Music Quick Guide: Jazz 

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To find materials owned by MIT, use Barton:

Barton Advanced Search

Shortcuts for Researching a Topic: Online and Print Resources

Music Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

See especially Ref ML102.J3 in the Lewis Music Library. Examples:

• The New Grove dictionary of jazz.
  Ref ML102.J3.N48 2001 v.1-3; included in Grove Music Online, available as part of Oxford Music Online (MIT only)
  
  
• Baker's biographical dictionary of musicians. Centennial edition.
  Ref ML105.B168 2001 v.1-6 and online (MIT only)
  
  
• Cook, Richard. Richard Cook's jazz encyclopedia.
  Ref ML102.J3.C66 2005
  
  

• Powell, Neil. The language of jazz.
  Ref ML102.J3.P68 2000
  Dictionary of jazz terminology.

Finding Books and Articles

• Barton (to find materials owned by MIT)
  
  
  • Main call number sections: ML3506; ML3561.J3
  • Biographies of jazz composers: ML410
  • Biographies of jazz performers: ML421-ML422
  • Main subject headings: Jazz; Jazz musicians; Jazz -- History and criticism.
    
    
• Music index.
  Ref ML118.M987 and online (MIT only)
  An index to music articles published in journals from 1949-1974 (print) and 1974-present (online).
  
  
• RILM (Répertoire International de la Littérature Musicale) Abstracts of music literature. (MIT only)
  Contains abstracts of music research (articles, books, dissertations) from 1967 on.
  
  
• WorldCat (MIT only)
  Contains over one billion library records of any type of material cataloged by OCLC member libraries, including books, scores, CDs, and videos/DVDs.
  
  
• Doctoral dissertations in musicology online
  Free web access from the Center for the History of Music Theory and Literature, Indiana University.
  An index of music dissertations-in-progress and a bibliography of completed music dissertations.
  
  
• Google Scholar.
  Includes scholarly literature at MIT and beyond.

To broaden your music search, use Vera Multi-Search

Bibliographies

See especially Ref ML128.J3 in the Lewis Music Library’s reference section. Examples:

• Carner, Gary. Jazz performers: an annotated bibliography of biographical materials.
  Ref ML128.B3.C37 1990
  
  
• Meadows, Eddie S. Jazz scholarship and pedagogy: a research and information guide. 3rd ed.
  Ref ML128.J3.M34 2005

Finding Full-text Journal Articles

• To get the articles found in indexes, click the button in the citation

Finding Music Scores

• For scores in the Lewis Music Library, use Barton Advanced Search and select Scores from the pulldown menu under Formats/Types. Change one of the keyword searches to Subject Words and enter jazz.
  
  
• For online public domain scores, see Public Domain Music Scores

Finding CDs and DVDs

• For CDs and DVDs in the Lewis Music Library, use Barton Advanced Search and select CDs or DVDs from the pulldown menu under Formats/Types.
  
  
• Search for a jazz artist by name or change one of the keyword searches to Subject Words and enter jazz.
  
  
• More specific subjects include Guitar music (Jazz); Jazz -- 1931-1940; Latin jazz; Piano music (Jazz); Jazz vocals; Big band music; etc.
  
  

Streaming Audio

• Naxos Jazz (MIT only)
  MIT only; allows 6 simultaneous users.
  
  
• Contemporary World Music
  MIT only; allows 3 simultaneous users.
  
  

• American Song
  MIT only; allows 3 simultaneous users.

• Database of Recorded American Music [DRAM]
  MIT only; compositions by American composers and artists from New World, CRI, and other important labels.
  
  

• Internet Archive (audio)
  A source for free digital recordings.

Selected Internet Resources

• All About Jazz
  Monthly webzine featuring profiles, interviews, and reviews.
  
  
• Jazz Corner
  A portal for the official web sites of hundreds of jazz musicians and organizations.
  
  
• Jazz Times
  Web site for the journal Jazz Times.
  
  
• Worldwide Internet Music Resources: Jazz
  Excellent list of links maintained by the William and Gayle Cook Music Library at the Indiana University School of Music.
  
  
• Jazz: a film by Ken Burns
  Online version of Ken Burns' Jazz documentary.
  
  
• Jazz Research Portal
  From the University of North Texas Libraries
  
  
• America's Jazz Heritage
  Online version of the Smithsonian Institution’s America’s Jazz Heritage program.

Peter Munstedt
Lewis Music Librarian
pmunsted@mit.edu

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