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Inventory of the Les Brown Scores Collection, circa 1944-1953 and undated

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Descriptive Summary

Repository
Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University
Creator
Brown, Les, 1912-2001.
Title
Les Brown Scores Collection, circa 1944-1953 and undated
Language of Material
Material in English
Extent
12.5 Linear Feet

9000 Items
Abstract
Les Brown (1912-2001) was a 1936 graduate of Duke University, where he led the dance band the Duke Blue Devils. Under the name Les Brown and His Band of Renown, the band would achieve professional success in the 1940s and beyond, including a long tenure as Bob Hope's band.
The Les Brown Scores Collection chiefly contains manuscripts of 329 jazz big band charts composed and/or arranged for Brown's band, the majority of which are undated, but with some dated between 1944 and 1953. While some charts comprise both a score and complete parts, most are either the score only or incomplete parts only. One additional folder contains a concert program and press clippings related to Brown's performance at Duke University in 1985.
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Administrative Information

Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
However, collection may contain materials to which the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights form applies. Patrons must sign this form before using this collection.
Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library to use this collection.
Copyright Notice
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Les Brown Scores Collection, Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University.
Provenance
The Les Brown Scores Collection was received by the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library as a gift in 1977.
Processing Information
Processed by Jeremy Smith, September 2008
Encoded by Jeremy Smith, September 2008
Accession from 1977 is described in this finding aid.
Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and our local Style Guide.
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
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Biographical Note

Les (Lester Raymond) Brown (born Reinerton, Penn., 14 March 1912; died Los Angeles, 4 Jan 2001) was a 1936 graduate of Duke University. There he led his first dance band, the Duke Blue Devils, for which he also played clarinet and saxophone. The band would go on to professional fame in the 1940s under the name Les Brown and His Band of Renown. During that decade Brown had several hit songs, most notably "Sentimental Journey" (1944) and "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" (1946). He performed extensively with Bob Hope and led the house bands for "The Steve Allen Show" (1959-1961) and "The Dean Martin Show" (1963-1972). In 1993-1994 Brown received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Duke University.

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Collection Overview

The Les Brown Scores Collection (chiefly undated, but some dated between 1944 and 1953) has as its focal point manuscripts of 329 jazz big band charts composed and/or arranged for Brown's band. While some charts comprise both a score and complete parts, most are either the score only or incomplete parts only. One additional folder contains a concert program and press clippings related to Brown's performance at Duke University in 1985. The collection is arranged alphabetically by chart title.
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Subject Headings

These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.
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Related Material

Les Brown Manuscript Music, 1930s-1990s
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming

Sonny Burke Papers
Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University

Duke Ambassadors Records
University Archives, Duke University

List of Series in Collection
Music Manuscripts Series, circa 1944-1953 and undated
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Detailed Description of Collection

