THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS: JOHN PHILLIPS, MICHELLE PHILLIPS, DENNIS DOHERTY and CASS ELLIOT The Mamas and Papas sign a document to Dunhill Records, Inc., Trousdale Music Publishers, Inc. and Wingate Music Corp. Rare Typed Document Signed: "John Phillips", "Michelle Gilliam Phillips", "Cass Elliot" and "Dennis Doherty", 3p, 8½x11, separate sheets. No place, 1967 September 28. In letter form to Dunhill Records, Inc., Trousdale Music Publishers, Inc. and Wingate Music Corp. A listing of seven points to confirm the "understanding and agreement between you and the undersigned....". In part: "Trousdale agrees to cancel as of October 1, 1966 the 10% collection charge which was deducted in the computation of our writers' royalties for the last half of 1966...We acknowledge and agree that mechanical royalties are payable by Dunhill and its parent and affiliated companies to Trousdale and Wingate on 90% of gross sales and that writers' royalties are payable by Trousdale and Wingate on the same 90% basis...You and we hereby read more...

DJANGO REINHARDT Rare photograph signed by one of Europe's first great jazz musicians, considered by many to be the finest guitarist the world has ever known. Rare Photograph signed: "D. Reinhardt". B/w, 5x6. Captioned at lower margin: "Club Rythmique de Belgique." Jean Baptise "Django" Reinhardt (1910-1953), who was born in Belgium, grew up in a gypsy camp near Paris. Originally a violinist, he is best remembered for his jazz and swing performances on the acoustic guitar (because of youthful burn injuries that cost him two fingers, Reinhardt had to develop an original fingering system). In the 1930s, he performed with Stephane Grappelli in the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Although he couldn't read music, Reinhardt created many influential jazz compositions. The pioneer of the concept of the lead guitarist in a musical group, Reinhardt is best remembered for such songs as "My Sweet", "Minor Swing", "Tears", "Belleville" "Djangology" and "Nauges". In addition to touring throughout Europe, Reinhardt was acclaimed in the U.S., opening for Duke Ellington and playing at Carnegie Hall. read more...

BUDDY HOLLY His handwritten answers to an English test at Lubbock High School, 1953 Autograph Manuscript signed: "Buddy Holley", 1p, 8x10½. Lubbock (Texas), 1953 March 17. An English grammar test. Holly (original spelling "Holley") has headed the page, signing his name in the upper left and writing "English 22v (2)" beneath his name. At the upper right, he has penned "Lubbock High School" and the date "March 17, 1953". Headed: "Test" by Holly, the test had 40 questions; just the answers are written. Holly had to identify parts of speech ("adv", "noun", "pronoun", "conjunction") and types of sentences ("run-on", "phrase", "sub. clause"). Only one answer (the first) is marked wrong. Holly was graduated from Lubbock High School in 1955 and within a year was recording for Decca Records. He was an innovator who wrote his own material and was among the first to use such advanced studio techniques as double-tracking. Holly pioneered and popularized the now-standard rock-band lineup of two guitars, bass and drums. He began experimenting with orchestration shortly before his death in 1959. His first song recorded with the Crickets in 1957 was "That'll Be the Day". "Peggy Sue" followed. read more...

THELONIUS MONK His career taking off, Monk contracts for an engagement in Philadelphia. Document signed: "Thelonius Monk", 1p, 8½x11. Also signed by Blue Note club owner "Lou Church." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1956 November 11. Monk signs an American Federation of Musicians contract for four performances by his quartet at the Blue Note in Philadelphia. The gig includes two evening and two matinee performances. The price agreed upon is $750, to be paid at the end of the engagement. The other members of his ensemble are not named in the document. Accompanied by unsigned, captioned photo (b/w, 10x8) of Monk performing. Jazz pianist and composer Thelonius Monk (1917-1982) has been called "the high priest of bebop," although his idiosyncratic style defies glib categorization. Several of his compositions, including Round Midnight and Blue Monk are classics of the genre. Although Monk had been performing since the early 1940s and had already written some of his classic songs, it was not until the mid-1950s that his avant-garde style began to attract a wide audience. In 1956 he released Brilliant Corners, considered one of the classic jazz albums of all time. read more...

