Collections
Exciting exhibits include thousands of vinyl albums complete with liner notes, a Ella Fitzgerald, Dance Band, and Big Band rooms featuring a larger than life mural of Ella Fitzgerald, big bands’ music and artifacts and a plethora of trumpets from outstanding artists including Doc Severinsen and Dizzy Gillespie. Many examples of recording equipment spanning throughout the years are on display, beginning with the beautifully crafted phonograph machines, one of which is a Thomas Edison original cylinder player and finishing with an MP3 player the size of a Bic classic lighter. Sherman Jazz Museums’ collections of jazz memorabilia, which rivals many others in the nation, will inspire music lovers of all ages.
Vocal Room
Featuring a mural of Ella Fitzgerald
Dance Band Room
Featuring the big bands of Tommy Dorsey, Chick Webb, Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson, and others
Big Band Era Room
Featuring the remnants of the post-war dance bands, Count Basie, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Duke Ellington, and Maynard Ferguson
Trumpet Room
Featuring the greatest trumpeters to ever live. Here, much of the Maynard Ferguson estate is displayed, as well as the Roy Eldridge estate.
Individual Items on Display
Dizzy Gillespie’s Trumpet
in its treasures from the height of the Jazz era, collections include those from Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen, assorted big bands, and much, much more. Quotes from Buddy Magazine, the Original Texas Music Magazine, tout the museum as a place to put on your “must-visit list, no, ifs, ands or buts,” and commenting on the trumpet collection, “No trumpet enthusiast will want to miss this stuff.”
Record Player and Jukebox
The invention of music playback and recording devices made jazz one of the first music styles to spread like wildfire thanks to mass duplication, and radio. Explore the history of music playback from the earliest Edison phonograph to the modern MP3 player.
Featured Artwork
The Museum features murals and busts throughout to honor the greatest American jazz legends.
Pat Pierce
Pat is a renowned artist from Sherman, Texas and painted the portrait murals in the Trumpet room as well as the portraits in the Dance Band and Big Band Era rooms.
Scott and Melissa Tucker
Award winning artists from Dallas, TX. Painted the WWII USO Hangar Dance mural in the Dance Band Era room, as well as created the bronze busts in the Big Bands room.
More info on Scott here
Melissa Tucker and her father (Scott) painted the USO mural and all work featured in the Vocal Jazz room as an homage to Scott’s father who had been a WWII pilot.
Melissa completed her father’s work on the featured Tommy Dorsey band with Buddy Rich on drums and vocalist Frank Sinatra.
Top Image: Melissa Tucker and her father (Scott) painted the mural and all work featured in the Vocal Jazz room.
Bottom Left Image: Melissa Tucker painted the mural featuring Frank Sinatra as the vocalist during his years with the Tommy Dorsey’s band.
Bottom Right Image: Melissa and her father, Scott Tucker, Sr., worked together to paint the USO mural in the Dance Band Era room.
"Hot can be cool & cool can be hot & each can be both. But hot or cool man, Jazz is Jazz."
Louis Armstrong
The building is NOT wheelchair accessible. PLEASE Watch your step!