Oral Histories
Interview of Evelyn Freeman Roberts
Bandleader of the Evelyn Freeman Swing Band, Wings over Jordan, Evelyn Freeman Orchestra, and the Young Saints.
- Series:
- Black Music and Musicians in Los Angeles: Spirituals, Gospel, Jazz, and Spoken Word
- Topic:
- African American HistoryMusic
- Biographical Note:
- Bandleader of the Evelyn Freeman Swing Band, Wings over Jordan, Evelyn Freeman Orchestra, and the Young Saints.
- Interviewee:
- Roberts, Evelyn Freeman
- Persons Present:
- Freeman Roberts, Patterson, and Adriana Montenegro (videographer).
- Place Conducted:
- Roberts' home in Los Angeles, California.
- Supporting Documents:
- Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library’s Center for Oral History Research.Original digital video cassettes were deposited with the Department of Ethnomusicology. Additional materials relating to these interviews are located in the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive.
- Interviewer Background and Preparation:
- The interview was conducted by Karin Patterson, UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology.; B.A., Ethnomusicology, UCLA, 1997; M.A., Ethnomusicology, 1999; Ph.D., Ethnomusicology, UCLA, 2007.Patterson was acquainted with Freeman prior to the interview, having participated in a performance ensemble directed by Freeman.
- Processing of Interview:
- The transcript is a verbatim transcription of the recording. It was transcribed by a professional transcribing agency using a list of proper names and specialized terminology supplied by the interviewer. Roberts was given an opportunity to review the transcript but made no corrections or additions.
- Length:
- 6 hrs.
- Language:
- English
- Copyright:
- Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.
- Audio:
- Series Statement:
- These interviews with African American musicians provide details about the narrators' background, training, influences, and musical choices and discuss their contributions, and connections to the music of black Los Angeles. The series was a collaborative project of the UCLA Center for Oral History Research, the Department of Ethnomusicology, and the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, with funding from an Arts Initiative grant from the UCLA School of Arts and Architecture. UCLA Professor Jacqueline DjeDje was the principal investigator and defined the scope and selected the individuals to be interviewed. In addition to the audio recordings housed with the UCLA Center for Oral History Research, the interviews were all captured on video, and those videos can be accessed at the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive.