Author and medical doctor Cuthbert O. Simpkins (b. 1947) wrote the first biography of jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane (1926-1967), titled Coltrane: A Biography (Perth Amboy, NJ: Herndon House Publishers, 1975). The collection contains audio recordings of interviews Simpkins conducted with various family members, friends, and colleagues of Coltrane between 1971-1974 as a part of his research.

The Cuthbert Simpkins Interviews on John Coltrane comprises 65 audio cassettes of interviews conducted by Simpkins between 1971-1974 while researching his 1975 biography of Coltrane. Simpkins interviewed family members, friends, musicians, and other associates from throughout Coltrane's career. The interviews address such topics as: Coltrane's family history, his childhood in North Carolina, the development of his musical style, his influence on other musicians, and his personality. Many also contain personal anecdotes related to Coltrane from throughout his life. The materials include multiple interviews with Calvin Massey, Jimmy Garrison, Larry Young (Khalid Yasin), Ornette Coleman, and others. The audiocassettes have been digitized for patron access, and portions of some interviews have been transcribed, with the transcriptions included in the collection.

Author David Tegnell (b. 1946) has conducted significant research on the family history of jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane (1926-1967). As a part of this research, Tegnell has interviewed over fifteen relatives and associates of Coltrane; two of whom - Betty and Tim Jackson - are represented in the collection.

As a part of his research into Coltrane's family history, Tegnell has interviewed over fifteen relatives and associates of Coltrane. The collection currently comprises two interviews with Betty and Tim Jackson, who were childhood friends and classmates of Coltrane's, conducted on March 3 and 7, 2003. Topics include the social life and church history of High Point as well as anecdotes related to Coltrane's life and musical career. The interviews were originally recorded on two microcassettes, which are closed to patron use. CD use copies of the interviews are available for patron use.

Frances Klein (b. October 19, 1915) is a female jazz musician who began her career in the early 1930s. She played trumpet in a number of jazz bands, most notably the all-female bands led by Irene Vermillion and Ina Ray Hutton. The collection contains materials compiled by Klein from throughout her musical career, consisting of clippings, posters, programs, and photographs of Klein and many other contemporary musicians.

The Frances Klein Papers contains materials compiled by Klein that relate to her career as a jazz trumpet player. The collection contains newspaper clippings, concert programs, and other promotional materials related to Klein's musical career from 1933 to 2002, including items from her time with bands led by Irene Vermillion and Ina Ray Hutton along with advertisements for Klein's own bands. Additionally, the collection includes photographs and images primarily related to Klein's musical career. These photographs include candid images and a large number of publicity shots from contemporary colleagues of Klein, including Irene Vermillion and Ina Ray Hutton.

Frank B. Foster III is a saxophonist, flautist, big band leader, educator, and Grammy Award-winning jazz composer and arranger, professionally active in music since the 1940s. The Frank Foster Papers consist chiefly of scores and parts composed or arranged by Foster for big bands and other large jazz ensembles from the 1950s through 2009. Also present are personal files consisting of correspondence, photographs, business records, publicity, reviews, and news clippings; and subject files on musical collaborations, music teaching, organizations and individuals, and family history.

The Frank Foster Papers span the dates 1930 to 2013, with the bulk of the materials dating from the 1950s to 2009. The papers consist chiefly of scores and parts composed or arranged by Foster for big bands and other large jazz ensembles, including works written for the Count Basie Orchestra in the 1950s-1960s and again in the 1980s-1990s, as well as works for The Loud Minority, and numerous other bands and organizations for which Foster was commissioned to compose. The collection is arranged in the following series: Compositions by Frank Foster, Compositions by Others, Personal Files, and Audio and Moving Image Materials. The compositions series are organized into Letter-Sized, Legal-Sized and Oversized subseries. The personal files consist of autobiographical writings, correspondence, photographs, business records, publicity, reviews, and news clippings; and subject files on musical collaborations, music teaching, organizations and individuals, and family history. Audio and moving image materials are primarily concert recordings featuring Foster from the 1970s through the 1990s. Acquired as part of the Jazz Archive at Duke University.

John Hicks was an African American jazz pianist, composer, and educator professionally active in music since the 1960s. Papers consist of compositions composed, arranged, or performed by John Hicks or Elise Wood; and professional and personal files comprising business records, press materials, photographs and correspondence. There are some photographs and clippings relating to his father, John Hicks, Sr, a Methodist minister. Also included is a large collection of audio and moving image materials in audio cassette, LP, CD, VHS, Betamax, and DVD formats, consisting chiefly of concert recordings of Hicks from the 1980s through the 2000s, but also containing rehearsals, interviews, and piano lessons with Hicks and his band members, including flautist Elise Wood.

The John Hicks Papers span the dates of 1950 through 2015, with the bulk of the materials dating from the 1980s and 1990s. The papers consist of compositions composed, arranged, or performed by John Hicks or his musical and business partner, flautist Elise Wood; and professional and personal files comprising business records, press materials, photographs and correspondence. There are some photographs and clippings relating to his father, John Hicks, Sr, a Methodist minister.

