Jazz Appreciation Month (fondly known as "JAM") was created right here at the museum in 2001 to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz for the entire month of April.
JAM is intended to stimulate and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz - to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and more.
Jazz Appreciation Month 2024: Duke Ellington on his 125th
This April marks the 125th birthday of one of the twentieth century's greatest artists, Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington. Born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C., Duke’s early exposure to music came from his parents, Daisy Ellington and James Edward Ellington, who were both pianists. His exposure, parental support and private piano lessons provided a critical foundation in his early development as a pianist and musician. Duke Ellington composed dynamic music throughout his lifetime that inspired vivid visual imagery and emotion. Combining his unconventional orchestration technique with the unique talent of his individual orchestra members, Ellington was able to transpose everyday life into musical works of art.
To mark what would have been his 125th year, the museum will be featuring Duke Ellington on this year’s Jazz Appreciation Month poster through the evocative and colorful painting from LeRoy Neiman.
Download the 2024 Poster Featuring Duke Ellington
Artifact and Education Resources at the Museum
LeRoy Neiman
Big Band
- LeRoy Neiman's "Big Band" now on display
"The Artist Critics Love to Hate"
- Listen to the Sidedoor podcast episode
- Read more the Smithsonian publication The Torch
Online Education
Blogs
- On our holiday playlist: Duke Ellington's "Nutcracker" and a special suite for the Queen
- 5 of my favorite things in our Duke Ellington Collection
- The Archives Center collections come to life in "Sophisticated Ladies"
Selected Museum Collections
- Duke Ellington Collection
- Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera and Related Audiovisual Materials
Oral History Interviews
- Jazz Oral Histories
- Duke Ellington Oral History Project
Hold your own JAM event with this handy list of ways to celebrate jazz.
Everything else you might need for your own JAM events – including the JAM logo, and radio announcements.
Support for jazz programming is made possible by
LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation
The Argus Fund
Ray and Vera Conniff Foundation
Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation
founding donor of the Smithsonian Jazz Endowment
David C. Frederick and Sophia Lynn
Goldman Sachs