John F. Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center: Arts Edge: Duke Ellington
This resource features a brief biography about big band leader Duke Ellington. It includes some audio and video clips of his music.
PBS
Pbs: This Far by Faith: Thomas Dorsey
A biography of Thomas Dorsey, the man known as "the father of gospel music," from the producers of "This Far by Faith," a series on African-American spiritual journeys. (The series premiered on PBS stations in June 2003.) The site...
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzie Gillespie helped create a new form of modern jazz called be-bop. It was the predecessor of hip-hop that is so popular today.
PBS
Pbs: Blues Road Trip
Come and trace the migration of the blues through the United States. This site features an in-depth look at the origins of the Blues throughout its development across the Deep South of the US and beyond.
Songwriters Hall of Fame
Songwriters Hall of Fame: Chuck Berry
This resource provides information about Chuck Berry.
PBS
Pbs: The Blues as Poetry
Discover what the relationship is between poetry and the blues. This site features lesson plans and online resources.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington (1899-1974 CE), a jazz legend, was a very interesting person. Here you will get brief biographical information along with a few additional articles on Ellington.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Willie Simms
Learn about American jockey, Willie Simms, who is the only African American to have won all three of the races that compose the Triple Crown of American horse racing: the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes, and the Preakness Stakes.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Guide to Black History: James Reese Europe
This entry from Encyclopedia Brittanica's Guide to Black History features James Reese Europe, an American bandleader, arranger, composer, a major figure in the transition from ragtime to jazz. This site, rich in detail and breadth of...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Guide to Black History: Mary Lou Williams
This entry from Encyclopedia Brittanica's Guide to Black History features Mary Lou Williams, a jazz pianist who performed with and composed for many of the great jazz artists of the 1940s and '50s. This site, rich in detail and breadth...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Wayne Shorter
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.
Other
Class Act: Lena Horne
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.
Smithsonian Institution
National Postal Museum: Art of the Stamp: Thelonious Monk
View the artwork for a U.S. postage stamp issued in 1995 to commemorate Thelonious monk, one of the founders of modern jazz. With a short biographical passage.
John F. Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center: Arts Edge: Chick Webb
With a brief biography and a couple of audio clips, this resource features the talents of drummer and big bandleader Chick Webb.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Randy Weston
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Randy Weston, an American jazz pianist and composer noted for his use of African rhythms.