Also included is a large collection of audio and moving image materials in audio cassette, LP, CD, VHS, Betamax, and DVD formats, consisting chiefly of concert recordings of Hicks from the 1980s through the 2000s, but also containing rehearsals, interviews, and piano lessons with Hicks and his band members, including Elise Wood.

Johnny Long was a native of Newell, North Carolina and a student at Duke University from 1931 to 1935. In 1931, Long and ten other Duke freshmen formed the Duke Collegians Orchestra, later the Johnny Long Orchestra. Long and the Orchestra recorded several hits and performed at jazz venues around the country. Long continued to perform until his death in 1972. The scrapbook contains photographs, clippings, gig posters and advertisements, album liner notes, and other assorted memorabilia related to the Duke Collegians and the Johnny Long Orchestra and other big bands from North Carolina with inclusive dates 1931-1990.

The scrapbook, created by C. Shelby Dale (Duke '35), bass player and original member of the Orchestra, contains material pertaining to the career of Johnny Long with the Duke Collegians and the Johnny Long orchestra with the inclusive dates 1931 through 1973. Material includes photographs, clippings, gig posters and advertisements, album liner notes and other assorted memorabilia. Additional material also covers reunions of the surviving members of the Duke Collegians and the careers of other big bands and band leaders such as Les Brown and His Band of Renown (formerly the Duke Blue Devils), a 1936 graduate of Duke; Jelly Leftwich, the first Director of Duke's Department of Music and conductor of the Duke University Club Orchestra; Hal Kemp, leader of the Carolina Club Orchestra formed while a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Joseph Franklin "Sonny" Burke, a 1937 graduate of Duke and leader of the Duke Ambassadors.

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.

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.

Author Linda Dahl wrote the first full-length biography of jazz pianist, arranger, composer, and educator Mary Lou Williams (1910-1981), titled Morning Glory: A Biography of Mary Lou Williams (1999). The Linda Dahl Collection on Mary Lou Williams contains materials compiled by Dahl in researching the Williams biography, including newspaper and magazine clippings, correspondence, photographs and transparency strips, concert programs, and a variety of financial and foundation records.

The Linda Dahl Collection on Mary Lou Williams contains materials compiled by Dahl in researching her 1999 biography of Williams. The collection features newspaper and magazine clippings on Williams; letters from Williams to her friend Joyce Breach regarding Williams's concert tours and other travels, Roman Catholicism, the business of jazz, and Williams's medical ailments; as well as letters to Breach from other of Williams's associates. One folder of miscellaneous correspondence by Williams primarily relates to the planning of jazz concerts and to Williams's work with the Bel Canto Foundation and the Charlie Parker Memorial Fund. The collection also contains a selection of records related to the Mary Lou Williams Foundation; thirteen photographs and four transparency strips of Williams; a folder of concert programs featuring Williams or her compositions; and six miscellaneous publications, primarily on music, from throughout Williams's lifetime.

Paul Jeffrey was a saxophonist who performed as a member of Thelonious Monk's band from 1970 to 1976. The collection contains audio recordings of Monk's concerts from the 1970s made by saxophonist Paul Jeffrey.

In March 1970, Monk hired saxophonist Paul Jeffrey to join his working band for a six-day run at the Frog and Nightgown club in Raleigh, N.C. Jeffrey continued performing and touring with Monk through 1976, when Monk ceased his public appearances. Jeffrey made personal open reel audio recordings of many of the concerts, and fourteen of the surviving reels comprise this collection.

Paul H. Jeffrey was a saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator. The Paul Jeffrey Papers have as their focal point nearly 1,400 manuscript scores and parts that Jeffrey composed or arranged for big band jazz ensemble, primarily for the Duke Jazz Ensemble. Also present are audio and moving image materials, photographs and posters, as well as correspondence, promotional materials, and written records relating to various aspects of Jeffrey's career.

The Paul Jeffrey Papers span the dates 1969 to 2006. The papers have as their focal point nearly 1,400 manuscript scores and parts that Jeffrey composed or arranged for big band jazz ensemble, primarily for the Duke Jazz Ensemble. The papers also include photographs, posters, and other written records of Jeffrey's musical career since the 1960s. There are additionally over 500 hours of concert and studio recordings in a number of audio and moving image formats that date since the 1960s. These formats include audiocassettes, open reel audio tapes, compact discs, digital audio tapes, long-playing records, VHS, and Hi-8 video cassettes. The collection is arranged into the following five series: Correspondence, Promotional Material, and Festival Records; Photographs and Posters; Audio and Moving Image Materials; Music Manuscripts; and Oversize Music Manuscripts. Audio and Moving Image Materials are arranged by format, and Music Manuscripts are arranged alphabetically. Acquired as a part of the Jazz Archive at Duke University.