Ma Rainey’s Traveling Blues is the fullest and most nuanced portrait to date of Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (1886-1939), once promoted as the “Mother of the Blues.” Although Rainey’s place in American music history is firmly ...

Throughout the history of slavery in the Americas, music carried messages of survival, rebellion, and solidarity. Enslaved people composed songs that were far more than laments—they were calls for liberty a ...

Avenue Breakdown uncovers the rich yet often overlooked legacy of Black music in Shreveport, Louisiana—a city better known for country tunes and the Louisiana Hayride. This compelling history shines a s ...

Whistle Stop traces the remarkable life of trumpeter and composer Kenny Dorham (1924–1972), whose journey from rural Texas to the forefront of modern jazz mirrors the broader story of Black resilience a ...

Contributions by Lea Beka, Collin M. Bright, Justin D Burton, Amy Chu, John P. Craig, Michael B. Norton Dando, Jayanti Datta, Brea M. Heidelberg, Kathryn Hobson, Sheena C. Howard, Johnny Jones, Riggs ...

Clyde McPhatter (1932–1972) was the golden voice behind a musical revolution—a soaring tenor whose electrifying performances helped define the sound of early rock ‘n’ roll. From his breakthrough with the Dom ...

Booker T. Pittman (1909-1969) was a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist who played with greats like Louis Armstrong and Count Basie in the 1920s and 1930s. The maternal grandson of Booker T. Washington, ...

James P. Johnson (1894–1955) is one of the most important figures in twentieth-century American music. However, few people other than scholars and serious fans know of his life and work. Rare jazz aficionados k ...

Duke Ellington’s Symphonic Visions, the culmination of a decade-long study of Ellington’s compositions for the symphony orchestra by author Luca Bragalini, is the first book entirely dedicated to Ellington’s s ...

Jazz legend Cootie Williams left home to start his career as a professional musician at the age of fifteen. In 1940, after eleven years as one of the major soloists with the Duke Ellington orchestra, ...