Unique jazz archivist hangs up his jazz boots

After nearly 27 years in the role, David Nathan, UK specialist Jazz Research Archivist – and resident Leyton Orient FC expert – is finally hanging up his jazz boots as an employee of Essex County Council, one of The National Jazz Archive's leading supporters.

“I've thoroughly enjoyed every minute of working for the NJA and with all the people within it, as well as all the customers and clients I've dealt with. Although very sad to give up working, I am NOT going anywhere!” says David. “I'm staying on as a volunteer to keep this unique and fabulous arts and cultural asset on the UK and world jazz map but I feel the time is right to make room for a fresh pair of eyes, ears and legs to join the team to work alongside our amazing volunteers and our operations team to take the NJA to the next level.”

David joined the NJA following an illustrious career in insurance and has spent nearly three decades of his ‘retirement’ working with local, national, and international researchers and jazz enthusiasts to ensure they take full advantage of the Archive's collections.

David's work has ensured the National Jazz Archive is referenced by authors in nearly 150 published jazz and music books, has helped curate numerous exhibitions, TV and radio broadcasts, fronted many of our fundraising gigs, and been the welcoming face on arrival to all visitors at the Archive in Loughton Library, Essex.

“He may be leaving the Council, but we're certainly not letting him retire!” emphasises Mark Kass, Executive Chair of Trustees of the NJA. “David has the most incredible jazz brain, and he is a national treasure in terms of the world of jazz archives, so we're keeping him on as a volunteer and we'll keep tapping into that incredible memory long into the future.”

Although the final timetable has yet to be agreed, Essex County Council have now received full planning permission and signed legal contracts to commence the redevelopment of Loughton Library in Essex, one of the county's busiest libraries and the physical home to the Archive and its pop-up cultural hub, grassroots music venue, and jazz museum, The Jazz Hub.

Kass explains, “there will likely be 12 to 18 months of design and procurement before a shovel goes in the ground, but this gives us time to develop new strategies, collaborations and partnerships alongside the launch of a high-profile fundraising campaign for a ‘war chest’ to support our transition period which will inevitably come with a set of costs. David's knowledge of where's what in the Archive will be crucial in this period as we look to move safely and seamlessly and to improve our future ways of working.”

David is also a bit of star amongst his ECC colleagues.

“David's knowledge of the Archive is unbelievable, incredible and invaluable, and he's pretty much single-handedly been responsible for managing what we often proudly call ‘Essex's national jazz library’, the NJA's collection of nearly 5,000 books on jazz, blues and related music” says Julieann Penn, Area Team Manager of Essex County Council's Libraries Unit.

“He has agreed the time is now right to make room for a successor to step into his post – one generously funded by Essex County Council since the launch of the Archive in 1987 – to bring in someone with additional passions and skills to help during the transitional period and beyond. ECC believes in the Archive and its activities and looks forward to working with the NJA team to add yet more value to our exciting plans for Loughton Library… and beyond!”

ECC have committed to providing the Archive with prominent space in the new building, before which the NJA will be re-housed in temporary accommodation during the construction and development phase of what will ultimately be an iconic state-of-the-art 21st-century library and community hub on the Essex–East-London borders.

Long-standing colleague, NJA Operations Manager Angela Davies, has worked alongside David since she joined the Archive; “Over the years, David has set in play simple and straightforward processes that make the NJA accessible not just to professional jazz and music researchers but to all those with a worldwide interest in all forms of jazz and the ‘curious’ within the local community. However, as the NJA grows and evolves as an Archive, we have to bring in fresh skills that not only replicate David's can-do approach but can also help us develop and implement new technologies and business models.”

The NJA has now embarked on a recruitment drive to fill David's post.

“This is going to be one tough position to fill”, confesses Mark Kass. “Finding someone with David's skills, knowledge, understanding, and attitude is not going to happen overnight, but it will be a fascinating time in the history of the NJA and David's successor has some big jazz boots to fill!”

“On behalf of all my fellow Trustees, the volunteers and his friends here at the National Jazz Archive, we all wish him a happy, restful time and we do look forward to seeing him on his visits to the NJA. We're sure we'll see a lot of him over the coming weeks and months but as his time becomes more flexible, we know he'll be listening to more jazz, taking in more of his beloved Leyton Orient, more cricket and – it goes without saying – brushing up on yet more timeless Christmas cracker and dad jokes!”

Thanks for everything so far, David… you've been the backbone of the Archive and we love you!