Thelonious Monk

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Thelonious Monk

Name at birth: Thellous Junior Monk

Thelonious Sphere Monk is considered one of the most important (and eccentric) jazz composers of the century. One of the early practitioners of bebop during the 1940s and 50s, his complex compositions featured irregular rhythms, dissonant sounds and a quirky sense of humor. He was the composer of such jazz standards as Round Midnight and Straight No Chaser.

Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Blues is a music genre [2] and musical form originated by African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the end of the 19th century. The genre developed from roots in African musical traditions, African-American work songs, spirituals, and European folk music.[1] Blues

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Source: BlackHistory.com

Taj Mahal , original name Henry Saint Clair Fredericks (born May 17, 1942, New York, N.Y., U.S.), American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and one of the pioneers of what came to be called world music. He combined blues and other African-American music with Caribbean and West African music and

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Source: Brittanica

May

17

1942

Josephine Baker Picture Gallery: Her Career in Photos

In 2008, dancer and entertainer Josephine Baker was honored at Madame Tussauds in Berlin in this iconic pose, her banana dance from her 1920s act with the Folies Bergère, based in

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Source: ThoughtCo

Acox, Jr., Clarence (1947- )

Clarence Acox, Jr. is an award-winning American jazz drummer and band director. Born in October 1947, he is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. Since his arrival in Seattle in 1971 he has become one of the most influential musical directors in the Pacific Northwest and one of the most successful

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Source: Black Past

Jarreau, Al (1940-2017)

Commonly known as Al Jarreau, Alwin Lopez Jarreau was an African-American jazz singer and musician who received a total of seven Grammy Awards. Jarreau is best known for participating in the charity song “We Are the World” and his 1981 album

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Source: Black Past

Jackson, Mahalia

Jackson, Mahalia məhăl´yə [key], 1911–72, American gospel singer, b. New Orleans. She sang in church choirs during her childhood. Moving (1927) to Chicago, she worked at various menial jobs and sang in churches and at revival meetings, attracting attention for her vigorous, joyful gospel style. As

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Still, William Grant (1895-1978)

Considered by many as the dean of African American composers,William Grant Still, the son of educators, was born in Woodville, Mississippi onMay 11, 1895. His father, a musician whoonce taught music at Alabama A&M College,died when he was an infant; his mother, a schoolteacher, moved to Little

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Source: Black Past

Oct

28

1931

Roberta Flack is known as a singer of soulful jazz and pop ballads. Her particular heyday was the 1970s, when she recorded a string of hits including Feel Like Makin Love and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. (The latter was included on the jazz-tinged soundtrack for Clint Eastwoods 1971 film

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Albert Ayler , (born July 13, 1936, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.—died November 1970, New York, N.Y.), African-American tenor saxophonist whose innovations in style and technique were a major influence on free

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Source: Brittanica

Jul

13

1936

Billie Holiday was a legendary American jazz singer, songwriter and actress. She was born as Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915 to Sarah Julia Fagan and Clarence Holiday. Her parents were neither married, nor living together and Clarence left the family when Billie was just a child. Her mother moved

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Source: Black History Resources

Jul

17

1959

10 Important Musicians of Early Jazz

Best known as a bandleader, King Oliver was also Louis Armstrong’s teacher and was responsible for launching Armstrong’s career by featuring him in his band. Oliver played with many of the great musicians of early jazz including Jelly Roll Morton. He famously turned down a regular gig at New

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Source: ThoughtCo

Aggrey, Orison Rudolph (1926- )

U.S. Ambassador Orison Rudolph Aggrey was born in Salisbury, North Carolina, the son of James Emman Kwegyir, an African immigrant who became an American college professor, and Rose Rudolph (Douglass) Aggrey, an African American woman. He earned a B.S. degree from Hampton Institute, where he

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Source: Black Past

Apr

6

2016

African American History and Women Timeline 1980-1989

[Previous] [Next] Angela Davis ran for Vice President on the Communist Party ticket. She became Professor of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University, a position she held until 1984. Janie L. Mines graduated from the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis. She was the first African American

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Source: ThoughtCo

Africans and African Americans in China: A Long History, A Troubled Present, and a Promising Future?

