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Creator
Jenkins, Leroy
Call number
JPB 23-3
Physical description
13.02 linear feet (34 boxes, 3 oversize folders). 785.0 megabytes (398 computer files)
Language
English
Preferred Citation
Leroy Jenkins papers, JPB 23-3. Music Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
Repository
Music Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.Restrictions apply

Leroy Jenkins (1932-2007) was a Black American violinist and composer associated with the avant-garde jazz movement of the 1970s. A charter member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), Jenkins' work as a player and composer pushed the limits of jazz, while Jenkins' work as a composer included operas, orchestral works, and dance. The Leroy Jenkins papers date from the 1930s to 2022 and include scores, charts, notes, notebooks, correspondence, photographs, and recordings.

Biographical/historical information

Leroy Jenkins was a Black American violinist and composer associated with the avant-garde jazz movement of the 1970s. Born in Chicago in 1932, Jenkins began studying violin as a child and would regularly perform at St. Luke's Baptist Church, sometimes accompanied by Dinah Washington on piano. Jenkins attended DuSable High School, where he switched to saxophone and clarinet; he resumed his violin study while attending Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. After graduating with a degree in music education in 1961, Jenkins moved to Mobile, Alabama where he taught music education in public school.

Jenkins returned to Chicago in 1964 and became associated with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), a group of jazz musicians dedicated to nurturing and performing original music. Jenkins began performing with other members of AACM including Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith, and Steve McCall. The group moved to Paris in 1968, and with the addition of Richard Davis, they formed Creative Construction Company. In 1970, Jenkins moved to New York and soon formed the group Revolutionary Ensemble with Sirone and Jerome Cooper. The Revolutionary Ensemble would record and perform regularly throughout the 1970s. During this time Jenkins also performed and recorded with Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp, Alice Coltrane, Don Cherry, and Carla Bley. Jenkins also began leading his own groups, often joined by members of the AACM; in the late 1970s he performed as a trio with Anthony Davis and Andrew Cyrille.

As Jenkins entered the 1980s, he began to focus more on fulfilling commissions. He received grants and commissions from numerous organizations, with his compositions being performed by the Brooklyn Philharmonic and Kronos Quartet amongst many others. In 1990, the opera The Mother of Three Sons premiered in Munich, featuring composition by Jenkins, choreography by Bill T. Jones, and libretto by Ann T. Green. The work was later performed by the New York City Opera in 1991. Other works composed by Jenkins include Fresh Faust, a jazz-rap opera; The Negros Burial Ground, a cantata; and The Three Willies, a multimedia opera.

In the 2000s Jenkins increasingly returned to small group performances and solo improvisation, both live and in the studio. Revolutionary Ensemble reunited in 2004, performing at festivals and recording new material. Leroy Jenkins died in Brooklyn, New York in 2007.

Scope and arrangement

The Leroy Jenkins papers date from the 1930s to 2022, and chart the violinist's career as a performer and composer. The collection covers all aspects of Jenkins' music career from his early work with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) to Revolutionary Ensemble to his career as a solo artist and sideman. Also documented is Jenkins' work as a composer of operas and orchestral works, including files dedicated to his works The Mother of Three Sons, Fresh Faust, The Negros Burial Ground, and The Three Willies. In addition to Jenkins' professional career, the collection also covers his personal life, writing, teaching, press and reviews, and awards and grants.

The collection is arranged into six series: Scores, Productions, and Working Files; Studio Recordings and Live Performances; Personal; Office Files; Publications and Programs; and Visual Material. The collection is represented through scores, programs, photographs, notebooks, correspondence, office files, personal papers, and sound and video recordings. Some files may contain context notes written by Jenkins' wife, Linda.

The Leroy Jenkins papers are arranged in six series:

  • Series I: Scores, Productions, and Working Files
    1969-2009
    9.25 linear feet (25 boxes). 481.1 megabytes (308 computer files)

    The Scores, Productions, and Working Files series date from 1969 to 2009 and contain full scores, instrument parts, notes, drafts, correspondence, recordings, and librettos related to works composed or arranged by Jenkins. This includes songs, orchestral works, operas, dance composition, and improvisational pieces. Files are arranged alphabetically, with works written by others, but arranged by Jenkins, filed at the end.

    Held here are songs, commissions, and orchestrations from throughout Jenkins' life and career. Prominent works represented include the operas The Mother of Three Sons, Fresh Faust, The Negros Burial Ground, and The Three Willies. Some works may be credited to co-writers. Works written by others, with arrangement by Jenkins, include works by Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Wayne Shorter, and Billy Strayhorn.

    There is also a small amount of unidentified material including scores, charts, and a notebook.

  • Series II: Studio Recordings and Live Performances
    1969-2008
    0.42 linear feet (1 box)

    The Studio Recordings and Live Performances series spans 1969 to 2008 and include recordings of studio and live appearances by Jenkins, as both a solo artist and a member of various groups. Group recordings represented include Equal Interest, Sting, and Revolutionary Ensemble.

    The Revolutionary Ensemble recordings contain various live appearances, studio recordings, and rehearsals. Some Revolutionary Ensemble recordings of note are performance and rehearsal recordings from Ornette Coleman's "Artists House" loft; recordings from live appearances at NYU and St. Mark's Cinema; live radio sets, including a 1971 recording with original drummer, Frank Clayton; and recordings from Revolutionary Ensemble's 2004 reunion at Vision Festival and Joe's Pub.

