Introduction
"How did jazz come to Chicago?" is a popular topic for school projects and history fair competitions. Every year the Chicago Jazz Archive gets numerous calls and emails from students and parents all over the U.S., asking the Archive for assistance and materials for these projects. Because of the specialized nature of its research mission and collections, the Chicago Jazz Archive cannot honor these requests. The Archive contains no materials appropriate for student papers and projects.Instead, the materials and links on this page have been specially chosen to assist students in exploring how jazz came to Chicago via the Great Migration.
Research Resources on Jazz in Chicago
- The Chicago Jazz Archive's maps of jazz clubs in Chicago 1915-1940's, the first wave of the Great Migration.
- CJA's list of readings for Chicago Jazz
- The Library's African-American Studies page
- Jazz Biographies from The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, 2d ed. courtesy of PBS.
- Finding aid for materials on Chicago jazz and blues held in the Vivian Harsh Collection at the Woodson Regional Branch of the Chicago Public Library.
- William Kenny's important book on Chicago jazz and the Great Migration, Chicago jazz: a cultural history, Oxford University Press 1994.
- Burton W. Peretti, The creation of jazz: music, race, and culture in urban America University of Illinois Press, 1992.
- John Steiner, "Chicago" in Nat Hentoff and Albert J. McCarthy, eds. Jazz: New Perspectives On The History Of Jazz By Twelve Of The World's Foremost Jazz Critics And Scholars Da Capo Press, 1975
- Charles Walton's Bronzeville Conversations from the Jazz Institute of Chicago
- 47th Street History from the website of Chicago jazz landmark Gerri's Palm Tavern
- Loren Schoenberg on the Great Migration and
Race Records from PBS
Some musicians who came to Chicago during the Migration:
- Thomas Brothers, ed. Louis Armstrong in his own words Oxford University Press 1999.
- Louis Armstrong, Satchmo: My life in New Orleans Da Capo Press, 1986.
- Sidney Bechet, Treat it Gentle: An Autobiography Da Capo Press, 1978.
- Warren "Baby" Dodds with Larry Gara, < The Baby Dodds story, Rev. ed. Louisiana State University Press, 1992. Excerpt courtesy of Offbeat Magazine
- James Dickerson, Just for a thrill : Lil Hardin Armstrong, first lady of jazz Cooper Square Press, 2002.
- Alan Lomax et. al. Mister Jelly Roll: The Fortunes of Jelly Roll Morton, New Orleans Creole and "Inventor of Jazz" University of California Press, 2001.
- Laurie Wright, Walter C. Allen & Brian A.L. Rust's "King" Oliver Storyville Publications Co. Ltd., 1987.
Chicago Jazz: Photos
- Frank Driggs and Harris Lewine, Black Beauty, White Heat: A Pictorial History of Classic Jazz 1920-1950. New York: DaCapo Press, 1995.
The Great Migration
Books
Up to grade 8:- Michael L. Cooper, Bound for the Promised Land: The Great Black Migration and How It Changed America. E. P. Dutton, 1995.
- Jacob Lawrence, The Great Migration: An American Story. HarperCollins, 1993.
Grades 9-12 and adults: See the Great Migration source page from the Research Resources.
Return To: Student Projects