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As it did with blues and jazz, the early recording industry missed the beginnings of ragtime. Luckily, the burgeoning player piano industry produced ragtime tunes on paper rolls, and these rolls... more

This compilation reflects musicians' accounts of the growth of jazz, spotlighting forms they heard in New Orleans such as the march, rag, blues, spiritual and "standards. " Featured are Jelly Roll... more

From the "breathy theatricalism" of Chicago theater jazz to the "youthful enthusiasm" of Birmingham and St. Louis's bands, the 1920s and 30s were decades of experiment, change, and stylistic... more

Most of the recordings on this collection were made by white Chicago high school students in the Roaring Twenties "who took Jazz for their text and, in the spirit of Jazz, improvised upon that text."... more

These live recordings take you to Oregon and Washington in '52, when Ellington, Paul Gonsalves and the rest of Duke's marvelous band kept the dancers swingin' all night. Originally issued in a 2-LP... more

This collection features country ragtime from 1917 to 1935-a genre that mixes the syncopation of African-American rhythms with the melodic structure of European dance music. As these recordings... more

One prolific year of recording yielded these 19 historic tracks from the Gennett label. Listeners were awed by Morton's ability to make the piano sound like a big band; these piano solo introduced... more

The piano got off to a late start in Jazz, notes Frederic Ramsey Jr., but, beginning with Jelly Roll Morton, it made up for lost time. Pianists became important in performance and composition. On... more

There is no single kind of music that led to the creation of Jazz. Instead, the genre evolved, and continues to evolve, from diverse musical avenues. In his liner notes to the final volume of... more

Behold the surging energy of the first years of swing, as the bands grew larger and arrangers endeavored to balance melody with rhythm. Hot stuff here: "Farewell Blues" Paul Whiteman, "Boston Tea... more

Catchy melodies, individual interpretation, and flashy technique epitomize "novelty" ragtime, a style of ragtime that emerged after World War I. This recording features "the effervescence of... more

Here is a sampling of some of the most active Jazz vocalists of the 1920's, '30's and '40's: Louis Armstrong, Ivy Anderson, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Bessie Smith, Sonny Terry and Ma Rainey. They... more

This balanced collection of novelty rags includes compositions by the famed Zez Confrey and Roy Bargy, as well as expert interpretations of rarely heard pieces by Harry Jentes, Sid Reinherz, Jean... more

The list of musicians trumpet player Bunny Berigan and trombonist Jack Teagarden played with in the 1930s includes a vast array of jazz performers, from Tommy Dorsey to Louis Armstrong. Both... more

This influential 1920s small jazz band played music ideal for dancing, while it's members' improvisational creativity offered listeners a new experience with every take. The Original Memphis Five is... more

This 1966 Folkways comp spotlights Hamp's Inner Circle, the leaner, meaner band he sported after stripping down his big band in the '60s. You'll hear Kenny Burrell among others and Hamp's skills on... more

People flock to the Big Easy from all over the world to attend Jazz Fest, which arguably expresses the many splendors and enduring vitality of American music better than any other event. A 136-page... more