    Also held here are recordings of other artists performing works written by Jenkins; dance works performed by Jenkins and Felicia Norton; montage radio recordings made by Jenkins; and unidentified recordings. Recordings are arranged alphabetically with unidentified recordings filed at the end. Some recordings may have corresponding paper material such as notes or programs.

    For recordings of specific songs and other works by Jenkins, see Series I: Scores, Productions, and Working Files. For recordings of tributes and memorials dedicated to Jenkins, see Series III: Personal. For recordings of interviews with or about Jenkins, see Series IV: Office Files.

  • Series III: Personal
    1945-2022
    2.75 linear feet (7 boxes). 1.2 megabytes (34 computer files)

    The Personal series dates from 1945 to 2022 and contains biographies, correspondence, notebooks, planners, ephemera, and writing detailing Jenkins' personal life and thoughts. Also held here are posthumous files related to Jenkins' death and various services and memorials in his honor. Files are arranged alphabetically with posthumous files arranged at the end.

    Items of note in correspondence include exchanges with German composer Hans Werner Henze, Jenkins' alma mater Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, and a reference letter written for Henry Threadgill.

    Also held with Personal Papers is a file titled Influences. Held here are clippings and programs detailing individuals and organizations important to Jenkins. This includes a notated copy of a program for Dizzy Gillespie's memorial service. Other material held with Personal Papers include files related to the organization Meet The Composer, for which Jenkins served on the board; a New York Dance and Performance Award for Outstanding Creative achievement for the opera The Mother of Three Sons; and programs from Jenkins' school days.

    Notepads, Notebooks, and Journals contains various notes kept by Jenkins throughout his life. This includes notebooks detailing business dealings, expenses, and contacts; notes and notation for the operas Fresh Faust and Negros Burial Ground; a notebook from Jenkins' time teaching at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts); and other writings, notes, and notation. Similarly, the planners held here offer a glimpse into the scheduling of Jenkins' personal and professional time from the 1970s through his death.

    Writing held with personal papers include essays and drafts on Jenkins' early life, time in Paris and move to New York; the early days of the AACM; an ode to Cannonball Adderley; and late life goals.

    Posthumous files include condolences, guest books from memorial services, and recordings from various memorials and tributes.

  • Series IV: Office Files
    1969-2022
    1.5 linear feet (4 boxes). 1.7 megabytes (30 computer files)

    The Office Files series dates from 1969 to 2022 and contain Jenkins' files related to business dealings, grants, press, and teaching. Also held here are Jenkins' files on various dance projects. Files are arranged alphabetically.

    Business files include contracts and related correspondence, business cards, and marketing material produced by Jenkins for various releases and live performances. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Jenkins would fill out contact sheets with information about performance and recording dates. These sheets include location and contact details, pay, and other relevant information that offer a glimpse at scheduling for an independent artist.

    Dance files contain clippings, press, programs and correspondence about various projects. Also held here are notes on staging dance productions and working with the dancer, Felicia Norton. The Grants files cover various awards received or applied for by Jenkins. This includes clippings, correspondence, and applications related to grants and awards received from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Dance Theater Workshop, and National Endowment for the Arts. There is also a file on the fellowship Jenkins received from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.

    Reviews, press, and Interviews includes various reviews and clippings of live performances, albums, and groups. Interviews include recordings and transcripts with and about Jenkins. This includes interviews on radio stations KPFA and WKCR; interviews with Muhal Richard Abrams, Thurman Barker, Oliver Lake, Alving Singleton, Sirone, and Henry Threadgill about Jenkins; and unpublished interviews with Jenkins.

    Teaching and Workshops contain files related to workshops and classes taught by Jenkins. This includes courses and seminars at Brooklyn College, California Institute For the Arts, and Oberlin College. Also held here are recordings Jenkins would use in class.

  • Series V: Publications and Programs
    1977-2013
    1.08 linear feet (3 boxes)

    The Publications and Programs series dates from 1977 to 2013, and includes various publications important to Jenkins or that make reference to Jenkins. Also held here are programs for performances by Jenkins and performances of works by Jenkins. Materials are arranged alphabetically, with programs arranged by date.

  • Series VI: Visual Material
    1930s-2007
    0.94 linear feet (3 boxes, 3 oversize folders). 301.0 megabytes (26 computer files)

    The Visual Material series dates from the 1930s to 2007 and includes photographs and artwork from throughout Leroy Jenkins' life. Photographs depict Jenkins in performance, both solo and with Revolutionary Ensemble; teaching at California Institute of the Arts; travel in Italy and Mali; portraits taken for publicity; and performances with the dancer, Felicia Norton. Also held here are photographs of Jenkins' family, personal life, and childhood.

    Artwork includes prints of album covers of Jenkins' solo releases, Creative Construction Company, Revolutionary Ensemble, and large laminated clippings. There is also artwork from Vision Festival performances, including a drawing of Jenkins by Jeffrey Schlanger and a print of the tribute performance 50 Violins for Leroy conducted by Billy Bang. Material is arranged alphabetically.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

The collection was donated by Linda Harris in 2022.

Processing information

Processed by Christopher Arena in 2023 and 2024.

Using the collection

Location

Music Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor

Access restrictions

Inquiries regarding audio and video materials in the collection may be directed to the Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound (recordedsound@nypl.org). Audio and video materials will be subject to preservation evaluation and migration prior to access.