Did you know that April is Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM)?  Make sure you join the celebration by learning about the fascinating history of jazz and its impact in shaping our American culture.  You can take part by attending concerts, listening to radio programs and recordings, viewing documentaries, or reading books about jazz.  The library has lots of resources to help you get started.  I've compiled a small list to help spark some ideas.

DVD & Video Recordings  

• Duke Ellington: Live in '58
• Charles Mingus: Live in '64
• Ella Fitzgerald: Live in '57 & '63
• The Story of Jazz: New Orleans Stomp
• Count Basie: Live in '62
• Monterey Jazz Festival: Forty Legendary Years
• Jazz
• At the Jazz Band Ball: Early Hot Jazz, Song, and Dance 1925-1933

Music Recordings  

• The Legendary Big Band Singers
• Pure Jazz
• Progressions: 100 Years of Jazz Guitar
• The Complete Norman Granz Jam Sessions
• Jazz Vocalists Hear & Now
• Live at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival
• The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong

Books

• Before Motown: A History of Jazz in Detroit, 1920-60
• Jazz, A Critic's Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings
• The House that Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records
• Louis Armstrong & Paul Whiteman: Two Kings of Jazz
• The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues
• Kansas City Jazz: From Ragtime to Bebop--A History

Make sure you also check out the fun jazz programs and resources available through the National Museum of American History, the Smithsonian, and the Federal Resources for Educational Excellence.  They provide wonderful online activities with sound clips, games, and performance clips.   If you're looking for some radio programs to listen to, check out Kansas Public Radio's jazz programming playlist.  Sirius Satellite Radio is also celebrating the month with specialized programming on their Jazz Cafe and Pure Jazz channels.