Bert Seager Jazz Quintet at Market Mills Courtyard, 1989 (summer)

The Donald Bacon papers represent the work of journalist and photographer Donald Bacon, who documented the jazz scene in New England between 1970 and 1997. The collection includes articles, reviews, clippings, promotional material, programs, and flyers created and compiled by Bacon; incoming and outgoing correspondence to jazz musicians, agents, and other correspondents; photographs of jazz musicians; and recordings of interviews with musicians and jazz concerts on audio cassette.

A highlight of the collection is a group of thirty-one letters and cards Bacon received from the French jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli between 1976 and 1992, documenting Bacon’s friendship with Grappelli and his work promoting the violinist’s North American revival in the 1970s.

Articles and record reviews written by Don Bacon are noted in file descriptions; many include both the manuscript copy and the published version. A complete issue of the Boston Ledger, where much of Bacon’s work was featured, was retained and can be found in the Sandy Berman folder (Series 1, folder 70).

Bacon produced the majority of the photographs, however the collection also includes a number of stock (publicity) photographs and photos taken by other local professional photographers (usually stamped on the reverse of the image).