Music Manuscripts Series, circa 1944-1953 and undated

(25 boxes)
Box 1
9:20 Special (parts)
40 Cups of Coffee (score)
A.T. & S.F. (score)
Ah Yes, There's Good Blues Tonight (score)
Ain't Misbehavin' (parts)
All I Need Is You (score)
All Thru the Day (score)
All the Time (parts)
Am I Blue (parts and score)
Am I In Love (score)
Amor (parts and score)
Another Night Like This (score)
Answer Me (score)
Box 2
Anvil Chorus (parts and score)
Are You Still In Love With Me (tbn 1 and bari 5 parts only)
Aren't You Glad You're You (parts)
Arthritis Show: Opening (parts)
Ask Anyone Who Knows (score)
Baby Don't Be Mad at Me (score)
Baby It's Cold Outside (parts)
Back in Your Own Back Yard (score)
Basin Street Blues (score)
Baubles, Bangles, and Beads (score)
Beau Night (parts)
A Bed of Roses (score)
Beware My Heart (score)
Bizet Has a Hat Dance (parts), also titled "Bizet Has a Hat Danse" and "Bizet Has a Hat Job"
Blacksmith Blues (score)
Bloop! Bleep! (score)
Blue Lou (parts)
Box 3
Blue Music (parts)
Blue Pacific Blues (score)
Blue Tango (score), arr. Les Brown
Blues in the Night (score)
Body and Soul (parts)
Butch and Stumpy (score)
Button Up Your Overcoat (score)
Candy (score)
Caprice Viennois (parts and score), arr. Les Brown
Captain Kidd (score)
C'est Si Bon (parts)
Chickery Chick (score)
The Christmas Song (score)
The Coffee Song (score)
Box 4
Come to Baby Do (parts and score)
Comstock Special (parts)
Confessin' (parts and score)
Cool of Evening (parts)
Coquette (parts)
Cross-Roads (score)
Dance With a Dolly (parts)
Dancing on a Great Big Rainbow (score), includes a letter from Gil Evans to Les Brown
Do Nothin' Til You Here [sic] From Me (score)
Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief (parts and score)
Box 5
Don't Do Something (parts)
Don't Ever Change (score)
Don't Let Me Dream (parts)
Don't Take Love From Me (score)
Don't Talk About Me (parts)
Don't Yield To Temptation (score)
Doodle-ee-doo (score)
Dreamland (score), arr. Les Brown
Dreams Are Getting Better (parts)
Duration Blues (score)
East of the Sun (parts and score)
Easy To Remember (score)
Easy Street (parts)
Box 6
Elephant Girl (score)
Enjoy Yourself (score)
Etiquette Blues [arrangement 1] (parts and score)
Etiquette Blues [arrangement 2] (score)
Even As You and I (score)
Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven (score)
Everyone Is Sayin' Hello Again (score), also titled "Hello Again"
F.D.R. Jones (parts)
Flamingo (parts)
Flip Lid [arrangement 1] (score)
Flip Lid [arrangement 2] (parts)
For You (score)
Box 7
Frim-Fram Sauce (score)
Full and Empty Arms (parts)
Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You (score), also titled "Ain't I Good to You"
Grand Canyon (cue sheet only)
A Guy is a Guy (parts)
Hair of Gold (parts and score)
Handful of Stars (score), arr. Les Brown
Happy Times (parts and score)
Havin' a Wonderful Wish (score)
Heavenly (score), arr. Les Brown
Here Comes Santa Claus (parts and score)
He's Funny That Way (parts and score)
Box 8
High On a Windy Saxophone (parts), additional score for a section titled "Windy Trumpet Insert"
Hills of Colorado (score)
Hold Me, Hold Me, Hold Me (score)
Hold the Phone (score)
Holiday for Strings (score)
Home Country (score)
Home for a Little While (score)
Honey (parts)
Honeysuckle Rose (score)
Hoop-Dee-Doo Polka (score)
The Hot Canary (score)
Hot Point (score), additional score for a section titled "Hot Point Extension"
How Blue the Night (score)
Box 9
Hungry Man (score)
I Apologize (score)
I Ate My Sister Cuz Her Name Wuz Olive (score)
I Believe (score)
I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (parts)
I Get a Hank'rin' for You (parts), also titled "Hankrin' for You"
I Hear Music (score)
I Know that You Know (parts)
I Love You (score)
I Love You So Much it Hurts Me (tbn 4 part only)
I Said My Prayers (parts)
I Should Care (score)
I Speak to the Stars (score), additional score for a ten-measure section titled "Revision"
I Thought About You (score)
I Understand (score)
Box 10
I Wanna Be Loved (parts and score)
I Whistle a Happy Tune (score)
I Wish I Could Tell You (parts)
I Wish I Didn't Love You So (score)
I Wish I Were Twins (score)
I'd Rather Be With You [arrangement 1] (score)
I'd Rather Be With You [arrangement 2] (parts)
I'd've Baked a Cake (score)
If I Could Be With You (parts), additional parts for an introduction
If I Give My Heart to You (score)
If You Are But a Dream (parts)
If You're So Smart, How Come You ain't Rich? (score)
I'll Always Love You (parts)
I'll Be Seeing You (score)
I'll Never Let You Cry (score), additional part for vocals, also titled "Never Let You Cry"
Box 11
I'll Walk Alone (score)
I'm Confessin' (parts)
I'm Yours (score)
In Love In Vain (score)
In the Middle of May (score)
Intermezzo (parts and score)
Invitation to the Blues (score)
Isle of Capri (parts and score)
It Couldn't Be True (parts and score)
It Doesn't Cost a Dime to Dream (parts), includes a vocal part for Bob Hope
It Had to be You (score)
It Might As Well Be Spring (score), also titled "Might As Well Be Spring"
It Might Have Been a Different Story (score)
Box 12
It's Dawn Again (score)
It's Dream Time (score)
It's a Great Feeling (parts)
It's a Wonderful World We Live In (parts), also titled "World"
It's So Peaceful (parts)
It's Too Soon to Know (parts)
I've Got the World on a String (score)
I've Got to Fall in Love Again (score), additional piano and vocal reduction
Kansas City (parts)
Kentucky (score)
La Vie en Rose (score)
Lady of the Evening (score)
Land of Make Believe (score)
Last Love (parts)
The Last Time I Saw You (score)
Late Date (parts and score)
Box 13
Lemon Twist (score)
Let's Take an Old-Fashioned Walk (parts), additional parts titled "Intro"
Life Begins (parts)
Like Someone in Love (score), also titled "Someone in Love"
Little Bird (parts and score)
Little Ponky (parts)
Lollipops (parts)
Look Up (parts)
Love Is Here To Stay (score)
Love Somebody (tpt 4 part only)
Lucky Us (parts), additional piano and vocal reduction
Mahzel (score)
Makin' Whoopee (score)
Mam-selle (score)
The Man I Love (score)
Box 14
A Man Is a Bro To a Mule (score)
Maybe You'll Be There (score), arr. Les Brown
Medley (parts)
Memory Closing - No. 1 (score)
Mexico City (score)
Mi Vida (parts and score)
Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet (score)
Mississippi (parts), additional piano and vocal reduction
Mona Lisa (score)
Moon for Love (score)
Moon Mist (parts)
Moon On My Pillow (score)
Moon-Faced, Starry-Eyed (score)
More and More (score)
Moulin Rouge (score)
Mr. Percussion (score)
My Ev'ry Wish and Prayer (parts and score)
My Foolish Heart (parts and score), also titled "Foolish Heart"
Box 15
My Heart Goes Crazy (score)
My Heart Is a Hobo (score)
My Heart's In the Middle of July (score)
Negra Consentida (score)
Nevertheless (parts), additional parts titled "Intro to Nevertheless"
Night Flight (score)
Nobody Else But Me (score), arr. Les Brown
Oh Baby [arrangement 1] (score)
Oh Baby [arrangement 2] (score)
Oh But I Do! (score)
O.K. for Baby (parts)
Oldsmobile (score)
Box 16
On the Alamo [arrangement 1] (score)
On the Alamo [arrangement 2] (parts)
On the Other End Of a Kiss (score)
Once Upon a Moon (score)
Opus 1 (parts)
Out of My Way (score)
Pathetique (parts and score)
Patience and Fortitude (parts)
Pavanne (score)
Penthouse (score)
Pick Yourself Up (score)
Pipe-Dreaming (parts and score)
Box 17
Please Don't Kiss Me (score)
Polka Commercial (score)
Pomp (parts)
Powder My Face (score)
Pretend (score)
Pretty Baby (parts)
Procession of the Sardar (score)
Put 'Em In a Box [arrangement 1] (parts and score)
Put 'Em In a Box [arrangement 2] (score)
Put Something In the Pot (score)
Put Yourself In My Place, Baby (score)
Quick Silver (parts and score)
Ready To Go Steady (score)
Box 18
Red Kiss (score)
Red Sails in the Sunset (parts)
Remember Me (parts)
Rhumba (score)
Riders In the Sky (parts), additional piano and vocal reduction
Riff Staccato (parts and score)
Rigoletto (parts)
Rio Cristal (parts)
Ritual Fire Dance (score)
River St. Marie (parts and score)
Box 19
Robert the Playboy (parts)
Robins & Roses (parts)
Rodgers and Hammerstein (score)
Route 66 (score)
Rumors Are Flying (parts)
Salt Water Cowboy (score)
Sam's Song (parts)
Sentimental Journey (score)
Sentimental Rhapsody (score), arr. Les Brown
Shangri-La (score)
She's Funny (parts)
Should I? (parts and score)
Box 20
Show Me the Way To Go Home (parts)
Sing You Sinners (score)
Sister Kate (parts)
Six Pence (parts)
Skylark (score)
Sleigh Ride in July (parts and score)
Slowly (score)
So Rare (score), additional drum part for different arrangement
Solid Potato Salad (score)
Someday, Somewhere (score)
Box 21
Someday Sweetheart (parts)
Someone Like You (parts)
Somewhere In the Night (score)
Soon (parts)
Sorghum Switch (score)
South America - Take It Away (score)
Spesh'lly You (score)
Spring Isn't Everything (score)
Stage Medley (parts and score)
Stage Medley: Eileen Wilson (score)
Stage Medley Record (parts)
Box 22
Stranger In Town (score)
Street of Dreams (score)
Strictly Instrumental (drum part only)
String Background (parts)
Summer Interlude (parts)
Sunbeam: Intro (parts)
Sunday Kind of Love (score)
Sunny Side (parts)
Sunny Side of the Street (parts)
Sweet Eloise (score)
Sweet Lorraine (score)
Sweet and Lovely (score)
Tain't Whatcha Do (score)
Take a Look (score)
Take Me In Your Arms (score)
Tease Me (score)
That Certain Party (parts)
Box 23
That's Where I Came In (score)
There Will Always Be an Ireland (parts)
These Foolish Things (score)
They Were Doin' the Mambo (score)
This Is Always (score)
Time After Time (parts)
Turkey Hop (parts)
Twas Brillig (parts)
Twilight Lullaby (parts)
Two To Tango (score), additional score titled "Intro - Tango"
Wait a Little Longer (parts)
Waited Too Long (parts)
Waiting (score)
Waiting at the Station (score)
Box 24
Wake Up the Place (score)
Walkin' My Baby Back Home (score)
What Does It Take (score)
What Is This Thing Called Love [arrangement 1] (score)
What Is This Thing Called Love [arrangement 2] (score)
When Am I Gonna Kiss You (score)
When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano (score)
When They Ask About You (score)
When You Love Someone (score)
When You Trim Your Christmas Tree (score)
White Xmas (drum part only)
Who's Excited (score)
Why Don't We Say We're Sorry (score)
Winter Moon (score)
Wishing (parts)
Box 25
Yep Roc Heresi (score)
You Are Too Beautiful (score)
You May Not Love Me (parts)
You Won't Be Satisfied (score)
You're In Love With Someone (score)
You're So Sweet To Remember (score)
You're the Top (score)
Miscellaneous, concert program and newspaper clippings for a 1985 Les Brown concert at Duke; unidentified parts or incomplete arrangements separated from main collection by staff