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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Steely Dan

For Students 9th - 10th
Chronicles the career of superstar Seventies group Steely Dan, 2001 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events, recommended reading list, and essential songs.
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Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica: Wayne Shorter

For Students 9th - 10th
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Wayne Shorter, an African-American musician and composer, a major jazz saxophonist, among the most influential hard-bop and modal musicians and a pioneer of jazz-rock fusion music.
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Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica: Prince

For Students 9th - 10th
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Prince, a singer, guitarist, songwriter, producer, dancer, and performer on keyboards, drums, and bass who was among the most talented American musicians of his generation. Like Stevie...
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Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica: Bobby Mc Ferrin

For Students 9th - 10th
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Bobby McFerrin, an American musician noted for his tremendous vocal control and improvisational ability. He often sang a cappella, mixing folk songs, 1960s rock and soul tunes, and jazz...
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Other

Alligator Records: Koko Taylor

For Students 9th - 10th
Biographical information about Koko Taylor. Links to pages with information about each of her albums.
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Other

Class Act: Lena Horne

For Students 9th - 10th
Discusses the career of actress and singer Lena Horne; the site provides a brief biography highlighting her life. Included are also links to some of the major films she was in.
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Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica: Ella Fitzgerald

For Students 9th - 10th
Brief biography of famous singer and Grammy winner Ella Fitzgerald.
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Swing What Is It?

For Students 9th - 10th
Through block notation, this page attempts to bring into focus the concept of swing patterns. The swing patterns are accompanied by various midi files.
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Gotta Dance: American Rumba

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from Gotta Dance offers an easy-to-read history of rumba.
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My Hero Project

My Hero: Langston Hughes

For Students 3rd - 8th
This introduction to the life and writing of Langston Hughes profiles the poet who emerged with the Harlem Renaissance to earn "a place amongst the greatest poets America has ever produced."
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Black Past

Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed: Josephine Baker

For Students 9th - 10th
Entry, from an online encyclopedia of African American history, for Josephine Baker.
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Curated OER

Mary Lou Williams

For Students 9th - 10th
Gaining total respect from her jazz contemporaries, Mary Lou Williams, mainly a jazz pianist, was competent in all aspects of music. Read her biography and listen to the segment about her on NPR Jazz profiles. You can click to hear some...
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Miles Davis (July 1991)

For Students 9th - 10th
Miles Davis couldn't leave jazz alone. You'll read on this NPR website how he developed his style from bebop to funk to jazz-fusion. Read about his innovations, listen to the NPR Jazz Profile segment, and click to hear some of Davis'...
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Max Roach in 1950.

For Students 9th - 10th
Believing that the drums could do more than just keep a beat, Max Roach developed a melodic style for percussion. You can read about his jazz career on this NPR website, as well as hear music showing his innovative technique.
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Max Roach in 1989.

For Students 9th - 10th
Believing that the drums could do more than just keep a beat, Max Roach developed a melodic style for percussion. You can read about his jazz career on this NPR website, as well as hear music showing his innovative technique.
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Curated OER

Time 100: Louis Armstrong

For Students 9th - 10th
An essay that discusses the musical talents and innovations of legendary jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong. Part of a collection of profiles published by Time magazine of the 100 most-influential people of the twentieth century.
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Studio in a Box

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
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Louis Armstrong

For Students 9th - 10th
In the second part of an NPR Jazz Profile, you can read about Louis Armstrong's later career from the mid 1930's until his death in 1971. Listen to the profile and click to hear some of his music.
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Photograph of Willie Eckstein, Circa 1929

For Students 9th - 10th
Willie Eckstein was also known as "The Boy Paderewski" or "Mr. Fingers" for his prodigious talent as a pianist. Trained as a classical pianist, he performed vaudeville and as an accompanist to silent movies, often attracting more...
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Oscar Peterson

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is devoted to the life of Oscar Peterson, Canada's best known jazz pianist. You will find detailed information about his life and accomplishments, music samples, photos and articles. The site developed out of an exhibition at...

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