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Posted by: Cait Miller
Tomorrow, April 25, marks the one and only Ella Fitzgerald’s 100th birthday. Fitzgerald’s impact on American music is undeniable, and her legacy and influence continue to inspire new generations of artists today. To celebrate the First Lady of Song on her special day, the Library’s Jazz Specialist Larry Appelbaum will give a talk tomorrow …
Posted in: African American History, Birthdays, Jazz, Musicians, Special Collections, Women in Music
Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
The following is a guest blog by Andrew N. White III, a participant in the Library’s DC Jazz Project, a component of the 2016-2017 Library of Congress Jazz Scholars program. This program is made possible by the Reva and David Logan Foundation. White delivered a lecture-recital at the Library on November 3, 2016 (a video …
Posted in: African American History, Composers, Jazz, Musical Instruments, Musicians
Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
This Thursday the Music Division is pleased to present an engaging roundtable discussion that will examine the role of protest songs from the 1960s in shaping contemporary American culture. This program is part of a series of events at the Library of Congress that commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, which took …
Posted in: African American History
Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
Our nation is in the midst of commemorating one of the single most significant days in our history, the March on Washington of August 28, 1963. That momentous occasion has shaped generations of Americans, from activists to community leaders and the President of the United States to the singer-songwriter performing original songs in an eclectic …
Posted in: African American History, Composers, Concerts and Events, Curators, Exhibitions, Musicians, Sheet Music, Special Collections
Posted by: Larry Appelbaum
(photo by Tom Marcello) Chuck Wayne [Charles Jagelka 1923-1997] was a guitarist and teacher who helped bridge the swing era with the modernist bebop revolution of the mid-1940s. Wayne worked along 52nd Street and took part in recording sessions with Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Dizzy Gillespie, Barney Bigard and many others. He was a member …
Posted in: African American History, Copyright Deposits, Jazz, New Acquisitions, Special Collections
Posted by: Cait Miller
The following is a guest post from Music Archivist Chris Hartten. Broadway pianist, composer, and arranger Luther Henderson spent much of his career infusing the stage with his love for the storied roots of American jazz. Born in Kansas City on March 14, 1919, Henderson graduated from the Juilliard School of Music in 1942 before …
Posted in: African American History, Guest bloggers, Jazz, Special Collections
Posted by: Pat Padua
The following is a guest post by Denise Gallo, Head of Acquisitions and Processing. Many people may be under the misconception that the Music Division only collects music. Despite our division’s title, the name of our reading room, Performing Arts, actually describes our holdings far more accurately. So, in addition to music, we also boast …
Posted in: African American History, Dance, Guest bloggers, Pic of the Week, Special Collections
Posted by: Pat Padua
One of the great tenor (and soprano) saxophone voices, composer John Coltrane was born on September 23, 1926. The Music Division has a number of lead sheets that Coltrane submitted to copyright for compositions such as “Blue Train” and “Moment’s Notice.” The Library is also home to a set of tapes recorded at a performance by …
Posted in: African American History, Composers, Musicians, Special Collections
Posted by: Pat Padua
Today, as will happen every other Friday for the next several months, additional batches of photographs from the William P. Gottlieb Collection have been uploaded to Flickr . This week’s set is particularly varied, with classic portraits of Duke Ellington, Billy Eckstine, Tommy Dorsey, Doris Day, Nat “King” Cole, and Perry Como. In addition to these portraits are …
Posted in: African American History, Birthdays, Jazz, Musicians, Special Collections