Sylvester Ahola: The Gloucester Gabriel
Dick Hill's principal confirmed standalone authored work, combining biography and discography of jazz trumpeter Sylvester Ahola.
Author guide
Dick Hill Books in Order
Dick Hill was an English music historian and author with a background in fine art and education. His research focused on jazz and dance-band history, particularly the career and recordings of American trumpeter Sylvester Ahola.
biographyjazz historymusic history
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Novels (1)
- Sylvester Ahola: The Gloucester Gabriel
nonfiction · 1993
Frequently asked questions about Dick Hill
Who was Dick Hill?
Dick Hill was an English art professor, historical jazz collector, and author. He became known for documenting the life and music of trumpeter Sylvester Ahola.
What was Dick Hill’s professional background?
Hill was an artist who had held a one-man exhibition in England and later taught in Colchester, Essex, where he led a faculty covering creative and aesthetic subjects.
How did Dick Hill become involved in jazz history?
He collected jazz 78-rpm records and made repeated visits from England to Cape Ann, where he researched Ahola’s career and gathered stories for his biography.
Sources: capeannmuseum.org (opens in a new tab)capeannmuseum.org (opens in a new tab)
Was Dick Hill recognized for his work on Sylvester Ahola?
The Cape Ann Museum’s archival finding aid lists a June 30, 1994 Scarecrow Press item as an “Award for Dick Hill” connected with his Ahola biography. The finding aid does not specify the award’s name or category.
What is Dick Hill’s legacy?
Hill helped preserve the memory of Sylvester Ahola through detailed historical research, a biography, and public lectures that drew on Ahola’s firsthand stories and recordings.
Sources: capeannmuseum.org (opens in a new tab)capeannmuseum.org (opens in a new tab)