VERDI WRITES TO MARIA WALDMANN WHO APPEARED IN HIS FIRST PRODUCTION OF AIDA IN MILAN   GIUSEPPE VERDI. ALS: "G. Verdi", 1p, 4½x3½. Sant'Agate, 1889 November 18. To his close friend, Maria Massari Waldmann. In Italian, partially translated. In part: "Thank you, my dear Maria, and thanks to your kind Duke for the affectionate remembrance...Greetings to the Duke and a warm handshake...." On February 8, 1872, mezzo-soprano MARIA MASSARI WALDMANN starred as Amneris in the Milan premiere of Aida under Verdi's direction. At the time of this letter, Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) spent part of the year at the Villa Verdi at St. Agata diBusseto, close to his birthplace in Le Roncole, and part in Genoa in an apartment in the Palazzo Doria. Inscription on verso of Verdi's letter, in Italian: "To my dear/friend Margherita/from/Maria Massari/Zavaglia/Ferrara, 22-1-905". There is a collection of nearly 100 letters from Verdi to Waldmann in La Biblioteca del Conservatorio "G.B. Martini" in Bologna, Italy. Lightly stained. Overall, fine condition. read more...

TAX DOCUMENT REVEALS THAT GEORGE GERSHWIN GOT 60% AND IRA GERSHWIN RECEIVED 40% FROM THEIR COLLABORATIONS   GEORGE GERSHWIN and IRA GERSHWIN. Carbon Typed Document Signed: "George Gershwin" and "Ira Gershwin", 1p, 8½x13. Los Angeles, California, 1936 September 30. In part: "GEORGE GERSHWIN and IRA GERSHWIN each, being first duly sworn, deposes and says: That he is one of the parties to the written agreement dated July 29, 1936, executed by and between RKO STUDIOS, INC. and GEORGE GERSHWIN and IRA GERSHWIN, under the terms and conditions of which the said George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin are employed by the said RKO Studios, Inc. and under the terms and conditions of which the compensation payable to the said George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin is paid to them jointly, without any allocation between them. That under the terms and conditions of an agreement existing between the said George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin all compensation received by them read more...

JEAN SIBELIUS and IRVING BERLIN Framed Gallery of History display (35x25), including Berlin's signature on a card attached to a musical biography; and a typed letter signed by Sibelius in 1953, politely declining to answer the question of whether Berlin is "America's greatest composer". TLS: "Jean Sibelius" in English, 1 page, 6x8½. Järvenpää, 1953 June 4. To Cyril Clemens, President, The International Mark Twain Society. In full: "Many thanks for your latest letter with your account of my life and career. It was very well written, indeed, with much ability and sympathy. Please accept my cordial thanks for it. The article about Irving Berlin I have read with much interest. His works are indeed performed here very often. If he is America's greatest composer, is of course difficult to say. America has many prominent composers by now. It is almost impossible to say such a thing about any composer. With all my kindest regards". Mid-horizontal fold, not at signature. Fine condition. In this letter to Cyril Clemens of the Mark Twain Society, JEAN SIBELIUS (1865-1957) expressed the difficulty of calling any one composer a country's "Greatest Composer". read more...

GEORGE GERSHWIN This framed letter that features the composer's autograph shows his interest in new phonograph recording technology Typed Letter Signed, "George Gershwin". 8¼x10½. One page. Dated September 14, 1931. On his personal letterhead. Gershwin writes to a representative of R.C.A. which was the parent company of N.B.C. (created in 1926 to broadcast on radio) and Victor Labs (acquired in 1929 which built phonographs.). The conglomerate was able to remain at the forefront of early broadcasting technology for many years due to the unique merging of technologies. Gershwin's association with R.C.A. was a long and fruitful venture. It was R.C.A. that recorded “An American in Paris”, which was used in the 1951 musical film of the same name. Gershwin's letter in full: " My dear Mr. Clark: I received your invitation to dinner at the Savoy-Plaza on September seventeenth. I am tremendously interested in hearing the new development in phonograph recording, which you will probably demonstrate account of a previous engagement which I have for that evening. Perhaps some day you will permit me to come down to the New York offices and listen to the new development. read more...

THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS: JOHN PHILLIPS, MICHELLE PHILLIPS, DENNIS DOHERTY and CASS ELLIOT The Mamas and the Papas sign a document amending their agreement with Trousdale Music Publishers, Inc. Rare Typed Document Signed: "John Phillips", "Michelle Phillips", "Cass Elliot" and "Dennis Doherty", 1p, 8½x11. No place, 1967 August 17. To the Grammy Award-winning duo in letter form from Trousdale Music Publishers, Inc. Amendment to their Agreement of October 4, 1965 (updated on April 28, 1966). In part: "Trousdale Music Publishers, Inc. shall have the right to assign to Wingate Music Corp., all rights acquired by it pursuant to the terms of the Agreement including, without limitation the songwriting services of any or all of you and any copyrights acquired thereunder...." Also signed: "Larry Newton" as President of Trousdale Music Publishers, Inc. The Mamas and the Papas, who were formed in New York in 1964 and disbanded in 1972, had already had a Grammy Award-winning hit, "Monday, Monday" (1966), by the time they signed this document. read more...