In this Issue
Jongleur
Newsletter
of the Mills Music Library |
Skitch Henderson and the Volunteers
Skitch Henderson’s national reputation developed during his appearances on NBC television, especially from 1962-1966 when he served as the director of Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” band. In 1970, Henderson donated his collection of about one thousand compositions and arrangements, including over six hundred pieces from the “Tonight Show” era, to the University of Wisconsin. The collection resides in the Mills Music Library. The Retro Swing Band consists of a group of Madison retirees who get together to play big band jazz. When a few of its members first learned of the library’s Henderson Collection, they wanted to explore its treasures. Imagine their disappointment to discover that the collection was largely unprocessed and inaccessible. So, to remedy this problem, Bob Edwards, Bill Payne, Jim Roeber, and Bob Schwartz quickly decided to help the library by volunteering to do the work necessary to make it available to the public. They began this lengthy process by examining the entire collection, establishing basic bibliographic information and documenting the performing forces of each composition. Additionally, each musical selection was placed in an acid free folder to aid in the long term preservation of Henderson’s materials. These steps have now been completed, and the group will soon begin to rebox the collection and enter the documentation into a database. After all tasks have been finished, library staff will make the data available online. We want to take this opportunity to express our gratitude and to thank Bob, Bill, Jim, and Bob for giving so many hours over the past two years processing the Skitch Henderson Collection. Here is a bit more information about these talented and tenacious volunteers: • Bob Edwards, trumpet. Bob retired from his pharmaceutical-related software business in Illinois to return to his native Madison. He plays the bugle about sixty times each year as a member of the Madison Area Veteran's Firing Squad, and at one time he was playing in seven different local musical groups, including the Shrine Concert Band. • Bill Payne, trombone. Bill graduated from Northwestern University and taught music at Madison’s Central High School and Orchard Ridge Middle School. He performs with All That Jazz, conducts the Shrine Concert Band, plays in a brass sextet, and sings in the church choir. And when he’s not making music, he’s swimming in the Senior Olympics where he won 1st place in the butterfly event! • Jim Roeber, trombone. Prior to retirement, Jim was part of the University’s Facilities Planning and Management unit. At present, he maintains an active schedule as a musician and performs with the VFW Band conducted by Jim Latimer and the Soon-To-Be-Famous Lodi Band, a community group founded in 1948. • Bob Schwartz, trumpet. Bob is a retired faculty member from the UW's School of Pharmacy. Bob performs with the VFW Band, the Capitol City Band, and the six-piece Bill Terry Orchestra. When he is not busy performing in one of these musical organizations, he is also engaged in his hobby as a record collector. Thank you. We appreciate all that you have done for the library! |