Scott Alexander
The Red Hot Jazz Archive: Origins of Big Band Jazz
Examines the progression from Ragtime and New Orleans jazz to Big Band.
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.
Other
All About Jazz: Where to Begin?
A guide to help a newcomer to jazz become familiar with the genre.
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.
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.
Siteseen
Siteseen: American Historama: The Jazz Age
A comprehensive overview with many interesting facts and information on the Jazz Age, a period in U.S. history associated with exuberance and the introduction of jazz music.
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...
Other
Is Acid Jazz a Continuation of the Jazz Phenomenon?
This is a research paper debating whether or not acid jazz is a continuation of traditional jazz music. It provides a history of how acid jazz started and includes many references for more research.
Other
Oculus Magazine: Free Jazz
A short description of the free jazz movement, and a timeline of important movements in jazz.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Modern Jazz Quartet (Mjq)
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ), an American musical ensemble noted for delicate percussion sonorities, innovations in jazz forms, and consistently high-performance standards sustained over a...
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.
Other
Unstrung History of American Guitar: The Guitar and the Birth of American Music
The guitar in America began as an instrument used in popular music in the city and then branched out to minstrel shows, ragtime, and even jazz. Read about the history of this ubiquitous instrument and how it took on its American character.
Digital History
Digital History: Formation of Modern American Mass Culture
A mass culture developed in America in the 1920s due to several factors. Read about the influence of radio, movies, and spectator sports in the adoption of common speech. Find out about the creativity of the time in literature and music.
Other
American Forces Press Service: Interest Grows in Music Pioneer James Europe
Article from the U.S. Department of Defense commemorating James Reese Europe for both his contribution to the 369th Infantry Regiment in World War I and his place in jazz history before and after the war.
Digital History
Digital History: Avant Garde
Synopsis of the huge cultural shifts that occurred in America in the 1920s in art, music, literature, and among intelligentsia.
Other
All About Jazz
Has reviews, interviews, and articles. Of special interest is the jazz time-line.
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.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: American Culture in the 1920s
The First World War had a crippling effect on any notions of positivity in the artists, writers, and intellectuals of that time and they became known as the Lost Generation. This page discusses this group of people, the emergence of jazz...
Scott Alexander
Red Hot jazz.com: Tom Brown's "Jass" Band
Stop here at RedHotJazz.com for some early history of Dixieland jazz, dating to the early 1900's and one of the first known jazz bands.
Black Past
Black Past: Queen Latifah
This encyclopedia entry extols Queen Latifah as the most influential female rap singer. You can read about her evolution as a rap singer and actress.