Carter, Rollins and Blakey join other BMI jazz legends inducted in previous years, including Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Billie Holiday, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Art Tatum, Clark Terry and Freddie Green.

Born to a taxi-driving father and pharmacist mother, Winehouse grew up in the Southgate area of northern London. Through a close relationship with her mother’s side of the family, which included several professional jazz musicians (her paternal grandmother was reportedly once romantically linked with British jazz legend Ronnie Scott), she began absorbing the musical lessons of such giants as Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald.

Once she’d hit her teens, however, she quickly found herself attracted to such then-current American r&b and hip-hop acts as TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, and the Fugees. By the end of 2003, when she was 20 years old, Island had released her debut album, Frank, in the U.K., racking up impressive reviews and sales and paving the way for her 2006 breakthrough Back to Black.

That album includes probably her most famous song, “Rehab,” inspired after she fired her management company for suggesting she check herself in for her extracurricular problems. One month after Winehouse won Best Female Artist at the Brit Awards in February 2007, Universal released Back to Black in the U.S. and found itself with an album that charted higher than any other American debut by a British female recording artist.

Winehouse rode that success to five Grammy Awards (making her the first-ever British female artist to win so many in one night) and the eventual release of Frank in the U.S. (slightly tweaked, with two songs removed and one added). Nevertheless, according to interviews at the time, Winehouse had never really set her sights on conquering America.

“I just did an album that I’m really proud of, that means a lot to me, and I really stretched myself doing it,” she said. “The fact that I get to come to other places other than where I live and I’m from, and do shows, that’s just icing on the cake. I’ve said it before and I'll say it again: I’m a really lucky girl.”

However, that noted edginess also bubbled up: “I’m not interested in writing songs so people can find out who I really am. There’s stuff that I wouldn’t want people to know.”

As she continues to fight her demons off the stage, however, word comes that Winehouse is actively starting work with Black co-producer Mark Ronson. A rep confirmed, “She just went into the studio to record with Mark two or three weeks ago. She was writing in her home studio before that.”

While no date has been set for the album’s release, Winehouse is set to play several festival dates in Europe this summer.

The Russian-born, Bronx-bred singer/songwriter/pianist cites Billie Holiday, Frederic Chopin and The Beatles as major influencers, further defining Spektor’s explorative range and eclectic style.

“I don’t have an overall sound,” she explains. “I tend to think of each song as its own little world, so one song can be a complete punk song, while another could be a chamber ensemble with strings.”

In 2001, Spektor graduated with honors from the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College in New York, and spent time performing at the Sidewalk Café and the Living Room in New York City’s café circuit. A few years later, she accepted tour invitations from The Strokes and Kings of Leon.

Preceded by two self-released albums, 11:11 in 2001, Songs in 2002 and 2004’s breakthrough Soviet Kitsch (Sire), Spektor unleashed Begin To Hope in 2006, hitting No.1 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart.

Produced by David Kahne, Spektor’s abstract narrative on Hope is thoughtful, echoing such literary allusions as Boris Pasternak in “Apres Moi,” while “Fidelity” and “On the Radio” demonstrate pop accessibility.

“Somebody might be a quiet, tea-drinking gentleman who is very polite and nice, but he’s an actor and he plays Macbeth,” she says. When I play, it’s all real emotions and real empathies, but certain things aren’t summoned that just don’t need to be summoned in everyday life.”

BMI songwriters dominate the selections, representing 58% of the individuals and groups. The variety and superiority of the material attests not only to the wide-ranging talents of BMI songwriters but also the consistency of BMI’s involvement with all eralms of music throughout the course of its history. The diversity of styles and genres included is remarkable, ranging from folk (Woody Guthrie) to rap (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five), jazz (Miles Davis) to punk (Sex Pistols), blues (Howlin’ Wolf) to country (Hank Williams), rhythm & blues (Sam Cooke) to soul (Aretha Franklin), disco (Chic) to folk-rock (Fairport Convention), the over-the-top (Velvet Underground & Nico) to the indefinable (Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band).

