Annie Ross is a performer who has acted in film and television and on the stage, but is best known as a jazz singer. Born
Annabella Short into a vaudevillian family in 1930, she has been singing since the age of 3. She became famous for her contribution
to the vocalese style of singing with her song "Twisted," and for her part in the popular jazz vocal group, Lambert, Hendricks
and Ross.
Comprised of printed music, various publicity materials, photographs, correspondence, business and personal files, the unique
materials in the Annie Ross Collection provide an overview of her life and career as a performing artist.
The Annie Ross Collection is divided into seven series:
The Annie Ross Collection (MC 107), Institute of Jazz Studies,
Rutgers University Libraries.
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.
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Series 1. Music |
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Arrangement: The Music series is separated by type, arrangements, sheet music, and music books, and arranged alphabetically.
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Summary: The series of Music consists primarily of sheet music, but there are a few arrangements and music books as well. There are
a lot of songs from the standard repertoire and Cy Coleman is the composer of a number of the selections.
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Box |
Folder |
1 |
1 |
"Glocca Morra," arranged by Lindsey, stamped "Merv Griffin." |
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2 |
"Little Girl Blue," arrangement for Ella Logan. |
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3 |
"Too Many Chiefs," arrangement for Ella Logan. |
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4 |
Sheet music: Autumn Leaves -- The Ballad of the Sad Young Men -- Big Fat Heart -- Body and Soul -- Bouncing Back for More
-- Bye Bye Blackbird -- Confession -- Cry Me A River -- Do It Again -- Ellenville -- Everything I Want Is In Manhattan --
For Heaven's Sake -- Here I Go Again.
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5 |
Sheet music: I Found A New Baby -- I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good -- If He Walked Into My Life -- I'll Pay the Check --
I'm All Smiles -- In the Dark -- I'm Watching You -- It Had To Be You -- Just For A Thrill -- Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now
-- The Lady Is A Tramp -- Let's Be Buddies -- Let's Get Lost -- Love Is Here to Stay -- A Love Like This -- Lucky Day.
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6 |
Sheet music: Mad About the Boy -- Marahuana -- Moon Country -- Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love -- Music Is Forever -- My Old
Flame -- Nightingale, Foggy Day -- No Orchids For My Lady -- Pick Up the Pieces -- The Pixie of the Eighty-Eight (The Errol
Garner Love Song) -- The Rhythm of Life -- Small World -- Somebody -- Summer Night -- Then Was Then and Now Is Now -- Top
of the Town -- Through the Windows of Cars -- The Way I See It -- You're In A Highly Emotional State -- You're Looking At
Me.
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7 |
Song collections: Ella Logan, In a Wee Bit o' Scotch Song; Five, [ten songs]; and Great Songs by Sam Coslow.
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8 |
Lyrics, pronunciation guides, song lists and set lists. |
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Series 2. Photographs |
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Arrangement: The series of Photographs is arranged chronologically and by category. The date is unidentified on a number of photographs,
but these are separated between photos of Ms. Ross, sets of travel photos, and unidentified subjects.
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Summary: The series of Photographs consists primarily of pictures of Annie Ross. Many of these were intended for publicity and professional
purposes, but there are personal photographs as well.
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Box |
Folder |
2 |
1 |
1930s-1940s |
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2 |
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, by Lee Tanner, 1950s |
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3 |
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, and others, 1960s |
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4 |
Performance photos, 1970s |
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5 |
Performance photos, November 1979 |
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6 |
Sondheim, 1984 |
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7 |
Bahrain and Dubai, 1984 |
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8 |
Portraits, candids, and performance photos, 1980s |
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9 |
Sydney, including a letter from an unidentified sender, Dance Darling Dance 1995
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10 |
Performance photos by David Sinclair, 1996 |
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11 |
Masterclass at the Manhattan School of Music and Hendricks & Ross, 1997-1999 |
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12 |
Photos of Annie Ross, portraits and publicity photos |
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13 |
Photos of Annie Ross, portraits and candids |
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14 |
Photos of Annie Ross, performance, stage, film and television |
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15 |
Photos of Annie Ross among others: Tony Bennett, Lenny Bruce, Maria Muldaur, Elvis Costello |
Box |
Folder |
3 |
1 |
Photos of Annie Ross among unidentified others |
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2 |
Travel photos, Australia, Peter Gaudion's Jazz Lane, and various unidentified |
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3 |
Travel photos, Singapore |
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4 |
Travel photos, Barcelona and others |
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5 |
Travel photos, various |
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6 |
Unidentified photos of others |
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Series 3. Publicity |
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Arrangement: Arranged chronologically, undated materials last.
