When trying to tell the true story of welterweight world champion Emile Griffith, who landed a fatal blow to his opponent during a boxing match, one probably wouldn’t think of opera. Add onto that scenario the fact that Griffith was taunted for his sexuality by that opponent, and you’d be… Read more...
BMI is saddened by the passing of legendary jazz saxophonist, composer and educator Charles Davis. Featured on more than 100 recordings, including his own compositions, Davis played with such jazz greats as Billie Holiday, Lionel Hampton, Dinah Washington, Elvin Jones and Shirley Scott, to name but a few. He was… Read more...
April has once again been designated as Jazz Appreciation Month, and BMI is proud to again be an anchor sponsor, as it has been since the JAM’s beginnings seven years ago. The month-long celebration pays tribute to jazz as a true American art form and features a variety of activities,… Read more...
The highly lauded BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, now in its second decade, will highlight the best of new jazz compositions created during the last year at its 18th Annual Summer Showcase Concert. The concert is free to the public, and will be held on Thursday, July… Read more...
Jazz Appreciation Month, or JAM for short, kicked off this April with a special fifth anniversary ceremony held at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by BMI and presented by the Smithsonian, the annual, month-long celebration pays tribute to this living… Read more...
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History received a braille keyboard, sunglasses, chess set, costumes and other memorabilia reflecting the storied career of BMI legendary artist Ray Charles in a special ceremony held September 21 in Washington, DC. A selection… Read more...
BMI composer and music legend Herbie Hancock donated several of his instruments to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in a special ceremony on March 30 that kicked off Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM). Sponsored by BMI,… Read more...
April is Jazz Appreciation Month! Launched in 2002 by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, Jazz Appreciation Month (or JAM for short) is a month-long celebration spotlighting jazz through concerts, programs and museum collections. Schools, colleges, museums, concert halls, libraries and public broadcasters are… Read more...
Legendary vibraphonist, bandleader, and BMI jazz composer Lionel Hampton died of heart failure on Saturday, August 31 at New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center. The 94-year-old "King of the Vibes" battled through several major illnesses including a cerebral hemorrhage in 1992… Read more...
The recent showing of Ken Burns's Jazz series on PBS brought attention to how much public interest there is in one of America's greatest art forms. And because of this interest, the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution has initiated a program that will focus that… Read more...
