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Posted by: David Plylar
The following is a guest post from Anne McLean of the Music Division. On Wednesday, December 12 tickets for the spectacular spring season of Concerts from the Library of Congress will be available via Eventbrite. Tickets will be released at 10:00 am (ET), for all events for the second half of the season: January 10 …
Posted in: Composers, Concerts and Events, Jazz, Musicians
Posted by: Larry Appelbaum
In January of 2017, I traveled to a suburb outside of Phoenix, Arizona to meet Dr. Gregory Morris and family. Morris is the nephew of Billy Strayhorn and Executor of the Billy Strayhorn Estate. Dr. Morris, a retired educator originally from Pittsburgh, kept the collection in safe hands for nearly five decades. The papers, including …
Posted in: African American History, Interviews, Jazz, New Acquisitions, Special Collections
Posted by: Larry Appelbaum
Today marks the 109th birthday of tenor saxophonist Lester Young, the first so-called modernist instrumental stylist in jazz. His playing and hip, creative use of musician’s jargon is admired for breaking from the prevailing saxophone style of Coleman Hawkins. In his classic recordings with Count Basie’s Orchestra, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman and others, he demonstrated …
Posted in: Birthdays, Jazz, Musicians, Special Collections
Posted by: David Plylar
Concerts from the Library of Congress is pleased to announce the 2018-2019 season, filled with an astonishing roster of artists and speakers. Building on the world-class chamber music you love to hear in the Coolidge Auditorium—which this year includes the Emerson Quartet with David Finckel, the Brentano Quartet with Hsin-Yun Huang and the Tetzlaff-Tetzlaff-Vogt Trio, …
Posted in: Composers, Concerts and Events, Curators, Dance, Film Music, Interviews, Jazz, Musicians
Posted by: Larry Appelbaum
Today marks the birthday of singer, songwriter, actress, and political activist Abbey Lincoln (Anna Marie Wooldridge August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010). One of many singers influenced by Billie Holiday, she made her breakthrough in 1956 with her first recording, Abbey Lincoln’s Affair, and her appearance in the film The Girl Can’t Help It. Though she …
Posted in: African American History, Birthdays, Interviews, Jazz, Musicians, Special Collections, Women in Music
Posted by: Larry Appelbaum
A deep bow of respect for pianist, composer, bandleader and jazz activist Billy Taylor on what would be his 97th birthday. He was born in North Carolina but grew up in Washington, D.C. and studied with Henry Grant, who taught Duke Ellington a generation before. After moving to New York Taylor began working and recording …
Posted in: African American History, Birthdays, Composers, Guest bloggers, Interviews, Jazz, Musicians, Special Collections
Posted by: Larry Appelbaum
British bassist Peter Ind turns 90 today, and we have fond memories of his visit to the Performing Arts Reading Room in 2009. Ind is an important jazz double bassist and record producer who studied with Tim Bell and James Merrett and became a professional musician in 1947. I was anxious to talk to him …
Posted in: Guest bloggers, Jazz, Musicians
Posted by: Melissa Wertheimer
“Yes, yes, let’s talk about the weather.” – Chorus, Act I, No. 9, The Pirates of Penzance, or, the Slave of Duty It has been an unusually rainy summer here in the Mid-Atlantic (and spring, for that matter)! Let’s get through this deluge with a variety of music about rain from the Music Division’s collections. …
Posted in: Jazz, Sheet Music, Special Collections
Posted by: David Plylar
This is a guest post by Music Division intern Liliana Lopez. THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS and WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS PRESENT SUMMER CONCERTS ON THE LAWN Thursday evenings at 7 pm, July 19-August 23, 2018 Great music on a beautiful green lawn… bring your friends and some nice cold lemonade—don’t miss the Library’s brand-new, free …
Posted in: Concerts and Events, Guest bloggers, Jazz, Musicians