The following is a guest post written by jazz and music journalist Lee Mergner, editor, publisher and contributor for JazzTimes from 1990 to 2022. He shares the history of JazzTimes and the story of how the photographs came into his care when JazzTimes was sold to a magazine publisher. This collection of photographs came from more than 50 years of publishing a national jazz magazine, one that started out local. Very local. JazzTimes was founded in 1970 in Washington, D.C., by Ira Sabin, a record store owner (and part-time drummer/bandleader), who wanted a circular to give out in his Sabin’s Di ..read more

The Library of Congress Music Division is proud to be the new home of guitarist and bandleader Eddie Condon’s Gibson L-7 Plectrum guitar, which was custom made for him in 1965. The guitar (pictured below) features a carved spruce top with a sunburst finish. Donated in 2023 by Maggie Condon, Eddie’s daughter, the guitar is a welcome addition to the Library’s renowned collection of musical instruments. Hank O’Neal, a widely respected writer and producer, recently answered some questions about the significance of Eddie’s guitar for “In the Muse.” O’Neal collaborated with Eddie on his book “The Ed ..read more

The following is a guest post by archivist Maya Lerman, who introduces the Barry Sisters collection. As a new archivist in the Music Division, I was excited to have the assignment to process a collection that melded my love of jazz and swing with my interest in Yiddish language and culture. At the outset of the project I learned the term “Yiddish Swing”—a genre defined and embraced by the Barry Sisters, a singing sister duo who fused their Eastern European Jewish cultural background with the upbeat jazz of the 1930s. Popular among immigrant Jewish communities and Holocaust survivors for singin ..read more

The following is a guest post by Stephanie Akau, music archivist. Pianist and vocalist Shirley Horn (1934-2005) is an important part of the legacy of jazz in Washington, D.C., which also includes Duke Ellington, Andrew Hite and Billy Taylor. Unlike some of her Washington contemporaries who moved to New York to pursue performing careers, Shirley Horn lived her entire life in northeast D.C. She started piano lessons at age 4 with the encouragement of her mother, and at age 12 went on to study at Howard University’s Junior School of Music. Before graduating from Dunbar High School in 1952, she be ..read more

The following is a guest post by Senior Music Specialist Raymond A. White. February 12, 1924, is a landmark day in the annals of American music. The story of that snowy afternoon in New York and its aftermath has become almost legendary—and probably somewhat embellished—as it has been told and retold over the past 100 years. A crowd assembled at Aeolian Hall on West 43rd Street that included an array of luminaries from the world of concert music and opera of the time and many of New York’s leading critics as well. The occasion was a concert advertised as “An Experiment in Modern Music,” presen ..read more

The following is a guest post by 2023 Library of Congress Jazz Scholar and 2024 Grammy Nominee Lakecia Benjamin. In many ways, 2023 was a breakout year for me. I was blessed to be able to perform the music I love, meet new people and experience different countries, languages, and cultures. Most people don’t know that I started out my college years as a history major. So, when I received notice that I would be the Library of Congress Jazz Scholar for 2023, I was immediately filled with joy, exhilaration and curiosity. I wondered what documents they would have about jazz and its historical conte ..read more

*** Registrations will be available starting at 10 a.m. EST on Wednesday, January 17, 2024*** The Library of Congress is transitioning to a new event registration service called “Etix,” and starting tomorrow (January 17, 2024) at 10 a.m. EST you can register for February-June Concerts from the Library of Congress events. The easiest way to learn more about what is on offer is to visit loc.gov/concerts, where you can find a list of upcoming concerts. Once registrations open at 10 a.m. EST on January 17, 2024, you will find a link to register for each event on its corresponding event description ..read more

The Library of Congress is proud to offer free digital programming from its collections for the enjoyment of audiences that are not able to attend our live events in Washington, D.C. The Music Division works with colleagues throughout the Library to ensure that past events in the Concerts from the Library of Congress series, educational programs, talks, interviews, and select special events are captured and posted online (when permissions permit). These videos add to the Library’s always-growing performing arts collections, while demonstrating how the physical and digital treasures in the coll ..read more

It is a great pleasure to announce the winter/spring 2024 events of Concerts from the Library of Congress—we have prepared a broad array of concerts, conversations, lectures and films that we are excited to share with you. With 27 events and more to come, there is something for everyone. Rhapsody in Blue, George Gershwin; George and Ira Gershwin Collection, Library of Congress On February 12 we will begin celebrating 100 years of concerts at the Library with a special performance of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” presented by pianist Simone Dinnerstein and The United States Air Force Band usin ..read more

This December Chief  Adjuah takes the stage at the Coolidge Auditorium (Friday, December 1 at 8 p.m.). Known for his dynamic and genre-defying music, Chief Adjuah will perform his latest studio-recorded album, “Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lighting.” Chief Adjuah’s upcoming performance marks the first of two scheduled artists this season, both contributing to a powerful tribute to the vibrant history and culture of New Orleans, with a special focus on its Black Mardi Gras Indians.  A son of New Orleans, Chief Adjuah brings a lifetime of musical heritage to his performances.  With a ..read more