The Department of Special Collections at the University of California
Santa Barbara (UCSB) Davidson Library recently placed online, with
free access, over 5000 sound recordings as part of its Cylinder
Preservation and Digitization Project. Refer to:

http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/

These recordings date from the 1890's to the 1920's, all transfered
from Edison cylinders using state-of-the-art equipment. The
restorations are first-class, using CEDAR tools. Besides MP3 and
streaming audio, the raw transfers are also available for diy'ers to
try their own hand at audio restoration.

For those who like their music "hot" (as I do -- 1928 to 1933 is my
thing), there's not much there since most of the cylinders predate the
start of the Jazz Era (ca. 1917), but there is some early "mouldy
fygge" dance-type jazz, like 1920's "Peggy" by Lopez and Hamilton's
Kings of Harmony Orchestra:

http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/1000/1377/cusb-cyl1377d.mp3

Tap your toes!

This is a remarkable and important collection, and how it makes
everything completely free and accessible, including the raw
transfers, raises the bar for future sound recording archives.

Jon Noring
Sound Preserve