Smithsonian Institution
National Postal Museum: Art of the Stamp: Duke Ellington
View the artwork for a U.S. postage stamp issued in 1986 to commemorate famous jazz musician Duke Ellington. Includes a short biographical passage.
Scott Alexander
Red Hot Jazz: Louis Armstrong (1900 1971)
This site from Red Hot Jazz contains a good biography of Louis Armstrong, arguably the most influential jazz musician. Very interesting and informative, also includes a picture.
Tennessee History For Kids
Tennessee History for Kids: Bessie Smith
Often known as the "Empress of the Blues," Bessie Smith influenced entire generations of blues, jazz, and rock musicians and was the highest-paid black entertainer of her time. This website will provide more information about Smith's...
NPR: National Public Radio
Npr: Techno Pop
Feature series on "The Secret History of Technology and Pop Music," traced partly through the story of an Indiana company that stopped making pianos and started cutting 78 rpm records using the talents of famous jazz musicians and others.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Comission
Explore Pa History: Billie Holiday
Examine the life and historical contributions of renown jazz vocalist and Pennsylvania native, Billie Holiday in this concise biography.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Archives Center: Duke Ellington: Biography
A useful biographical note of Duke Ellington.
Scott Alexander
History of Jazz Before 1930: Bessie Smith, 1895 1937
This page offers information about Bessie Smith's life and work, including several audio recordings.
Black Past
Black Past: Henderson, Fletcher Hamilton, Jr.
This is a brief encyclopedia entry about Fletcher Henderson, jazz musician.
Black Past
Black Past: Marsalis, Wynton
This concise encyclopedia article tells about Wynton Marsalis as both a classical and jazz musician. There is a link to his own website.
PBS
Pbs American Masters: Sarah Vaughan
An informative biography of jazz singer Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990 CE) is presented highlighting her long musical career.
Other
Southern Music
Read a simple history of southern music from the 1900s to 1990, complete with in-text links to information on popular musicians and events related to country music. Included are dates for upcoming country music events, as well as a small...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Lucky Thompson
Biographical details on Lucky Thompson, an American jazz musician, one of the most distinctive and creative bop-era tenor saxophonists, who in later years played soprano saxophone as well.
John F. Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center: Musical Harlem
The Kennedy Center's ArtsEdge offers a great unit for introducing jazz to students. Its use of Harlem as the "glue" which binds together elements such as jazz history and jazz terminology, makes it particularly effective for the...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Guide to Black History: Duke Ellington
Biography of Duke Ellington, one of the originators of big band jazz, and a noted composer.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Coleman Hawkins
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Coleman Hawkins, an American jazz musician whose improvisational mastery of the tenor saxophone, which had previously been viewed as little more than a novelty, helped establish it as one...
Black Past
Black Past: Mingus, Charles
In this encyclopedia entry, you learn about Charles Mingus, jazz bassist and composer.
Black Past
Black Past: Monk, Thelonius
This encyclopedia entry gives a brief account of Thelonius Monk, jazz pianist, and his influence on the jazz scene.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Sonny Rollins
Biographical account of Sonny Rollins, an American jazz musician, a tenor saxophonist who was among the finest improvisers on the instrument to appear since the mid-1950s.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Art Pepper
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Art Pepper, an American jazz musician noted for the beauty of his sound and his improvisations on alto saxophone, and a major figure in the 1950s in West Coast jazz (see cool jazz).
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Cootie Williams
Learn about the life of Cootie Williams, an African-American trumpeter whose mastery of mutes and expressive effects made him one of the most distinctive jazz musicians.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Mary Lou Williams
Biographical sketch of jazz pianist, Mary Lou Williams, who performed with and composed for many of the great jazz artists of the 1940s and '50s.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Philly Joe Jones
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Philly Joe Jones, a black American jazz musician, one of the major percussionists of the bop era, and among the most recorded as well.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Sun Ra
This entry features Sun Ra, a black American jazz composer and keyboard player who led a free jazz big band known for its innovative instrumentation and the theatricality of its performances.
Other
Gotta Dance: American Rumba
This site from Gotta Dance offers an easy-to-read history of rumba.