Scope and content:

The series comprises orchestral parts, full orchestral scores, vocal parts, lead sheets, lyric sheets, early draft versions and revisions of songs, and commercially printed sheet music, that appear to have been used for Durante's television, radio, and stage projects, or were created for the Jimmy Durante Music Publishing Company. Additionally, there are various supplemental parts of both original and pre-extant songs, including musical inserts, tags, walk-ons, introductions, and endings, composed and arranged for inclusion in Durante's radio, television, film, and nightclub performances; scripted sketches that serve as introductions to musical numbers; and lists and indexes of musical numbers. While the majority of the music is printed, the series does include many pages of manuscripts. The material documents compositions by Durante and his songwriting partner, Jack Barnett, with arrangements by Roy Bargy who served as Durante's orchestrator and musical director beginning in 1943. It is possible that many of the unattributed compositions in the series were also composed by Durante and Barnett, and that unattributed arrangements are by Bargy. The names of composers, lyricists, guest stars and duet partners have been included only if their names appeared on the item. The series is arranged alphabetically by song title.

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