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© 2009 University of Chicago Library
The Jazz Institute of Chicago Don DeMicheal Papers were processed and preserved as part of the "Uncovering New Chicago Archives Project," funded with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
This collection is open for research.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Jazz Institute of Chicago. DeMicheal, Don. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
Don DeMicheal was born in Louisville, KY in 1928. DeMicheal was co-leader of the Don DeMicheal-Chuck Hedges Swingtet in which he played vibraphone, and a drummer in the Hot Three with pianist Art Hodes and clarinetist Kenny Davern. DeMicheal helped to bring Chicago jazz to New York City when he played with Hodes and Wild Bill Davison at the Goin' to Chicago Kool (Newport) Jazz Festival which took place at Carnegie Hall in 1981.
From 1961-1967, DeMicheal was the editor-in-chief of Down Beat magazine, where as a journalist interviewed prominent jazz figures such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane. DeMicheal also was president of the Jazz Institute of Chicago from 1974-1978 and as program chair in 1979, he spear-headed the first free Chicago Jazz Festival in Grant Park.
DeMicheal also wrote about jazz, including coauthoring a book, A Manual for the Modern Drummer and editing several trade magazines. Until his death, he was the editor of Plate World magazine.
DeMicheal died in 1982 at the age of 53.
The Jazz Institute of Chicago Don DeMicheal Papers are divided into three series: Series I, Personal; Series II, Catalogs and Discographies; and Series III, Publications. The papers contain articles, a book review, and liner notes written by DeMicheal as well as catalogs and discographies, jazz periodicals,a record journal, membership lists, and other publications.
Series I, Personal, contains writings by DeMicheal, membership lists, and an illustration. The book review is of Whitney Balliett's Alec Wilder and his Friends and the liner notes are for Walt Dickerson's To My Queen Revisited and Warren Kime's Jazz. DeMicheal wrote the biography and notes on the music of Red Norvo for Time-Life Records’ Giants of Jazz. Articles and books written by DeMicheal highlight jazz musicians such as Stan Getz and Paul Desmond. The illustration is of various jazz musicians. Also included are membership lists for the Chicago Federation of Musicians.
Series II, Catalogs and Discographies, contains various jazz record catalogs and discographies.
Series III, Publications, contains books, magazines, a pamphlet, jazz periodicals and a record journal. "Hot Jazz" is a pamphlet published for the Discographical Society. There are various books on jazz and blues, including Basic Jazz on Long Play, John Lucas; Jazz, Andre Francis; New Orleans Blues, Marty Most; The Poetry of the Blues, Samuel Charters; The Sound, Ross Russell; and This is Our Music, John Sinclair. Les Cahier du Jazz is in French and Schwarzer Gesang II: Blues is in German and English. Oversize publications are listed last and include jazz periodicals, Scholastic Roto, and Specifying Engineering.