MUSI 108 - Survey of Jazz & Pop Music: Online Resources

The Institute of Jazz Studies is the world's foremost jazz archives and research library. Founded in 1952 by pioneer jazz scholar Marshall Stearns (1908-1966), the Institute has been a pioneering institution in the preservation and access of jazz heritage. IJS relocated from Stearns' apartment to Rutgers University–Newark in 1966, and is part of the Rutgers University Libraries. In 1994, IJS moved to spacious new quarters on the fourth floor of the John Cotton Dana Library at Rutgers–Newark. The Institute serves a broad clientele, including teachers, scholars, musicians, the media, record companies, filmmakers, and arts agencies.

Through world-class collections, scholarship, concerts, exhibitions and programs, Smithsonian Jazz at the National Museum of American History explores and celebrates the American experience through the transformative power of jazz. We believe that jazz is an important bridge between our nation's identity, our shared history, and our communities and we are committed to stewarding this connection for all audiences.

By learning more about the history of jazz in America, and the values inherent in jazz such as risk-taking, collaboration, individuality and freedom, visitors and audiences will better understand the role they play, as musicians, students, teachers, audience members, supporters or leaders, in shaping the future.

AllMusic is a comprehensive and in-depth resource for finding out more about the albums, bands, musicians and songs you love.

In the summer of 1927, just two months after Charles Lindbergh made the first flight across the Atlantic in the Spirit of St. Louis, and during the season that Babe Ruth was blasting out 60 home runs for the Yankees, record producer Ralph Peer of the Victor Talking Machine Company was making music history in Bristol TN/VA. Between July 25 and August 5 of that year, Peer conducted recording sessions using the new Western Electric electronic microphone during which 19 performers (or groups of performers) recorded 76 songs. Those sessions – the now famous “Bristol Sessions” – are known as the “Big Bang” of modern country music, and were called by Johnny Cash “The most important event in the history of country music.”

The 1927 Bristol Sessions featured the first recordings of both Jimmie Rodgers, and the Carter Family. Jimmy Rodgers is now referred to as the “Father of Country Music” and was the first person inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Carter Family, featuring A.P., Sara, and Maybelle Carter, is now known as “The First Family of Country Music” and are also in the Hall of Fame. The 1927 Bristol Sessions not only initiated the careers of these superstar performers, but initiated the broad commercialization of country music. Many of the songs and stylings of those sessions still resonate and influence the music of today.

For these reasons, in 1998 the United States Congress officially designated Bristol TN/VA as the “Birthplace of Country Music.”

The mission of the Cornell Hip Hop Collection (CHHC) is to collect and make accessible the historical artifacts of Hip Hop culture and to ensure their preservation for future generations. It is open to the public.

Established in 2007, the CHHC preserves more than 250,000 items across dozens of archives documenting the origins of Hip Hop culture and its spread around the globe. Located in Cornell Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, the Hip Hop archives include thousands of sound and video recordings, hundreds of party and event flyers, artwork, photographs, books, magazines, and advertising, along with the archives of Hip Hop’s photographers, filmmakers, dancers, MC’s, DJ’s, artists, journalists, producers and publicists, and independent labels, managers and agencies.

The Universal Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx celebrates and preserves the history of local and global Hip Hop music and culture to inspire, empower, and promote understanding.

The Center for Popular Music at Middle Tennessee State University is one of the world's oldest and largest research centers devoted to the study of American folk and popular music. Established in 1985 as a state-sponsored Center for Excellence, in 2009 it became a unit in the university's College of Media and Entertainment.

Born from the collision of rhythm & blues, country, and gospel, rock & roll is a spirit that is inclusive and ever-changing. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrates the sound of youth culture and honors the artists whose music connects us all.

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum collects, preserves, and interprets the evolving history and traditions of country music. Through exhibits, publications, and educational programs, the Museum teaches its diverse audiences about the enduring beauty and cultural importance of country music.

Founded in 1978, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that honors Alabama’s jazz greats.
Our mission is to preserve a continued and sustained program of illuminating the contributions of the State of Alabama through its citizens, environment, demographics and lore, and perpetuating the heritage of jazz music.
We honor the pioneers who shaped jazz history, the players, the teachers, and the community leaders who gave rise to the art form.
By sharing their stories, we hope to inspire the next generation of jazz greats.

Founded in 1985 by Esther Gordy Edwards—former Motown Records executive and sister to Motown founder, Berry Gordy—Motown Museum is home to iconic Hitsville U.S.A., Studio A, and an extensive array of Motown artifacts, photographs, apparel and memorabilia.

Located in the Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District in Kansas City, MO, the American Jazz Museum showcases the sights and sounds of jazz through interactive exhibits and films, the Changing Gallery exhibit space, Horace M. Peterson III Visitors Center, The Blue Room, and Gem Theater. Since its inception in September 1997, the Museum hosts thousands of students, scholars, musicians and fans of the arts for over 200 performances, education programs, special exhibitions, community events and more each year, providing an opportunity to learn about the legends, honor their legacy, or simply enjoy the sounds of modern day jazz.

Explore the GRAMMY Museum in LA with interactive exhibits and exclusive collections. Discover the stories behind music's greatest artists and their impact.

Pop culture is world-shaping and multi-faceted. It defines us, and we define it. It’s constantly evolving, in form and in medium, and the only way to be a part of it is to immerse ourselves in it.
That’s why there's MOPOP.

Here, we're preserving the legacy and honoring the history of the music that gave voice to generations. Blues, baby, is the root of all American music, and we're here to show you just how deep those roots go.