About the Collection
Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham (1905-1997) was an American jazz trumpeter, vocalist, and bandleader, professionally active from the 1920s through the 1990s.
The collection consists of 165 audio cassette tapes related to Cheatham. The material was donated to Oberlin College in 2011 by the Doc Cheatham Estate. The tapes feature content dating back to 1923, though most of the early material comprises duplications of commercially-available recordings. There are a number of home-made compilations that also draw upon commercially-available content from multiple decades.
The collection includes concert recordings featuring Cheatham in bands led by Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, and others, along with concert recordings from tours Cheatham was a part of in Europe. There are also unreleased studio recording sessions with Butch Thompson and others. Finally, there are a number of recordings of Cheatham being interviewed by Phil Schaap, Frank Driggs, Ed Berger, and others.