Role & Mission

Established in 1992 with the donation of the historical materials of jazz legend Lionel Hampton, the International Jazz Collections at the University of Idaho has grown to be one of the significant jazz archives in the world.

Housing the complete collections of jazz critic Leonard Feather, trombonist Al Grey and trumpeter Conte Candoli, as well as pieces from the collections of vocalists Joe Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, and Lee Morse; trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Doc Cheatham; pianist Jane Jarvis; publisher and collector Neil McCaffrey; and band leader Stan Kenton, the Collections are a growing repository dedicated to the preservation, promotion and study of one of the world's great art forms.

The Collections currently house over 500 scores, 10,000 recordings (including the Carl M. Perricone and Bernie Strassberg collections), 45 cubic feet of letters and papers, 5,000 photographs, 17 instruments, and numerous personal items of historical significance including over 35 years of materials and recordings associated with the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. Through the Collections’ educational programs and partnerships with the Jazz Festival and other cultural institutions, the archive will be made accessible and available for study and enjoyment by students, jazz and music enthusiasts, musicians and scholars worldwide.