d. March 24, 1994) a prolific jazz drummer from the 1920s through the 1980s, was born in Charleston, West Virginia in 1905. With his brother, the noted tuba player Bill Benford, Benford received his musical education at the notorious Jenkins' Orphanage in Charleston, South Carolina, where trumpeter Jabbo Smith also learned his craft. His musical career and penchant for traveling abroad began when the Jenkins' Orphanage band toured England in 1914. The tour was curtailed, however, because of the outbreak of war on the continent. Benford escaped from the orphanage twice with his brother, the second time successfully. It was then, ca. 1920, that Benford joined a minstrel show in Virginia, The Green River Minstrels. Soon thereafter, Benford traveled with a patent medicine man and with various entertainment shows, circuses, and carnivals. Several years later he moved to New York. A prolific sideman, Benford began playing in orchestras including the Marie Lucas Orchestra, which went on to Washington, D.C. in the early twenties.
Among the many artists, musicians, and composers Benford worked with were Charlie Skeete; Jelly Roll Morton, contributing to Kansas City Stomp and Shreveport, both 1928; Bill Benford (ca. 1928); Edgar Hayes; Sy Devereaux (1932); Fats Waller; Coleman Hawkins (1937); Benny Carter (1937); Eddie Brunner; Bill Coleman; Eddie South (1938); Joe Turner; George Johnson, St. Tropez, France (1938); and Willie Lewis (1938,1941). After his return to the United States Benford toured various military posts (1941-1943), and worked with Noble Sissle (1943), Snub Mosely (1946-1948), Bob Wilbur (1948-49), Jimmy Archey (1950-1952). During the 1950s Benford was a freelance musician, toured Europe again in 1960-61 with the Jazz Train Revue by Eddie Barefield, and worked extensively with Clyde Berhnardt's Harlem Blues and Jazz Band (1973-9, 1981), and with Bob Greenes World of Jelly Roll Morton (1973-74, 1982).
Benford's career brought him to Europe in the 1930s during a period when jazz and its musicians were very well received overseas. He opened at Chez Florence in Paris, recorded with Coleman Hawkins, Django Reinhardt, and Stephane Grappelli, played at the avant-garde club Boeuf Sur La Toit, and played in George Johnson's Orchestra in St. Tropez on the French Riviera (1938). Benford was with Willie Lewis when war broke out in Europe in 1939. He made his way to Switzerland, then Spain and Portugal, playing all the way. He came back to the U.S. on the Exeter with his son, Tommy Jr., in October 1941 and moved in with his sister in New York. During his time in Europe, Benford married his first wife, Sophia Mezzaro, a dancer, singer, and pianist from Vienna. She died in Paris giving birth to his oldest son, Tommy Jr. in 1939. Benford married his second wife, Dorothy, in 1952 and had three children with her.
Much of Benford's life was spent "traveling"geographically, or between bands and orchestras. One thing is certain, according to Benford, who once said, "I already knew it didn't matter where I was. When I'm behind my drums, I'm home."
The Tommy Benford Collection (1937-1992) consists of one linear foot of personal papers housed in two archival boxes. Included at the beginning of the collection are two folders, one containing biographical information such as publicity releases and a list of bands Tommy played in, and the other containing removal notices.
Within the series the materials are arranged by subject. The bulk of the collection, however, is the photograph series which is not only the most sizable but also the most comprehensive documentation of Benford's long careerthis series stands out both physically and topically. The photographs are divided into several parts: items in Box 1 are slightly oversized and photographs regarding Bob Greene's World of Jelly Roll Morton have been kept in that series in order to form a comprehensive intellectual focus.
The papers document Benford's diverse professional experience, however, records of his early years (pre-1937) are lacking. The following inventory describes the collection to the folder level and, in some cases, to the item level.
Tommy Benford's drum kit is also included in this collection (see Appendix A).
The Tommy Benford Collection is divided into six series:
The Tommy Benford Collection (MC-006), Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University Libraries.
The Tommy Benford Collection and drum set were donated to the Institute of Jazz Studies by his widow, Mrs. Dorothy Benford in May of 1994.
