On the 24th August 24, Brecon Jazz Club hosted a tribute to Jen, playing the 12 Poems Suite to a full house. Our thanks to Lynne and Roger, Margot, Paula, etc
In September 2024 the Collection of additional material for the Soundwalk project started. This is envisaged as a way of bringing our heritage material to new audiences through a digital platform, so will include original material reflecting on the Collection and the research it has stimulated.
Here are Scarabella recording Java Jazz in the Music Tech studio in Dynefor.
At the same time, we started separating the Archive Collections from the Library Collections and listing our Library books. To date we have 400+ titles, available on our website.
They focus on women musicians, including oral histories, and the origins of Jazz in the sorrow songs and race records. These were made as Black musicians had to make their own recordings, being excluded the recordings being made by white musicians in the deep south of the USA. These were all recorded by a Swansea dock worker, John Godrich.
This has been the start of a process to distinguish our Library collections from the Archival holdings, which are now kept in our smaller strong room. Examples include Jen’s research, all the race records from 1904-1943, and the Ivy Benson collection. She ran the touring women’s Big Band during World War 2, which was known as Ivy’s University.
In December 2025, St Fagan’s agreed to take Jen’s Hat for their Costume collection. Here Jenny Sabine, Archival Advisor, Gail Allen and Deb Checkland, Trustees, make the presentation to Fflur Morse in the Archival Unit of https://museum.wales/stfagans
Jen’s work is summarised on the Open Learning Network.
We would like to pay tribute to Dame Cleo Laine, who visited and sang with us when we were Women in Jazz with her husband, Jonny Dankworth. Visit the BBC Website to find out more.
Many thanks to all our supporters, volunteers, advisers and a Happy New Year to you all. Best wishes for 2026.
E.D. Checkland, Chair of Trustees, 5 January 2026.