A Jazz Appreciation Month Playlist

By Ayana Young
April 18th 2015
Established in 2001, Jazz Appreciation Month celebrates the rich history, present accolades, and future growth of jazz music. Spanning the blues, ragtime, dixieland, bebop, swing, soul, and instrumentals, there’s no surprise that jazz music has endured the test of time from its early origins amongst African-American slaves in the late 19th century to its growth today. Often characterized by improvisation, syncopation, and usually a regular or forceful rhythm, jazz is commonly played on brass and woodwind instruments, pianos, guitars and violins, sometimes accompanied by smooth melodic vocals. In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, we’ve compiled a list of timeless classic jazz songs for the enjoyment of aficionados and new listeners alike.

 Dizzy Gillespie – “Salt Peanuts“
 Billie Holiday – “Strange Fruit“
 Mary Lou Williams – “Willow Weep For Me“
 Bing Crosby – “White Christmas“
 Frank Sinatra – “Fly Me to The Moon“

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