In honor of Jazz Appreciation Month this April, we offer the following reading selections on important people in places in jazz history.
Second Wingspread conference of the National Jazz Service Organization, 1986. Billy Taylor, Harold Horowitz, David Baker, and Congressman John Conyers, Jr. Courtesy of David Baker.

In his new autobiography
The Jazz Life of Dr. Billy Taylor (written with Teresa L. Reed), the legendary jazz ambassador discusses his 60+ years in music, from the heyday of jazz on 52nd Street in
1940s New York City to his appearances on
CBS Sunday Morning.
Taylor fought not only for the recognition of jazz music as "America's
classical music" but also for the recognition of black musicians as key
contributors to the American music repertoire. In this
excerpt, Taylor discusses segregation and his early musical influences.
Read excerpt
Like Taylor, David Baker's musical career was also influenced by segregation. He attended Crispus Attucks High School, an all-black school in Indianapolis, IN, with an excellent music program, to which he attributes much of his success. In this excerpt from David Baker: A Legacy in Music, Lissa May discusses the impact of the Indianapolis music scene and Baker's high school on his musical career.
Read excerpt
IU Press podcast with David Baker and Monika Herzig
Recently featured in Jazzhouse (along with David Baker), Kathy Sloane's Keystone Korner chronicles the experience of this beloved jazz club through more than 100 black and white photographs, a collage of oral histories, and a marvelous CD. During the 1970s, when jazz clubs all over America were folding under the onslaught of rock and roll and disco, San Francisco’s Keystone Korner was an oasis for jazz musicians and patrons. Tucked next to a police station in the city’s North Beach area, the Keystone became known as one of the most important jazz spots in the United States.
Read excerpt
In his newly revised and expanded edition of Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy, Rick Kennedy examines a small town record studio with a big place in jazz history. Gennett Records in Richmond, IN, was the site of many historic firsts, including the first interracial recording with Jelly Roll Morton and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and Louis Armstrong's first recording with King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. Kennedy traces the colorful history of one of America's most
innovative record companies in this excerpt from the book.
Read excerpt
Book trailer