The collection consists of 1347 audio recordings from the collection of jazz pianist Brooks Kerr.

The collection consists of three boxes, and contains various discographies of Duke Ellington (including four copies of Askey's own work), ten years of the Duke Ellington Music Society Bulletin, materials from record clubs, VHS and Beta tapes, CDs, and film reels. The film reels include content related to jazz, and to Askey's work as a foreign service officer, with content from China and Afghanistan.

The collection consists of one box of music manuscripts and dye-line copies of music by Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, Cat Anderson, Lou Carter, and Paul Gonsalves, including a 1-page autograph music manuscript in Ellington's hand of "Get It Over."

The collection consists of one box of 10-inch instantaneous records, primarily of recordings of radio broadcasts of major jazz artists including Duke Ellington, Les Brown, Gene Krupa, Nat King Cole, Tommy Dorsey, and Woody Herman.

The collection consists about 14 boxes of papers related to Houston attorney Rhodes Baker's research and collection of Duke Ellington recordings, along with tape recordings, 78 r.p.m., and LP records.