Jazz

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• Learn more about Great Depression, Harlem Renaissance, jazz, Jim Crow, music, musicians, Ragtime, Roaring Twenties, United Sates History, women, World War I, and World War II.

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Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns is the companion website to this PBS film series. This companion looks at the history, the influences, the people, and the places that brought one of America’s greatest cultural achievements to fruition.An interactive map of the United States will transport you to clubs and cities where the roots of jazz took hold. There you will meet some early jazz musicians and learn how the Black migration and European immigrants worked together to create this new music.Stop by the Jazz Lounge to learn about improvisation, melody, harmony, rhythm, notation, and instruments in Music 101. Visit the Piano Lab to see how Mary had a Little Lamb can sound completely different using rhythm, instrumentation, and improvisation. Then take a break and listen to a little jazz music. There are seven different styles to choose from.Like most other things, jazz has been changing as time goes by. You will learn about the roots of jazz in slavery and then find out what jazz’s place was during the Jim Crow Era, WWI, the roaring 20’s, and more. Also discover how women influenced jazz.You will also be able to explore how jazz impacted popular culture from the early negative stereotypes of the minstrel show, to the speakeasies of Prohibition, the explosion of Jazz Festivals, and finally the stunning impact of radio and television.Also find over 100 biographies of jazz artists, an educator’s guide, and a special section just for kids.