- Creator
- Sullivan, Maxine, 1911-1987
- Call number
- Sc MG 918
- Physical description
- 0.42 linear feet (1 box)
- Language
- English
- Preferred Citation
- [Item], Maxine Sullivan jazz oral history project interview, Rutgers University, Sc MG 918, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library
- Repository
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
- Access to materials
- Request an in-person research appointment.
African American jazz soloist Maxine Sullivan was known for her cool and arresting "whispering voice," soothing style, gentle rhythmic phrasing, and intricate swing delivery. She became well known in the late 1930s for her swing performance of the Scottish traditional ballad "Loch Lomond". The song became her signature piece and catapulted her career. During this period, Sullivan performed as the main act at the Onyx Club on 52nd Street in New York City, alongside bassist John Kirby and his band. The two married in 1938 but were divorced three years later. In 1950, Sullivan married pianist Cliff Jackson. Excluding a ten-year break she took from show-business in 1957, Sullivan's career spanned four decades. Sullivan was also popular with jazz enthusiasts outside of the United States and she toured internationally several times. The collection contains a photocopied transcript of an interview with Maxine Sullivan conducted as part of Rutgers University's Institute of Jazz Studies Oral History Project. The transcript is particularly rich in its detail of Sullivan's recording career and collaboration with other artists. Eleven tapes were transcribed, totaling 750 pages.
Administrative information
Source of acquisition
Purchased from Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies.
Revision History
Finding aid updated by Lauren Stark. (2021 January 4)
Related Material
Maxine Sullivan papers, Sc MG 473, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Key terms
Names
Subjects
Using the collection
Location
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801
Second Floor
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.Location of originals
The original transcript of an interview with Sullivan conducted as part of their Jazz Oral History Project is held at Rutgers University's Institute of Jazz Studies.