The Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio has acquired the personal archives of the legendary jazz bassist Milt Hinton. Hinton, a native of Mississippi, had a jazz career that spanned more than 70 years and his music can be heard on more than 1,000 recordings. In addition to his music, Hinton was an avid photographer.
Hinton died in 1990. His estate has donated four of his basses to the Oberlin Conservatory. In addition the Conservatory received a large collection of personal papers including correspondence with other famous musicians, personal journals, and contracts. Also included in the collection are many of Hinton’s photographs.
“We are enormously grateful to the Hinton estate and deeply honored to play a lead role in preserving the legacy of Milt Hinton,” says Andrea Kalyn, dean of the Oberlin Conservatory. “This profound collection truly brings to life the formative years of jazz history, and affords unprecedented insight into the people and places behind the music. It will serve as an invaluable resource to current and future generations of students and scholars at Oberlin and throughout the world.”
