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The Les Block Preservation Partners

Preservation is at the heart of what we do at the Great American Songbook Foundation.

 

The Songbook Library & Archives exists to preserve the physical artifacts of America’s rich musical history so that current and future generations can experience them. It is the only facility solely dedicated to preserving the Great American Songbook.

 

This growing national preservation effort – which already involves 300-plus collections comprising over 500,000 items – is supported financially by the Foundation’s Les Block Preservation Partners, who also enjoy access to exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences, both online and in person, including joining Michael Feinstein in the Library & Archives for private tours of our most exciting collections.

 

 

With the support of our Les Block Preservation Partners, collections like the Meredith Willson Papers and exhibits like The Unsinkable Meredith Willson are becoming more accessible to diverse audiences including scholars, educators and performers.

 

 

Thank You to The Les Block Preservation Partners:

Diane and John Abrams

Maureen Charles

Michael Charles

Judy Fink in Memory of Les Block

Dr. Larry Weeda Jr.


Lester (Les) Block (1935–2023) successfully bridged the worlds of academia and entertainment, balancing his role as a Professor of Public Health at the University of Minnesota with a prolific career as a pianist, bandleader, theatrical producer, songwriter, and radio personality. His lifelong dedication to the Great American Songbook helped preserve and celebrate the legacy of America’s most influential composers and lyricists.

 

In addition to creating and directing sold-out productions honoring composers such as Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern, and Harold Arlen, Block co-produced a celebrated series of radio tributes featuring interviews with legends including Tony Bennett, Barry Manilow, Dave Frishberg, and Johnny Mandel. Listen to the Centennial Radio Tribute to Johnny Mercer by Les Block and David Cummings at the Internet Archive - archive.org/details/mercer100.

 

 

We invite you to become a Les Block Preservation Partner with a tax-deductible contribution supporting the Songbook Foundation’s preservation efforts. Contact Jo Garcia Acheson at Jgarcia@TheSongbook.org for more information on how to become a Les Block Preservation Partner today.