Jazz Appreciation Month April, 2017: Women in Jazz

Jazz Appreciation Month (fondly known as “JAM”) was created at the Smithsonian museum in 2002 to herald and celebrate the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz for the entire month of April.

JAM is intended to stimulate and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz – to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and more. This year, being the centennial of jazz icon Ella Fitzgerald, JAM 2017 will celebrate women in jazz. Beyond the traditional female vocalist, there are also many great composers, arrangers, orchestrators, and instrumentalists who have and continue to leave an indelible print on the history and future of jazz.

Jazz Appreciation Month is committed to the celebration of and participation in jazz for all. As the initiator of JAM, the National Museum of American History is the home of the JAM logo, radio announcements, and the Directory of Jazz Societies for individuals, organizations, and more to use to create their own JAM events.  Click HERE for much more information about JAM from the Smithsonian website.