Did you know April is Jazz Appreciation Month? Jazz Appreciation Month, also known as JAM, was created at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2002 to “herald and celebrate the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz.” Throughout the month of April, HARI will highlight and celebrate the reciprocal influence between jazz and hiphop. The series will focus on sharing a variety of materials, music and videos exploring the relationship between the two most important art forms to the development of original American music.

Kick off your celebration by reading LeRoi Jones’s (Amiri Baraka) seminal work Blues People, “The Golden Age: Time Past” by Ralph Ellison, and "Why Jazz Will Always Be Relevant" by Greg Tate.​​​

 

We would like to extend a special thank you to Professor Ingrid Monson, Director of the Jazz Research Initiative at the Hutchins Center, for sharing her wealth of knowledge and extending her support in the development of the 2017 HARI Jazz Appreciation Month Series.

*Feature Image - "Big Band" by LeRoy Neiman (1921–2012)