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Summary: The series of Publicity consists primarily of news clippings from a range of sources. Also collected are programs, fliers
and other information about various appearances, press releases and biographical information for publicists, discographies,
and a Portrait of Annie, by Maurice Dunn.
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Box |
Folder |
3 |
7 |
Clippings, 1953, 1956, 1958-1960, 1962, 1965 |
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8 |
Clippings, 1972, 1976, 1978 |
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9 |
Clippings, 1979-1985 |
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10 |
Clippings, 1986-1989 |
Box |
Folder |
4 |
1 |
Clippings, 1990-1993 |
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2 |
Clippings, 1994-1997 |
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3 |
Clippings, 1998 |
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4 |
Clippings, 1999-2001 |
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5 |
Clippings, undated articles |
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6 |
Clippings, undated performance ads |
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7 |
Articles, unpublished copy |
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8-9 |
Programs and fliers |
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10 |
Portrait of Annie, by Maurice Dunn
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Box |
Folder |
5 |
1 |
Biographies and press releases |
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2 |
Discographies |
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3 |
Bibliography, Music Index entry, and credits |
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Series 5. Business & Personal Files |
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Arrangement: The series of Business & Personal Files is arranged chronologically.
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Summary: The series of Business & Personal Files contains awards and assorted business papers as well as personal papers including
funeral programs, personal notes and ephemera.
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Box |
Folder |
5 |
10 |
Down Beat Award: Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross, Vocal Group, First Place, 1959 |
Box |
Folder |
6 |
1 |
Down Beat Award: Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross, 1960 |
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2 |
Down Beat Award: Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross, Vocal Group, First Place, 1961 |
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3 |
Artwork for Kennedy's Children starring Annie Ross, 1974
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4 |
Assorted business papers: AFM contract with Ned Pierce; ABC pilot for "Maverick Square"; British Film Institute, associated
title list; 1985-1999
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5 |
Assorted personal papers: American Academy of Dramatic Art evaluation; visa papers for work in Canada; guest pass Investiture
at Buckingham Palace , 1947, 1992-1996
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6 |
funeral programs, 1990-2001 |
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7 |
ephemera |
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8 |
notes |
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Series 6. Oversized |
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Arrangement: Arranged by size and shape. Box 7 consists of legal sized files and box 8 contains larger items of various size.
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Summary: The series of Oversized materials contains items that could be included in any of the previous series in terms of their content
but, due to their size and shape, require different housing than those other related materials. Box 7 consists mostly of personal
memoirs as well as some professional correspondence and other papers. Box 8 contains collected periodicals, performance posters,
large photographic prints, and a Japanese silk.
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Box |
Folder |
7 |
1 |
Correspondence and contracts related to Chicago Jazz Festival, August 31, 1985 |
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2 |
Ella Logan, excerpts from a book by Jack Short and a New York Times article from March 21, 1937
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3 |
Personal writings: Lenny Bruce, Chicago and Lenny Bruce, the Shakespeare of our time; Lady (Billie Holiday); Lady at the Apollo
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4 |
Personal writings: Mahalia Jackson; Carmen McRae; Anita O'Day; Charlie "Bird" Parker; Tony Richardson; Dinah Washington |
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5 |
Personal writings: Cranks; Paris, Pittsburgh, and the projects; It Was the Worst of Times; Pound for Pound; She Was a Headliner
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6 |
Personal writings: four distinct chapters labeled, "I" |
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7 |
Personal writings: various |
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8 |
Content listing for tapes (held by Ms. Ross) of interviews with Katherine Altman, and other notes |
Box |
Folder |
8 |
1 |
Japanese silk |
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2 |
Collected periodicals containing articles about Annie Ross, 1976-1993 |
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3 |
Other collected periodicals (mention of Annie Ross not evident) |
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4 |
Concert posters |
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5-6 |
Photographs |
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Series 7. Sound Recordings |
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Arrangement: Arranged chronologically, undated materials last.
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Summary: The Sound Recordings series consists primarily of recorded interviews.
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Box |
Folder |
9 |
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James Cox meets Annie Ross, 2 cassette tapes, July 19, 1982 |
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Annie Ross, Side 3, cassette tape, October 1986 |
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Annie Ross Interview at the Blue Note set, video tape, September 17, 1992 |
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Annie radio, BBC Scotland, cassette tape, May 14, 1995 |
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Annie Ross BBC, R+B Radio 2, cassette tape, September 14, 1995 |
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Annie Ross Interview, Sing a Song of Basie, at her New York apartment for "Jazz from the Archives," cassette tape, August 9, 2000 |
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Sing a Song of Basie Master, "Jazz from the Archives," cassette tape, August 13, 2000 |
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Annie Ross interview, cassette tape |
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Annie Ross, side 1, side 2, cassette tape |
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Chapter 5 reading, cassette tape |