This section provides descriptions of the materials found within each series. Each series description is followed by a container list, which gives the titles of the folders and their locations in the numbered boxes that comprise this collection.
Series 1: Letters and Manuscripts, 1959-1992 and undated | |||||||||||
Arrangement:Includes a folder of biographical information, letters sent to Benford, postcards, correspondence from Universities, greeting cards, handwritten notes on newsletters and scraps of paper. The letters and manuscript series while covering the years 1959-1992 are not comprehensive or complete. Of particular note, however are the miscellaneous items, one an oral history transcript of Tommy Benford conducted by an English Professor from the University of South Carolina and an undocumented script/screenplay which was undoubtedly mailed to Benford for review or consideration. | |||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||
1 | 1 | Biographical Information. | |||||||||
2 | Removal Notes and photocopies. | ||||||||||
3 | Letters: TL re: Jenkins Orphanage; TLS Christa de Siati (German/Swiss); Bob Greene, 1983; TLS Arthur Briggs, 1959-1992 and undated | ||||||||||
4 | Letters: Notes and Cards: including Photo-postcard of Kenny Davern, 1966; 2 issues of Offbeat Jazz, with notes from Wilma Dobie, 1966-1982 and undated | ||||||||||
5 | Correspondence: Universities, 1976-88 | ||||||||||
6 | Manuscript Notes and Miscellaneous Writings, undated | ||||||||||
7 | Script: "Sunshine's on the Way," by W.W. Lewis, 1980 |
Series 2: Ephemera, circa 1950s-1980s | |||||||||||
Arrangement: This series consists primarily of programs and broadsides documenting a variety of clubs and musical events in Benford's life. The most complete set of broadsides concern the Savoy Cafe in Boston ca. 1950s. Some unique and rare ephemera is included in the Travel series. | |||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||
1 | 8 | General, circa 1950s-1980s | |||||||||
9 | Programs and Broadsides: Yale University map; advertisements; International Jazz Federation; Town Hall Program, ca. 1951; Brooklyn Academy of Music; Jimmy Archey and His Riverboat Five broadside; Milt Hinton bio-card, , undated | ||||||||||
10 | Programs and Broadsides: Savoy Cafe, Boston, circa 1950s |
Series 3: Clippings, 1938-1980 | |||||||||||
Arrangement: Includes two subdivisions: Tommy Benford-related clippings which cover the period 1950-1980, and Other Artists and Topics clippings from 1938-1980. | |||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||
1 | 11 | Clippings: Tommy Benford, circa 1950s-1980s | |||||||||
12 | Clippings: Other Artists/Topics, circa 1938-1988 |
Series 4: Travel, 1937-circa 1988 | |||||||||||
Arrangement: The travel series is subdivided into two subseries: Travel Abroad and U.S. Travel Diaries. The first subseries includes programs, broadsides, legal documents, passports, diaries and other ephemera, and documents a significant aspect of Benford's life and careertouring. | |||||||||||
The U.S. travel diaries consist of two small volumes in which Benford entered brief chronological notes that include details such as travel times, destinations, resting dates, recording and practice dates. One photograph showing Benford and band with military personnel was inserted in one diary and has been retained there. | |||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||
1 | 13 | Travel Abroad: FranceLe Hot Club Programs and Broadsides, 1937-1938 | |||||||||
14 | Travel Abroad: ZurichNew Jazz Club Programs, 1960 | ||||||||||
15 | Travel Abroad: ZurichEphemera: Maps, directories, pamphlet for The Madrigal Bar, circa 1952 | ||||||||||
16 | Travel Abroad: Ephemera, undated | ||||||||||
17 | Travel Abroad: Legal Documents, 1959-1960 | ||||||||||
18 | Travel Abroad: Passports, undated | ||||||||||
