DENTON (UNT), Texas — The University of North Texas Libraries has received a remarkable new gift that captures the sound, spirit and global reach of jazz: a global archive of jazz broadcast performances spanning more than five decades.

Donated by lifelong jazz musician and collector Hal Miller, the archive consists of thousands of live broadcasts recorded and traded since 1975, when Miller first began taping performances on a Sony Betamax recorder. What began as a personal passion has grown into a treasure trove for future students, scholars and music lovers — now preserved at UNT.

In the years since he pressed “record” for the first time, Miller has documented performances from around the world.

“Nothing beats sharing music and seeing the light bulb go off,” Miller said.

That spirit of sharing has defined Miller’s life in jazz. Growing up around the jazz scene in The Bronx, New York in the 1950s, he later began playing percussion and drums. His enthusiasm for jazz only deepened over the years as he traveled internationally — at times with Carlos Santana and his band — exchanging recordings and connecting with musicians across cultures.

Miller’s reputation and connections in the music world led to invitations from classrooms and universities nationwide — including UNT — throughout the 1980s and 1990s, giving him the ability to share his collection with students and fellow musicians.

It was Miller’s visits to UNT that led the school’s music and jazz program to stick in his mind years later when it came time to find a home for his collection.

“It matters to a lot of people — researchers, certainly — but this is also something students will come for,” said Susannah Cleveland, head of the UNT Music Library. “It's not just for research — there's so much pleasure in it, too.”

Since retiring in 1994, Miller has devoted countless hours to organizing the collection and converting Betamax recordings to DVDs. The first part of his collection arrived at UNT Libraries in the form of 62 FedEx boxes of DVDs, with more on the way.

“The level of forethought Hal had regarding documenting all of those performances is outstanding,” said Sian Brannon, UNT university librarian and vice provost. “Now others can experience the feel and the sound of those gigs!” 

Cleveland says Miller’s meticulous documentation sets his collection apart.

“It really is a thing of beauty,” Cleveland said. “It’s sort of our dream to receive a collection that comes with this level of detail and care.”

The library is currently processing the collection, and it will soon be available to students, researchers and jazz enthusiasts and its impact will be felt for generations to come.

“It's important that students know they’re not going to see this anyplace else,” Miller said. “I hope they enjoy it and I hope they learn from it.”