Africa and China have hadcontact for more than a thousand years. Some scholars assert that the contactsbegan as early as 4th century A.D. but convincing evidence issporadic or lacking. Beginning with the Tang dynasty (618 A.D. to 907 A.D.)documented evidence of contact and trade exists showing

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Source: Black Past

Negro Musicians’ Union, Local 493, Seattle

Also known as the Negro Musicians’ Union, Local No. 493 was formed in 1913 in Seattle. During this time period Locals across the country, under the banner of the American Musicians Federation (AMF), decided to encourage black musicians to form their own unions rather than admit them. From this

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Source: Black Past

Vaughan, Sarah (Sarah Lois Vaughan), 1924–90, American jazz singer, b. Newark, N.J. Nicknamed Sassie, she studied piano and organ, began singing in her church choir, and won (1942) the famous amateur contest at Harlems Apollo Theater. Subsequently, she sang with bands led by Earl Fatha Hines

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Dizzy Gillespie

Name at birth: John Birks Gillespie

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Jazz History by Decade - 1950 to 1960

Previous Decade: 1940-1950

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Source: ThoughtCo

Jazz sensation George Duke dies at 67

Jazz icon George Duke passed away yesterday in Los Angeles at

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Source: Savoy Network

Smith, Hale (1925–2009)

Performer, composer, arranger and teacher, Hale Smith, Jr., encompassed the worlds of jazz and classical music. Beginning with his childhood in Cleveland, Ohio, he trained in jazz and classical composition, performance, and teaching. His collaborations and influence crossed multiple fields where he

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Source: Black Past

Jun

29

1925

Terence Blanchard releases soundtrack album for "The Comedian" starring Robert De Niro

Multiple GRAMMY-winning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard has composed a sublime jazz score for The Comedian, the new movie starring Robert De Niro and Leslie Mann that was directed by Taylor Hackford and opens nationwide today. The album The Comedian (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is

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Source: Savoy Network

Hugh Masekela , (born April 4, 1939, Witbank, South Africa), South African trumpeter who was one of his country’s most popular instrumentalists. An outspoken opponent of apartheid, he lived in the United States, Europe, and Africa while bringing his own country’s unique rhythms and harmonies to

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Source: Brittanica

Apr

4

1939

Name at birth: Eleanora Fagan

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Source: Fact Monster - Black History

Robert Creeley , in full Robert White Creeley (born May 21, 1926, Arlington, Massachusetts, U.S.—died March 30, 2005, Odessa, Texas), American poet and founder of the Black Mountain movement of the 1950s (see Black Mountain

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Source: Brittanica

Mar

30

2005

Black Swan Records (1921-1923)

Black Swan Records was the first black-owned recording company that sold popular music to black audiences. Black Swan Records specialized in jazz and blues recordings but it also became the first company to record black classical musicians. During its brief existence from 1921 and 1923, Black Swan

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Source: Black Past

Rhythm and blues

R&B and RnB redirect here. For the modern style of music also called R&B, see Contemporary R&B. For the Japanese television station that uses the abbreviation RNB, see Nankai

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Source: ThoughtCo

First Congregational Church, Atlanta, Georgia (1867- )

The First Congregational Church of Atlanta, Georgia, the largest Congregational church in the South, began as a “gathered church” on May 26, 1867. After being baptized, local formerly enslaved African Americans joined members of the mostly white congregation that met at the Storrs

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Source: Black Past

May

26

1867

Southern, Eileen Jackson (1920-2002)

Eileen Southern was among the first generation of musicologists focused on studying, preserving, and teaching the history and traditions of African American music. She was also the first female African American faculty member at Harvard

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Source: Black Past

Famous African-Americans of the 20th Century

African-American men and women made great contributions to American society throughout the 20th century, advancing civil rights as well as science, government, sports, and entertainment. Whether you are researching a topic for Black History Month or just want to learn more, this listing of famous

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Source: ThoughtCo

Phylicia Rashad

Phylicia Rashad , née Phylicia Ayers Allen (born June 19, 1948, Houston, Texas, U.S.), American actress who first gained fame for her work on the television series The Cosby Show (1984–92) and later became the first black woman to win (2004) a Tony Award for best actress; she won the honour for

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Source: Brittanica

Jun

19

1948

Politics Facts

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