Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Styne, Jule, 1905-1994

Description

1. 6.6 linear ft. (18 boxes)

Summary

1. The bulk of the collection consists of scores of theatrical works and works written for television that Buster Davis wrote, arranged, directed and/or studied. Also included are individual songs written by Mr. Davis and others, a group of scores composed and arranged for television broadcast, holograph manuscript lecture notes and other writings. There is very little material in the collection documenting Buster Davis' personal life.

Uniform title

1. Bell Telephone hour (Television program)

Subject

1. Davis, Buster
2. Musicals
3. Television music

Genre/Form

1. Scores.
2. Clippings.
3. Lecture notes.

Call number

1. JPB 03-12

Biography (note)

1. Buster Davis was an active musical director and vocal arranger for Broadway theatrical productions from the 1940s through the 1980s. He was educated at Princeton and later arranged and directed numerous productions composed by Jule Styne, including Funny Girl and Bells are Ringing. His musical Doctor Jazz, for which he wrote the music and lyrics and served as musical director and vocal arranger, had a short run on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1975. Mr. Davis also wrote special material for many television shows, including the Bell Telephone Hour featuring the Buster Davis Singers and the Art Carney Show. In his later years Buster Davis taught courses on the American musical theatre and vocal arranging, where he shared his personal and musical knowledge of songwriters such as Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Jule Styne, Vincent Youmans, and many others.

Indexes/finding aids (note)

1. Finding aid available in repository and on Internet.

Author

1. Davis, Buster.

Title

1. Buster Davis scores, 1929-1987.

Biography

1. Buster Davis was an active musical director and vocal arranger for Broadway theatrical productions from the 1940s through the 1980s. He was educated at Princeton and later arranged and directed numerous productions composed by Jule Styne, including Funny Girl and Bells are Ringing. His musical Doctor Jazz, for which he wrote the music and lyrics and served as musical director and vocal arranger, had a short run on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1975. Mr. Davis also wrote special material for many television shows, including the Bell Telephone Hour featuring the Buster Davis Singers and the Art Carney Show. In his later years Buster Davis taught courses on the American musical theatre and vocal arranging, where he shared his personal and musical knowledge of songwriters such as Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Jule Styne, Vincent Youmans, and many others.

Indexes

1. Finding aid available in repository and on Internet. http://digilib.nypl.org/dynaweb/ead/music/musdavis

Connect to:

1. Request Access to Music & Recorded Sound Division Special Collections material
2. Finding Aid

Occupation

1. Composers.
2. Arrangers (Musicians)

Added author

1. Davis, Buster. Doctor Jazz.
2. Styne, Jule, 1905-1994. Bells are ringing.
3. Styne, Jule, 1905-1994. Funny girl.

Added title

1. Bell Telephone hour (Television program)

Research call number

1. JPB 03-12