The John Steiner Papers : Introduction
John Steiner was an expert on the history of early Chicago jazz, and his personal collection is widely regarded as one of the finest from that period. Born in Milwaukee in 1908, Steiner grew up with jazz, spending his high school weekends and summer nights in Chicago jazz clubs. A PhD chemist working in industry, Steiner earned a modest living while indulging his passion for hot jazz. His long-standing friendships with musicians led to recording dates on the private record label he shared with his friend Hugh Davis ("S/D" stood for "Steiner-Davis"), and on the Paramount blues label, which he acquired in 1949. Both labels handled reissue and original material; the label at right is a previously unissued Jelly Roll Morton cut, confirmed by William Russell.
Steiner believed that the music he was hearing was
important, and he began to collect
the history of the music as it happened. The Steiner collection
includes recordings on diverse formats, including the metals used to
press records, as well as piano song sheets and stock arrangements used
by Chicago bands.
But it also includes record catalogs, concert notices,
newspaper clippings, photos, posters, programs, tickets, and other
bits of everyday trivia that most people throw away -- items that
help us understand how life in Chicago gave rise to the music.
The debut of the "portable" (20 lb.) reel-to-reel tape recorder enabled
John Steiner to make some of his most valuable contributions to jazz history.
In 1946, he single-handedly taped Duke Ellington's famous concert at the
Chicago Opera House, and later provided this tape to the Ellington family
for commercial release. Steiner taped live radio broadcasts from
Chicago clubs, which were not retained by the stations, and took his tape
recorder to Chicago clubs to tape live performances. Most important of all,
he taped interviews with jazz musicians, club owners, and others who
were part of the early Chicago jazz scene.
Upon John Steiner's passing in June, 2000, his marvelous collection came
to the Chicago Jazz Archive -- in four moving van loads. His collection
reflects the life of an extraordinary man, not just a respected
industrial chemist, but a man whose life's passion was the Chicago
jazz he grew up with.
Read a tribute to John
Steiner by Bob Koester, owner of
Delmark Records
and the Jazz Record Mart.
How big is the Steiner collection?
It took four moving van loads to bring the collection to CJA in 2000. The Chicago Jazz Archive, including the The John Steiner Papers, became part of the Library's Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) in 2007.There are upwards of 35,000 recordings in various formats, as well as over 200 linear feet of paper materials, including photos, stock arrangements, song sheets, articles, clippings, research notes, books, periodicals, and posters. Until the finding aid is available, please direct questions about the contents of the Steiner Papers to the CJA Curator. A basic inventory does exist, which can be used on-site to identify relevant boxes for use in the Special Collections Research Center Reading Room.
John Steiner had materials on Wisconsin history and companies; is that material at CJA?
John Steiner did not leave all of his many historical collections to the Archive, just the jazz related material. In some cases materials that eventually had jazz significance are not here. Mr. Steiner's materials on Wisconsin industrial history, including that of Paramount's parent company, the Wisconsin Chair Factory, went to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Founding Industries of Wisconsin Collection.
How do I arrange to use the Steiner Papers?
Because this huge collection will take years to fully process, some parts of it will be available for research well before others. It is crucial that researchers contact the Curator to confirm that the materials sought are available for research use. Paper materials are used in the Special Collections Research Center Reading Room, on the First Floor of Regenstein Library; archival sound materials require a consultation with the Curator and are used by appointment only on the Library's Third Floor.Before contacting the Special Collections Research Center to schedule a visit, please see the Policies Governing the use of archival and manuscript collections, which includes the Researcher Agreement required for use of the collections, and the SCRC Reading Room Guidelines.
More information about the Archive and its history can be found in the Chicago Jazz Archive Guide on the CJA website.
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