As with any list, arguments are invited and disagreements encouraged. The following are BMI’s representatives in Mojo’s decisions, including their number in the final grouping.

For the complete list, consult mojo4music.com or rocklistmusic.co.uk/mojo.html.

BMI Songwriters on the MOJO List:

Animals: “The House of the Rising Sun” [#86]
Anthology of American Folk Music [#8]
Beach Boys: Pet Sounds [#21]
The Beatles: “I Want To Hold Your Hand” [#2]
                       Revolver [#40]
                      Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band [#16]
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band: Trout Mask Replica [#51]
Chuck Berry: “Johnny B. Goode” [#12]
Big Youth: Screaming Target [#76]
David Bowie: The Rise and Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And the Spiders From Mars [#31]
                       Low [#64]
James Brown: “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag” [#15]
Jeff Buckley: Grace [#37]
The Byrds: Sweetheart of the Rodeo [#57]
Ray Charles: “What’d I Say” [#9]
Chic: “Good Times” [#54]
John Coltrane: My Favorite Things [#60]
Sam Cooke: “You Send Me” [#47]
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue [#43]
Lonnie Donegan: “Rock Island Line” [#38]
Nick Drake: Five Leaves Left [#78]
Brian Eno: Discreet Music [#68]
Fairport Convention: Liege & Lief [#58]
Aretha Franklin: “I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You” [#18]
Gang Of Four: Entertainment [#77]
Gnarls Barkley: “Crazy” [#100]
Davy Graham with Alexis Korner: 3/4AD [#35]
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five: “The Message” [#29]
Woody Guthrie: Dust Bowl Ballads [#13]
Billie Holiday : “Strange Fruit” [#67]
Buddy Holly: “That’ll Be The Day” [#52]
Howlin’ Wolf: The Rocking Chair Album [#23]
Michael Jackson: Thriller [#33]
Carole King: Tapestry [#74]
John Lennon: Plastic Ono Band [#55]
The Libertines: Up The Bracket [#94]
Little Richard: “Tutti Frutti” [# 1]
Love [#66]
MC5: Kick Out The Jams [#69]
New York Dolls [#39]
Nirvana: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” [#27]
Nuggets [#42]
N.W.A.: Straight Outta Compton [#61]
Oasis: Definitely Maybe [#89]
Charlie Parker: “Koko” [#26]
Pixies: Surfer Rosa [#79]
Elvis Presley: “Heartbreak Hotel” {#3]
R.E.M.: Murmur [#75]
Rolling Stones: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” [#19]
                          “Sympathy For The Devil:” [#48]
Ronettes: “Be My Baby” [#45]
Sex Pistols: “God Save the Queen” [#10]
The Shadows: “Apache” [#84]
The Smiths: This Charming Man [#80]
Sonic Youth: EVOL [#85]
The Stone Roses [#99]
The Stooges: Funhouse [#36]
Television: Marquee Moon [#97]
Upsetters: Blackboard Jungle Dub [#59]
The Velvet Underground & Nico [#7]
The Who: “My Generation” [#44]
Hank Williams: “Move It On Over” [#30]
Link Wray: “Rumble” [#41]

“This is a concept album that follows a bold vision,” she declares. “The touchstones are Billie Holiday, Otis Redding, Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald — what I used to call my ‘fun music’ when I was a little girl.”

A double album, Basics utilizes an orchestra, choir, string quartet and jazz horns throughout, ranging from a 1920s-style blues feel on “I Got Trouble” to the delicious Andrews Sisters-influenced “Candy Man” and the zoot-suit riot of “Ain’t No Other Man.”

But lest longtime fans fear that Aguilera’s trying to be the next Rosemary Clooney, there are still plenty of modern sounds, from the emotionally naked “Save Me from Myself” to the risqué “Nasty Naughty Boy” and the straight-ahead club track “Still Dirrty” (a reference to her previous ode to raunch, “Dirrty,” from the 2002 album Stripped). It’s been quite a journey from her early days as a member of “The New Mickey Mouse Club” (alongside fellow future stars Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears). Aguilera’s first self-titled album showed off her pipes and pop smarts via such instant hits as “Genie in a Bottle” and “What A Girl Wants,” while 2000’s My Kind of Christmas album was a strong seller.

