Other
Joy2 Learn: Jazz With Wynton Marsalis
Take a tour about jazz with jazz musician Wynton Marsalis. Through video segments, you'll learn about the trumpet, the history of jazz and key famous jazz legends.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: A Brief History of Jazz!
A lesson plan that helps learners explore the roots of jazz music and some of the important jazz musicians in history.
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 Music and the Crisis Over School Desegregation
Working in cooperative groups, your young scholars 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...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Jazz and Ww Ii: A Rally to Resistance, a Catalyst for Victory
Lesson plan that teaches the roles that jazz music and jazz musicians played in the war effort and that demonstrates the effect that the war had on jazz in America.
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.
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: 1895 1927
Dive into the rich history of jazz as it progressed in New Orleans. Focusing on the time from 1895 to 1927, this site highlights key musicians and influences that helped shape this American artform.
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...
National Women’s History Museum
National Women's History Museum: Hazel Scott
Jazz pianist and singer Hazel Scott was not only the first African-American woman to host her own television show, but she also bravely stood up to the House Un-American Activities Committee and the Hollywood studio machine.
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...
Scott Alexander
Red Hot Jazz: Louis Armstrong Orchestra
Includes brief history of Louis Armstrong and his orchestra, a photo, and a complete discography list.
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...
Other
Jazz Improvisation Primer
An info-packed lesson on jazz improvisation and jazz history. Very useful for musicians aspiring to play in the jazz idiom.
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.
Other
All About Jazz: Where to Begin?
A guide to help a newcomer to jazz become familiar with the genre.
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.
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: 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.
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.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Comission
Explore Pa History: William Strayhorn
Examine the historical contributions made to the jazz world by this noted composer and arranger from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.