February is Black History Month: America’s Musical Heritage

The landscape of American music would be vastly poorer without the genius of African American music making. In celebration of Black History Month, here are five ways to explore that rich musical history in the San Jose Public Library catalog, in five different types of media formats:

Black History Month: Explore African American Music

Jazz , book cover

Jazz (DVD)

A 10-episode exploration of the history of jazz by acclaimed documentarian Ken Burns.



Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound, book cover

Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound (Book)

A narrative history of the Motown music label, by Coretta Scott King award winner Andrea Davis Pinkney.



Scott Joplin: Complete Piano Rags, book cover

Scott Joplin: Complete Piano Rags (Sheet Music)

Play the melodies of the “King of Ragtime,” including "The Entertainer" and "The Maple Leaf Rag."



American R&B: Gospel Grooves, Funky Drummers, and Soul Power, book cover

American R & B: Gospel Grooves, Funky Drummers, and Soul Power (eBook)

Journalist Aaron Mendelsohn's young adult guide to R&B features album and song suggestions.



Spirituals, book cover

Spirituals (AudioBook on CD)

African American opera soprano Wilhelmenia Fernandez interprets her favorite spirituals.



Many more African American history resources for all ages can be found in San Jose Public Library's catalog.