It was her appearance alongside Pink, Mya and Lil’ Kim on the Moulin Rouge cover of “Lady Marmalade,” however, that brought the former teen queen’s sexuality to the fore, something that was emphasized on Stripped. With Back to Basics, the artist reveals just how mature she’s become.

“When you’re 17-years-old, green and inexperienced, you’re grateful for any guidance and direction you can get,” she recalls. However, within a few years, “I felt trapped. I was under the thumb of people who were mostly interested in keeping me doing exactly the same thing.

“But I’m not blaming anyone,” she quickly adds. “You learn fast in this business and, once I knew where I wanted to go, I didn’t let anyone get in my way.”

The prolonged layoff after Stripped — combined with her 2005 marriage to music executive Jordan Bratman — helped re-energize her. “I needed a break,” she states. “I began realizing that I should be experiencing a bit more of life than TV and recording studios, hotels and green rooms.”

Good thing she caught her breath when she did: On the heels of Basics going straight to No. 1 on the Billboard chart, Aguilera’s currently in the midst of a world tour that will last at least through spring 2007.

“I’m driven,” she understates with a laugh.

More information about Jazz Appreciation Month is available in the press release below.

John Hasse, Director of Music at the Smithsonian, BMI Corporate Relations Vice President Robbin Ahrold, Rona Sebastian (President, Herb Alpert Foundation),legendary jazz photographer and donor William Claxton, Stanton Davis (American Federation of Musicians), Sandra Gibson (CEO, Association of Performing Arts Presenters), Charles Fishman (Dizzy Gillespie's last manager; President of the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival), renowned jazz portrait artist LeRoy Neiman, and Angela Martinez (Program Director, Association of Performing Arts Presenters).

At a special ceremony today, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History kicked off Jazz Appreciation Month with a tribute to three prominent trumpeters: Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong and Herb Alpert, as well as donations from photographer Bill Claxton and artist LeRoy Neiman.

Now in its sixth year, JAM is an annual event that pays tribute to jazz both as a historic and living American art form. Throughout the month, the Smithsonian will present numerous events, including performances, film and displays in venues around Washington, D.C.

“Jazz is a truly American style of music that has played an important role in our heritage,” said Brent D. Glass, director of the National Museum of American History. “Through the Smithsonian’s Jazz Appreciation Month activities, we will highlight jazz and its history and expose audiences to this significant piece of American culture.”

Four donations were recognized at today’s JAM kick off event:

• Business records and personal ephemera belonging to John Birks ‘Dizzy’ Gillespie, one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of the 20th century. The collection was donated by Charles Fishman, Gillespie’s manager from 1985 to 1993, who won a Grammy for producing “Dizzy Gillespie and United Nations Orchestra” and founded the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival in Washington, D.C.

• Twenty-two photographs by acclaimed fashion and jazz photographer Bill Claxton of jazz greats, including Ray Charles, Miles Davis and Chet Baker.

• Support for JAM from the Herb Alpert Foundation as the lead sponsor of Jazz Appreciation Month, with a donation of $300,000 to be used during the next three years.

• Use of celebrated American artist LeRoy Neiman’s conté-crayon drawing of Louis Armstrong, which is featured on the official 2007 JAM poster. This is the second year Neiman has donated image for this purpose. The museum and its JAM partners will distribute 250,000 posters around the country to promote local JAM activities.

This year, Carlos Santana and Herb Alpert have added their voices to those of other prominent musicians, including Geri Allen and Wynton Marsalis, in recording radio public service announcements produced by BMI. The PSAs will be distributed nationwide.

