Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To "Duke Ellington and Jazz Homepage"

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn: Jazz Composers

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 18:33:43 GMT

Through brief biographies of the composers, primary source documents, and media clips, students will learn about the collaboration of these two great jazz composers and the process involved in writing and recording two of the most celebrated jazz pieces. This website examines two jazz standards, each one its author's most-recorded piece: Caravan, written in 1936 by Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol, and Take the "A" Train, composed in 1941 by Billy Strayhorn.

Groovin' to Jazz 8-13

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:50:39 GMT

In this music activity, students will learn how to listen to and appreciate authentic jazz recordings by listening to sixteen recordings by jazz greats and reading brief introductions that discuss the relevance of the songs as well as how to listen to them.

History Explorer Podcast: Mary Lou Williams, Jazz Master

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:00:27 GMT

In this episode of the History Explorer podcast series, Ken Kimery, Executive Producer of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, discusses the career of jazz musician Mary Lou Williams and the value of studying jazz in American history. The teacher guide includes discussion questions and links to related resources.

Reading Duke Ellington

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 12:55:19 GMT

Use this guide to actively read Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra, a picture book biography of the Washington, DC native and jazz pioneer. Part of an OurStory module entitled Duke Ellington and Jazz, this activity includes discussion prompts, a glossary, and background information. OurStory is designed to help children and adults explore history together through the use of children's literature, museum collections, and hands-on activities.

Louis Armstrong Education Kit

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:49:28 GMT

This kit of guided listening activities and streaming music offers an engaging way of introducing students to jazz. It traces Louis Armstrong's career as a musician, from influences in African rhythms and New Orleans marches through performances in the 1960's and 70's. It could also be used as an introduction to using music and sound recordings as primary sources.

Although the PDFs of the guide refer to an audio CD, the same music is made available online as streaming media.