JAZZ TEACHERS DCTM
Washington, DC is home to a vibrant community of world-class jazz musicians and a rich jazz heritage. This site celebrates the musicians, venues, and institutions that contribute to the region’s thriving jazz scene. You’ll find links to local jazz venues where you can experience talented DC-area musicians performing live, as well as a glimpse into the city’s rich jazz history and the institutions dedicated to preserving its legacy. One of the best ways to appreciate jazz is to get out, listen, and experience the music firsthand.
"The nation's capital has been a fertile city for jazz for a century. Some of the most important clubs in the jazz world have opened and closed their doors here, some of its greatest players and promoters were born and grew to maturity in town and still play here, some of the institutions so critical to supporting the music remain active."
Maurice Jackson and Blair Ruble. "Jazz in Washington DC." Washington History Journal, Spring 2014.
Jazz Conversations at the Library of Congress:
Henry Threadgill talks about his life in music with Larry Appelbaum senior music reference specialist in the Library 's Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington DC.
Bill Harris was an American acoustic guitarist who played in R&B and jazz idioms. Harris studied guitar in Washington, D.C. at the Columbia School of Music, and in 1950 began playing with the R&B vocal group The Clovers. He remained with the group through 1958, playing on many of their most successful hit records. He played in the DC area through the 1960s and 70s and also taught music, publishing several books on guitar technique. He was awarded a compositional fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1972; for much of 1972-1973 Harris played in France. After returning to the US, Harris began managing his own jazz club, Pigfoot, in DC.
Sounds and Stories: The Musical Life of Maryland's African-American Communities.
Johns Hopkins Friedhelm
Music Library
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Common At The White House Library
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert, "Letter to The Free," featured in Ava DuVernay's documentary, 13th.
Spotlight