In a first this year, the museum will partner with leading online social network Care2 www.care2.com to co-host a discussion board that simultaneously resides in both the smithsonianjazz.org and Care2 communities, enabling music fans on both web sites to join together in one large conversation about jazz.

The Smithsonian Women’s Committee is supporting the 2007 JAM public programs throughout the institution with a special grant, and WAMU Radio, 88.5 FM, is the media partner in the nation’s capital, providing public service announcements.

Los Angeles born Herb Alpert is a notable musician known for co-founding – with Jerry Moss – A&M Records, for years the world’s largest, most successful independent label and home to artists including Stan Getz, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Carole King and Sting. Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass’ 1962 debut “The Lonely Bull” was also A&M’s inaugural release. The band’s infusion of Latin and jazz sounds into pop music resulted in hits including the Grammy winners “A Taste of Honey” and “What Now My Love.” As a solo artist, Alpert is known for “Rise” which won nine Grammys.

Claxton, who hails from Pasadena, Ca., first gained fame in the 1950s, photographing artists for the Pacific Jazz record label and went on to have his work featured on album and magazine covers internationally. Throughout his career, Claxton has produced insightful portraits of many jazz legends, often capturing musicians in spontaneous, intimate moments, reflecting his vision of photography as “jazz for the eye.”

Born in South Carolina in 1917 as the youngest of 10 children, Gillespie taught himself to play the trumpet at age 12. In the 1940s, Gillespie helped develop an innovative style known as bebop, featuring intricate improvisations, complex harmonies and rapid rhythms. Gillespie played with such jazz greats as Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington and John Coltrane and mentored young musicians, including Miles Davis. Known for his beret, horn-rimmed glasses, bent horn and puffed cheeks, Gillespie has had an enormous impact on subsequent generations of trumpeters.

LeRoy Neiman, born in St. Paul, MN., operates his studio out of New York. Growing up on the street during the Depression, his first commission was for the local grocer, drawing calcimine pictures of food items on the store windows. Neiman became interested in jazz during the 1970s. He created art for numerous program covers and posters for the Newport Jazz Festival, the Kool Jazz Festival and Jazzmobile, and painted jazz greats Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis.

The National Museum of American History launched JAM in 2001 and it has since grown to include celebrations in all 50 states and 20 other countries. This year the Smithsonian will present a record 29 events, including five performances by the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the museum’s resident big band.

In commemorating JAM 2007, the museum collaborated with a diverse group of 28 organizations, institutions, associations and federal agencies that have provided financial and in-kind support and organized programs and outreach of their own. The Smithsonian operates the world’s most comprehensive set of jazz programs. The museum is home to incomparable jazz collections that include 100,000 pages of Ellington’s unpublished music and such objects as Fitzgerald’s famous red dress, Gillespie’s angled trumpet and Benny Goodman’s clarinet. A complete schedule of JAM events is available at http://americanhistory.si.edu.

The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Documenting the American experience from Colonial times to the present, the museum looks at growth and change in the United States. The museum is closed for major renovations and will re-open in summer 2008. The public may visit the museum’s Web site at http://americanhistory.si.edu or call (202) 633-1000 or (202) 633-5285 (TTY) for general Smithsonian information.

Shown after the show are (back row, l-r): BMI's Joe Maggini, David Schwartz, Lucy Schwartz, Paul O'Connor, Josh Allan; (front row): Katrina Parker, and BMI's Tracie Verlinde, Barbara Cane and Paige Sober.

A reformed Southern Baptist and small town escapee, former North Carolina native Katrina Parker is a songstress who prides herself on finding beauty in the farthest corners and most hidden places. Her debut EP, 2005's Only Dreaming, is composed of dreamy and intimate alternative pop-sometimes unabashedly romantic, sometimes bittersweet, and sometimes nostalgic. She's currently finishing up her yet untitled 2007 release, which sounds like Billie Holiday on acid, Portishead at a Sunday brunch, and gothic romanticism with a cabaret twist.

