Ed and Ruth Williams collection on Boston jazz, 1984-2004
Scope and Contents
This collection comprises the work of sound engineer Ed Williams and photographer Ruth Williams, who together documented the New England jazz scene for over 15 years. Materials include multi-track audio masters and production copies of live performance recordings and related indices by Ed Williams; photograph books by Ruth Williams; and a Yamaha audio workstation, modified by Ed Williams to produce his recordings.
Dates
- Creation: 1984-2006
Creator
- Williams, Ruth (Photographer) (Person)
- Williams, Ed (Audio engineer) (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research by appointment. Advance notice is required for access because materials are stored offsite.
Recordings on CD have not been transferred. Patrons may view an item’s original container and/or carrier, but the original recordings may not be available for playback due to preservation concerns. Patrons may request access copies or listening appointments, however due to format obsolescence and condition, recordings many not be available for transfer. Contact Archives staff for further information.
Biographical note
Husband and wife Ed and Ruth Williams documented the Boston jazz scene for over 15 years. Ed, a sound engineer, recorded live performances across New England; Ruth, a photographer, published two books capturing these musicians in action.
Extent
8 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection comprises the work of sound engineer Ed Williams and photographer Ruth Williams, who together documented the New England jazz scene for over 15 years. Materials include multi-track audio recordings of live performance and related indices by Ed Williams; photograph books by Ruth Williams; and a Yamaha audio workstation.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in four series:
Series 1: Vintage Gem CDs
The Vintage Gem CDs are compilation CDs of live performances recorded by Ed Williams at local venues, such as the Chestnut Hill Mall and The Sticky Wicket. This series is arranged alphabetically by artist/band name.
Series 2: Jazz Archive CDs
The Jazz Archives CDs series comprises volumes of CDs recorded and organized by Ed Williams, with an accompanying index. This series is arranged in numerical order.
Series 3: Photograph Books
The Photograph Books series contains one published work by Ruth Williams, Faces of Jazz, and three additional plastic comb-bound books of her photographs. This series is arranged alphabetically.
Series 4: Yamaha AW16G Professional Audio Workstation
This series contains one item: Ed Williams' Yamaha AW16G Professional Audio Workstation and the accompanying owner's manual.
Technical Access Note
The Yamaha AW16G Professional Audio Workstation is required for playback of the Jazz Archive CDs found in Series Two.
Genre / Form
Topical
- Title
- Ed and Ruth Williams collection on Boston jazz, 1984-2004
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Amanda Axel; with Sofía Becerra-Licha
- Date
- 2017/04/03
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- The processing of this collection and the creation of this finding aid were completed with support from a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Repository Details
Part of the Berklee Archives Repository
Berklee College of Music
1140 Boylston St
Boston MA 02215 USA
617-747-8001
archives@berklee.edu