Billy May musical scores, 1937-1972

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Summary

Creators:
May, Billy
Abstract:
This collection contains musical scores and parts for songs arranged by American musical arranger Billy May (1916-2004), dating from the late 1930s to early 1970s. The music includes popular songs, Big Band and Swing, jazz, Latin music, and music for television and movies.
Extent:
45 Linear Feet 40 boxes
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Box/folder no. or item name], Billy May musical scores, Collection no. 2159, Cinematic Arts Library, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains musical scores and parts for songs arranged by American musical arranger Billy May (1916-2004), dating from the late 1930s to early 1970s. There are files for 567 titles from more than 100 different composers including Count Basie, Bob Crosby, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Glenn Miller, and Henry Mancini. For each title, there is typically a holograph score showing all of the parts for different instruments and holograph sheet music for individual instruments. The music includes popular songs, Big Band and Swing, jazz, Latin music, and music for television and movies.

Housed with the collection in Box 1 are some photocopies of Mays' arrangements and "As you remember them: volume 2" (1972) a Time-Life vinyl record set. It is unclear if the record was received with the collection or added later.

Biographical / historical:

Billy May (1916-2004) was an American musical arranger, composer, and trumpeter. May began arranging music in high school. He worked steadily as an arranger and musician during the Great Depression. May performed regularly as a trumpeter and toured during the Big Band era of the 1940s. In the 1940s, May moved to Los Angeles, California, and worked as an arranger and studio orchestra leader.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Billy May.
Processing information:

Transferred from the USC Music Library to the Cinema Arts Library. Some processing by USC students in 2019 as part of the "Piloting a Shared Practice for Accessible Archival Descriptions" Dean's Challenge Grant. Additional description by Diann Benti in 2021.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged alphabetically by the name of the composer in two groupings:

Boxes 1-24: Ambrose-Chick Web

Boxes 25-38: Herb Alpert-Roger Williams

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Advance notice required for access.

Terms of access:

Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Cinematic Arts Library at cin@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Cinematic Arts Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Preferred citation:

[Box/folder no. or item name], Billy May musical scores, Collection no. 2159, Cinematic Arts Library, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Location of this collection:
Cinematic Arts Library
Doheny Memorial Library, Room G4
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0185, US
Contact:
(213) 740-8383
ctlibarc@usc.edu
Website