Classically trained on piano from the age of 5, musical prowess seems to simply reside in Josh Allan's blood. This Colorado native launched his first independent CD, All The Acoustic Pop You Can Drink, in November 2004, signed on with Big Mountain Productions in 2005, and is now on the verge of releasing his second CD, The Let Go. His influences include Ben Folds, John Mayer and Billy Joel; his sound is characterized by passionate vocals, distinctive piano melodies and precise acoustic guitar riffs. This soulful musician has performed in venues from Denver to Detroit to Boston to New York and more.

Washington State musician Paul O'Connor was born with a taste for rock and a passion for music that continues to span decades after its commencement. He kicked off his career as the leader of his University band, Organeroze; the band quickly gained a following and soon after landed opening slots for bands like Heart and REO Speedwagon. Since then, O'Conner has continued musical ventures through various avenues creating heart-wrenching music, collaborating with people like Gary LeVox (Rascal Flats) and Kellie Coffee.

Lucy Schwartz is a singer/songwriter with an "old soul" that belies her young age of 16. Although her influences are varied, the result is a truly original and timeless musical voice. She began writing instrumental piano pieces at 8-years-old, and a year later, she won the National PTA Reflections Competition for music composition in elementary schools. Her songs have been featured on the UPN TV series, South Beach, and the new CW series, Runaway. She is in the process of recording a CD of nine original songs. Her singing can also be heard on various TV shows including Fox's Emmy Award-winning series, Arrested Development.

The Acoustic Lounge showcase, held at Genghis Cohen on the first Monday of each month, is free and open to the public and is one of many opportunities BMI offers to artists to showcase their talent in front of their peers and a supportive audience. The atmosphere is relaxed and fun, offering a great opportunity to network with other aspiring and working singer/songwriters. For established writers, it provides a chance to monitor new musical trends and be involved in the grass-roots/DIY musical movement.

Donors gather with representatives of the national JAM partner, sponsor, and collaborator organizations. Back row: Jean Banks, BMI; Gale Monk; Thelonious Monk, Jr.; Dan Schuman, U.S. State Department; John Stevenson, Voice of America; Wayne Brown, National Endowment for the Humanities; Sandra Gibson, Association of Performing Arts Presenters; Mara Walker, Americans for the Arts; Cynthia Minnick, U.S. Department of Defense; Dwan Reese, National Endowment for the Humanities; Jennifer Adams, PBS; Barry Robinson, representing IAJE; Kristin Wilson, Association of Public Television Stations; Carol Sue Fromboluti, U.S. Department of Education; Patricia May, American Library Association. Front row: Dr. John Edward Hasse, National Museum of American History; Dr. Brent Glass, National Museum of American History; Fran Morris Rosman, Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation; Dr. Jonathan D. Katz, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies; Roger Whitworth, representing the American Federation of Musicians and the Music Performance Fund; Herman Leonard; Paul Kerlin, MENC; Bill Pace, Chamber Music America; Cheryl Davis; Vince Wilburn, Jr.; Vince Wilburn, Sr. Smithsonian. Photo by Hugh Talman

On hand were the families of legendary BMI jazz artists Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk who donated objects and manuscripts from their estates. Jazz photographer Herman Leonard also donated some of his photographs.

"Jazz is truly an American form of music that has played and continues to play an important role in our history from its birth in the South in the late 1800s and early 1900s to its later fusion with other forms of popular music," said Brent D. Glass, Director of the National Museum of American History. "Through the museum's Jazz Appreciation Month activities, we highlight jazz and its significant history, while exposing audiences to this significant piece of American culture."

Miles Davis (1926-1991), a trumpeter and composer, helped pioneer a wide variety of jazz music from cool jazz to hard-pop to jazz-rock fusion, while becoming the most dominant figure in jazz during the second half of the 20th century. The seven-time Grammy award-winning artist began his career playing with jazz greats such as Charlie Parker, Benny Carter and Billy Eckstine, but he would go on to create his own distinct lyrical style that was often lonely and introspective. Davis recorded the best-selling jazz album in history, Kind of Blue (1959). Donations from the Davis family included a Versace suit that Davis wore during the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1991; a sheaf of parts for "Summertime," arranged for Davis by Gil Evans based on George Gershwin's "Porgy & Bess"; and an electronic wind instrument used by Davis.