19 | Travel Diaries: United States, 1941-1943 |
Series 5: Bob Greene's World of Jelly Roll Morton, 1974-1982 | |||||||||||
Arrangement: Documents the activities of the band between 1974 and 1982 through programs, clippings, tour schedules and itineraries, travel receipts, and photographs. | |||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||
1 | 20 | Lincoln Center Program, February 1974 | |||||||||
21 | Programs, 1973-1978 | ||||||||||
22 | Clippings, 1976-1980 | ||||||||||
23 | Latin America Tour, 1981 | ||||||||||
24 | UK Tour Schedule, 1982 | ||||||||||
25 | Travel Documents and Receipts, 1978-1979; 1981-1982 | ||||||||||
26 | Photographs, undated |
Series 6: Photographs, 1938-1980s | |||||||||||
Arrangement: The most extensive portion of the collection, this series consists of 8x10 black and white prints, small black and white snapshots, studio prints (publicity), color snapshots, and some novelty photographs mounted in a commemorative folder taken at Jimmy Ryan's. Subjects of the photographs include: Tommy Benford with others and playing; group and family shots with Benford, friends and family; Clarence Robinson; European tours; Jimmy Archey and Orchestra with Pops Foster and Dick Wellstood and others; Bob Pilsbury and the Fog Cutters; Harlem Blues and Jazz Band; Sandy Berman's Jazz Revival; and miscellaneous performances. | |||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||
1 | 27 | Memorabilia and Photographs: Jimmy Ryan's (Jimmy Archey and Band), circa 1950s | |||||||||
28 | Benford's Drum Kit Photos, 8 items (see Appendix A) for information on the physical drum kit items in the IJS archive), undated | ||||||||||
29 | Clarence Robinson, signed, undated | ||||||||||
30 | Harlem Blues and Jazz Band, undated | ||||||||||
31 | Photocopies and Miscellaneous, undated | ||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||
2 | 1 | Kenny Davern, Kid Howard, Snub Mosely, Edith Piaf, and Bob Wilbur (all signed); John Fields, Dick Wellstood (Otto Hess photo), Bob Wilbur and Pub Horton; Doc Cheatham and others, undated | |||||||||
2 | Arthur Briggs, Herb Flemming, Brian Ch?, Louis Nelson, Jay McShann and Ben Hynard, Jay McShann; Doc Cheatham card (signed); Billy and Louise Yates "The Words,"; Carmen Romero, "South American Night Club" Rotterdam, Holland, undated | ||||||||||
3 | Ada Brown and Frankie Newton (both signed); Eddie South, ca. 1937; Prince Spincer, 1937, undated | ||||||||||
4 | Tommy Benford Jr. and unidentified people in Zurich, 1941 | ||||||||||
5 | Benford with others: Milt Hinton, Happy Caldwell, Buck Clayton, undated | ||||||||||
6 | Benford playing, solo and with others: Bobby Gordon and Dick Wellstood; and w/ June Celes, Jack Fine, Freddy Groom, undated | ||||||||||
7 | Benford playing solo and with others: John Fields; Wild Bill, Davison undated | ||||||||||
8 | Groups with Benford: Snub Mosely; Marie Lucas Orchestra; and unidentified, undated | ||||||||||
9 | Groups with Benford: Sidney Bechet; Edmond Hall; Noel Kalet (?) and Bill Sinclair, undated | ||||||||||
10 | European tours, 1938-1941 | ||||||||||
11 | Jimmy Archey and His Band, ca. 1950-1952 | ||||||||||
12 | Bob Pilsbury and the Fog Cutters, undated | ||||||||||
13 | Harlem Blues and Jazz Band, undated | ||||||||||
14 | Harlem Blues and Jazz Band, undated | ||||||||||
15 | Performances, undated | ||||||||||
16 | Sandy Berman's Jazz Revival, undated | ||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||
OS 1 | Record booklet, with Benford notes from Jazz Odyssey; pamphlet: "Straight System of Modern Drumming," 1923; Arrangements/parts: "Drums Anyone," for drums (by Benford ?), piano, tpt, clar, bone, bass; Travel Abroad: Holland-America Cruise activities programs, 1960; Songlist (mss.,n.d.). undated |
Benford's drum set has been added to IJS's artifact collection. It includes: