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

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.

Descriptive Summary

Repository
David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University
Creator
Brown, Les, 1912-2001.
Title
Les Brown Scores Collection, circa 1944-1953 and undated
Language of Material
English
Extent
12.5 Linear Feet, 9000 Items
Location
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Series Quick Links

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.

Administrative Information

Collections are on the move for the renovation of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Contact Rubenstein Library staff before visiting. Read More »

warning 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 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

warning Use Restrictions

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 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Contents of the Collection

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

Historical 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.

Subject Headings

Related Material

  • Les Brown Manuscript Music, 1930s-1990s (American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming)
  • Sonny Burke Papers (David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University)
  • Duke Ambassadors Records (University Archives, Duke University)

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Les Brown Scores Collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Provenance

The Les Brown Scores Collection was received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript 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.