Thelonious Monk (1917-1982) is often regarded as one of the greatest composers in jazz history, creating such classics as "Round Midnight," "Blue Monk" and "Criss Cross." Credited with helping pioneer bebop as a form of jazz, he was also an accomplished pianist who created an iconic sound through unorthodox voicings and an unusual approach to rhythm. In 1964, Monk was featured on the cover of Time magazine-one of five jazz musicians to ever make the cover. He recently received a special posthumous citation from the Pulitzer Prize board. Donations from the Monk family included one of his iconic skull caps; a handwritten manuscript for "Four in One," which was first recorded in 1951; and other articles of clothing worn by Monk, including a jacket, vest and ties.

Jazz photographer Herman Leonard began his career in the 1940s in the jazz clubs of Broadway, 52nd Street and Harlem, N.Y. Throughout the years he developed relationships with and photographed many jazz greats, including Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington. Leonard's extensive portfolio extends beyond jazz, though, as he has photographed other American icons like Albert Einstein, Harry S. Truman, Clark Gable and Marlon Brando. Leonard's donation consists of 20 black-and-white photographs, including images of Louis Armstrong, Holiday, Gillespie, Lena Horne and Tony Bennett.

The donated items join the museum's collection of memorabilia from other jazz musicians, including Ella Fitzgerald, Lionel Hampton, Artie Shaw and Ellington, and are showcased in a special display "Miles & Monk: New Jazz Acquisitions," which opened March 30.

April was chosen for JAM to honor the birthdays of such jazz legends as Ellington, Fitzgerald, Puente, Charles Mingus and Gerry Mulligan. Throughout the entire month, the museum highlights jazz music through concerts, programs and displays. Schools, colleges, museums, concert halls, libraries and public broadcasters are encouraged to offer special programs of their own every April.

The Smithsonian operates the world's most comprehensive set of jazz programs, including Jazz Appreciation Month. It collects jazz artifacts, documents, recordings and oral histories; curates exhibitions and traveling exhibitions; operates its own big band, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra; publishes books and recordings on jazz; offers fellowships for research in its collections; and offers concerts, educational workshops, master classes, lectures, seminars and symposia.

With an impressive roster of jazz legends that includes Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton and Charles Mingus, as well as today's new jazz stars like Herbie Hancock, Norah Jones, Kevin Eubanks, Joshua Redman, Mark Whitfield and Bobby Watson, BMI has supported jazz from the start and continues today with programs such as the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, the BMI Foundation's Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize and the BMI/Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Composers Competition.

Seen here in the New York office are BMI's Samantha Cox and Charlie Feldman, Reed, songwriter/collaborator Steven Frank, and BMI's Erica Tompkins and Wardell Malloy. photo: Eric Miller

]]> 2003-07-28T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/200044 Artists, Charles, Ray, Coltrane, John, Davis, Miles, Franklin, Aretha, Guthrie, Woody, Holiday, Billie, Parker, Charlie, Presley, Elvis, Musical Styles, Dance, Jazz Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," but also major instances of the spoken word, like FDR's Fireside Chats or Abbott and Costello's "Who’s On First."

Pictured (l-r) are Elizabeth Cohen of the American Engineering Society,
BMI's Dr. David Sanjek, Librarian of Congress James M. Billington, Jr. and
the American Musicological Society's Jose Bowen.

The final selections were made by the Librarian of Congress, James H.Billington Jr., after consulation with a group of advisors that includes academics, members of the music industry and others. BMI President and CEO, Frances W. Preston was part of that advisory group, and was represented in the deliberations by Dr. David Sanjek, the Director of the BMI Archives. In the complete list below, contributions to the collection by BMI writers/artists and publishers are indicated by an asterisk.

