Sound

oral histories

interviews

As a boy, alto sax player Charlie Holmes (1910 – 1985) was friends with Harry Carney and Johnny Hodges both of whom went on to long careers in the Duke Ellington band. Holmes was a technically skilled musician at an early age, having played oboe in the Boston Civic Symphony Orchestra and could double on clarinet. A native of Boston, Holmes moved to New York with Harry Carney in 1927, worked briefly with Chick Webb and got his start with pianist Luis Russell’s band. In the Russell orchestra, Holmes played alongside early luminaries Henry “Red” Allen and J. C. Higginbotham. Later Holmes joined the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, and then returned to Russell’s band (under the direction of Louis Armstrong) as lead alto. After a stint in the USO, Holmes returned to the US to play with John Kirby and Billy Kyle before retiring as a full-time musician and taking a job at an insurance company. Holmes alto style is often compared with Johnny Hodges’s based on their early association but unlike Hodges, Holmes never led his own band remaining a sideman his whole career.

Tape 2, Side 1: There is a minute of talking that isn't in the transcript from 45:30 to 46:40.
Tape 2, Side 2: A minute of dialogue is missing from transcript in the beginning to 1:18.
Tape 3: A sentence is missing at end of recording, not in transcript.
Tape 5: Has a minute missing from transcript at end of recording from 45:33 to end.
Tape 7, Side 2 From the beginning of the recording to around 1:27 there is missing dialogue in the transcript. 97-206, including 106a, a missing page from scanning.

Page numbers here indicate page numbers for "Read Online" interface. Page numbers listed on transcripts may differ.

Tape 1 Side 1 ... Transcript pages 1-30
Tape 1 Side 2 ... Transcript pages 30-56
Tape 2 Side 1 ... Transcript pages 57-85
Tape 2 Side 2 ... Transcript pages 85-97
Tape 3 Side 1 ... Transcript pages 98-129
Tape 4 Side 1 ... Transcript pages 129-155
Tape 4 Side 2 ... Transcript pages 155-179
Tape 5 Side 1 ... Transcript pages 179-208
Tape 6 Side 1 ... Transcript pages 209-236
Tape 6 Side 2 ... Transcript pages 236-264
Tape 7 Side 1 ... Transcript pages 265-291
Tape 7 Side 2 ... Transcript pages 291-317
Tape 8 Side 1 ... Transcript pages 317-346
Tape 9 Side 1 ... Transcript pages 347-370
Tape 9 Side 1 ... Transcript pages 371-393
Tape 10 Side 1 ... Transcript pages 393-422
Tape 11 Side 1 ... Transcript pages 423-452
Tape 11 Side 2 ... Transcript pages 452-460

doi:10.7282/T3HD7ZM6

The Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS) promotes the use of its collections, and strives to protect the integrity of its materials. We offer digital reproductions of IJS materials subject to U.S. copyright law and other legal obligations.

NOTICE OF WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, US Code) governs the reproduction of copyrighted material.

Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not “to be used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement.

Materials viewed by patrons online or supplied to patrons online are reference copies. Our supply of copies does not constitute copyright permission for further uses and is not an authorization for any further uses involving reproduction, distribution, display, performance, or creation of derivative works, including their use in publications and web sites. It’s the patron’s responsibility to obtain permissions that may be required to use works for purposes other than private study, scholarship, or research, or in excess of fair use.