The Ralph J.
Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA Kenny Burrell Archive of
African American Music is a unique opportunity to chronicle and celebrate
the wide-ranging impact of African American music, particularly as it has
influenced and been influenced by the cultural and media crossroads of Los
Angeles.
Purchasing
Information
The Archive
The archive is named
for legendary jazz guitarist and UCLA Professor Kenny Burrell, who
perfectly embodies the intersecting influences of musical styles and genres
that comprise African American music. Although Burrell is primarily known
for his priceless contributions to the jazz tradition, he has also
performed on stage and in the studio for countless acts in the rhythm and
blues tradition over the years. As Burrell himself puts it, "The
enormous and diversified contribution of African American music has changed
the world of music forever . . . we would like to focus on that phenomenon
as well as its unique relationship with Los Angeles."
Burrell's Career
Burrell's more than
90 studio recordings, biographical information, and career mementos are the
cornerstone of the collection. The recordings and other memorabilia are
organized for easy listening, viewing, or for more in-depth research
endeavors. Other acquisitions will chronicle links between the evolving
styles of African American music associated with Los Angeles at various points in time and
the social and cultural history of the region. A special focus will be on
popular music forms and related documentary materials. Burrell’s
career spans more than 40 years and has changed forever the role of his
instrument. He is a consummate musician, an innovator, a pioneer, and at
UCLA, he is also known as a great teacher of music. Since creating the
nation's first regular college course on Duke Ellington in 1978, and then
founding UCLA's Jazz Studies Program, Burrell has maintained an important
presence on campus. While his brilliance has been celebrated through the countless
awards bestowed upon him, he has also been an outspoken advocate for making
sure that jazz is recognized as the classical art form it is. Burrell is
one of the true jazz legends of our lifetime.
The Goals
The Archive is housed
in the Library and Media
Center in 135 Haines
Hall. Some of the collection will be preserved in its original form, but
major portions of the collection will be catalogued and digitized to make
it available to students, scholars, the public, and the music industry. The
Archive will serve as an important research tool for broader disciplines,
including music, history, and the social sciences.
To support the Bunche Center Kenny Burrell Archive of African
American Music please contact the Center at (310) 206-8267.