1. Edison Exhibition Recordings (Group of three cylinders): "Around the World on the Phonograph"; "The Pattison Waltz"; "Fifth Regiment March" (1888-1889)

2. The Jesse Walter Fewkes field recordings of the Passamaquoddy Indians (1890)

3. "Stars and Stripes Forever," military band, Berliner Gramophone disc recording (1897)

4. Lionel Mapleson cylinder recordings of the Metropolitan Opera (1900-1903)

5. Scott Joplin ragtime compositions on piano rolls, Scott Joplin, piano (1900s)

6. Booker T. Washington's 1895 Atlanta Exposition Speech (1906 recreation)

7. "Vesti la giubba" from Pagliacci, Enrico Caruso (1907)

8. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," Fisk Jubilee Singers (1909)

9. Lovey's Trinidad String Band recordings for Columbia Records (1912)

10. "Casey at the Bat," DeWolf Hopper, reciting (1915)

11. "Tiger Rag," Original Dixieland Jazz Band (1918)

12. "Arkansas Traveler and Sallie Gooden," Eck Robertson, fiddle (1922)

13. "Down-Hearted Blues," Bessie Smith (1923)

14. "Rhapsody in Blue," George Gershwin, piano; Paul Whiteman Orchestra (1924)

15. Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings (1925-1928)

16. Victor Talking Machine Company sessions in Bristol, Tennessee, Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest Stoneman, and others (1927)*

17. Harvard Vocarium record series, T.S. Eliot, W.H. Auden, others, reciting (1930-1940s)

18. Highlander Center Field Recording Collection, Rosa Parks, Esau Jenkins, others (1930s-1980s)*

19. Bell Laboratories experimental stereo recordings, Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski, conductor (1931-1932)

20. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's radio "Fireside Chats" (1933-1944)

21. New Music Recordings series, Henry Cowell, producer (1934-1949)*

22. Description of the crash of the Hindenburg, Herbert Morrison, reporting (1937)

23. "Who's on First," Abbott and Costello's first radio broadcast version (1938)

24. "War of the Worlds," Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater (1938)

25. "God Bless America," Kate Smith, Radio broadcast premiere (1938)

26. "The Cradle Will Rock." Marc Blitzstein and the original Broadway cast (1938)

27. The John and Ruby Lomax Southern States Recording Trip (1939)*

28. Grand Ole Opry, first network radio broadcast, Uncle Dave Macon, Roy Acuff, and others (1939)*

29. "Strange Fruit," Billie Holiday (1939)*

30. Duke Ellington Orchestra "Blanton-Webster" period recordings (1939-1942)

31. Bela Bartok, piano, and Joseph Szigeti, violin, in concert at the Library of Congress (1940)

32. "Rite of Spring," Igor Stravinsky conducting the New York Philharmonic (1940)

33. "White Christmas," Bing Crosby (1942)

34. "This Land Is Your Land," Woody Guthrie (1944)*

35. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's D-Day radio address to the Allied Nations (1944)

36. "Koko," Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and others (1945)*

37. "Blue Moon of Kentucky," Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys (1947)*

38. "How High the Moon," Les Paul and Mary Ford (1951)

39. Elvis Presley's Sun Records sessions (1954-1955)*

40. "Songs for Young Lovers," Frank Sinatra (1955)

41. "Dance Mania," Tito Puente (1958)

42. "Kind of Blue," Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, and others (1959)*

43. "What'd I Say," parts 1 and 2, Ray Charles (1959)*

44. "I Have a Dream," speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1963)

45. "Freewheelin'," Bob Dylan (1963)

46. "Respect!," Aretha Franklin (1967)*

47. "Philomel," for soprano, recorded soprano, and synthesized sound, Bethany Beardslee, soprano (1971)*

48. "Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Gospel Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey," Thomas Dorsey, Marion Williams, and others (1973)*

49. Crescent City Living Legends Collection (WWOZ radio, New Orleans) (1973-1990)*

50. "The Message," Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (1982)*