Other
Down Beat: Albert Ayler
A detailed article containing the following sections: biography, discography, photos, and news articles about Albert Ayler.
PBS
Pbs: Biography of Dizzy Gillespie
This PBS biography about trumpeter and jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie includes photos, multiple audio features, and links within the text to other famous musicians.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Jazz Origins in New Orleans Pre 1895
Read about the origins of jazz music as it began in New Orleans before 1895. With its unique history and culture, New Orleans provided many opportunities for the development of jazz to thrive and grow.
PBS
Pbs: Jazz Music and the Crisis Over School Desegregation
Working in cooperative groups, your students will learn how jazz musicians expressed the Civil Rights era in their music. This lesson focuses on the Civil Rights movement in Little Rock, Arkansas. Also, they will learn to about the...
PBS
Pbs: Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns
The companion website for a documentary film about jazz is home to a storehouse of resources and unique features about the historical, cultural, and artistic significance of jazz. With a timeline of key events in the history of jazz,...
PBS
Pbs: Jazz Is About Collaboration: Jim Crow Laws: Segregation
Engage your students in discussion about segregation and the Jim Crow laws with this in-depth lesson plan. Using jazz music, you will contrast the ways in which America's most significant contribution to the arts depended on...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Teacher Serve: Jazz and the African American Literary Tradition
Article explores the influence of jazz on African American literature from the early history of jazz, noted jazz artists, the black-white tensions within jazz, to its literary influence after World War II.
OpenStax
Open Stax: The Jazz Age: Redefining the Nation 1919 1929: A New Generation
Looks at the new morality that emerged in the 1920s. It changed the role of women and the perception of African Americans, the latter facilitated by the Harlem Renaissance and its impact on the music and dance of the Jazz Age. Also...
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Smithsonian Jazz: Duke Ellington
This site provides audio clips, photos, and biographical information of this legendary composer and performer. A match game teaches and tests your knowledge of Ellington.
Scott Alexander
The Red Hot Jazz Archive: Origins of Big Band Jazz
Examines the progression from Ragtime and New Orleans jazz to Big Band.
Other
Oculus Magazine: Free Jazz
A short description of the free jazz movement, and a timeline of important movements in jazz.
Other
All About Jazz: Where to Begin?
A guide to help a newcomer to jazz become familiar with the genre.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Comission
Explore Pa History: Jazz in Pennsylvania
Explore the history and influences of jazz in the state of Pennsylvania. Resource includes links to audio clips and video from artists, and stories of jazz from around the state.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Comission
Explore Pa History: Billy Eckstine
Learn of the historical contributions of jazz musician, band leader, and Pennsylvania native, Billy Eckstine in this succinct biography.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Comission
Explore Pa History: Dorsey Brothers
A succinct biographical sketch that examines contributions to the jazz and swing eras by noted musicians, band leaders, and Pennsylvania natives, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey.
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...
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Documents Gallery: Ellington and Strayhorn
Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, two of the greatest jazz composers, collaborated on hundreds of works. As you explore this exhibition, you will have an opportunity to view original music scores, listen to audio clips, and view videos...
Stanford University
Sulair: The Monterey Jazz Festival Collection
This fabulous site describes the repository of the digitized collection of music from the Monterey Jazz Festival from 1958 which is housed on the Stanford University campus. On this site you can read about the performances, watch and...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama Department of Archives & History
Separate Halls of Fame as established by the Alabama Legislature. Includes: business; international motorsports, military, press association, Alabama sports, women, teachers, music and much more.
Other
All About Jazz
Has reviews, interviews, and articles. Of special interest is the jazz time-line.
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.
Read Works
Read Works: Time for Jazz
[Free Registration/Login Required] A literary text about a girl named Lina who wanted to learn more about jazz music and its history. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Other
David Holt: The Roots of Mountain Music
This is a short history of the major influences that have combined to create mountain music, one of which is minstrel music. Provides a good decription of minstrel music in general. Includes names and descriptions of specific songs,...
Other
"Blind" Boone: History
This resource provides a thorough biography of one of the most influential but overlooked Ragtime composers, John William "Blind" Boone. The emphasis is on his lifetime and the tremendous success of his musical career despite his...