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Jazz Primer Virtual Pamphlet NEW! Jazz Primer

Welcome to Jazz & Swing at the Anacortes Public Library, located in NW Washington.

The Library features the Manieri Jazz & Swing collection, specially chosen books, CDs & DVDs on the uniquely American art of jazz & swing music. This collection is funded by a generous endowment from the Dominic & Patricia Manieri estate & is carefully selected by Paul de Barros, jazz critic for the Seattle Times.

The Manieri Jazz & Swing collection represents the entire history of jazz, from the juke joints & cathouses of New Orleans to the swank modern jazz clubs of New York & Chicago. The items in the collection are available for check-out by Library patrons.

Through the Manieri endowment, the Library also

  • Sponsors local jazz events, including free concerts at the Library on the 2nd Sunday of each month;
  • Fosters jazz education in area public schools through grants & scholarships; &
  • Encourages the preservation & proliferation of jazz & swing through education, entertainment & the collection itself.

Get jazzed & enjoy the website!


Listen to jazz music online through our newest database, the Jazz Music Library.

This is the largest online collection of jazz available anywhere with over 120,000 recordings. The music is streaming audio for listening on computers or mobile devices. Create playlists and return to favorite recordings any time. A 14-digit library card is needed for access to the database, which is available from the library website library.cityofanacortes.org or www.jazzatthelibrary.com. Please call the library for assistance getting started. This database is a compliment to our extensive Jazz CD collection. Both are made possible through the Manieri Bequest for jazz and swing.


Featured Artist
Edward Lee Morgan

Lee Morgan, a leading hard bop trumpeter and composer, recorded prolifically from 1956 until a day before his death in February 1972. Originally interested in the vibraphone, he soon showed a growing enthusiasm for the trumpet. On his thirteenth birthday, his sister, Ernestine gave him his first trumpet. In 1956 at the age of 17, he began recording for Blue Note Records, eventually recording 25 albums as a leader for the company, with over 250 musicians. Productive from the very beginning, in 1957 he released 5 albums under his name alone. During the early sixties it was not unusual for Lee Morgan to release 4 records a year. Morgan's primary stylistic influence was Clifford Brown, who gave the teenager a few lessons before he joined the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band at 18. Morgan remained a member for a year and a half, until economics forced Dizzy to disband the group in 1958. It is easy to hear the Cifford Brown influence in Morgan's early recordings. Clifford Brown cast a larger than life shadow on many trumpet players before he died much too early from a sudden automobile accident. After the untimely death of Clifford Brown, Morgan was compared and viewed, at least by the critics and record labels, as the probable successor to Brown's legacy.

READ MORE ON ARTIST ::

Featured Book

Bossa Nova: The Story of the Brazilian Music That Seduced the World

Ruy Castro
781.6409 CAS

Hard to believe that the bossa nova sound, universally recognized as one of Brazil's finest exports, was actually considered controversial at first. This book offers some great anecdotes about the original artists and composers involved in the creation of this wonderful music.


Featured DVD

Rahsaan Roland Kirk: Live '63 & '67

DVD R (Manieri Collection)

You might think Rahsaan Roland Kirk was some kind of novelty act, seeing him on stage wearing 2 or 3 saxophones plus several whistles and other horns, but his artistry shines through in this illuminating pair of concerts. Kirk's mastery of multiple instruments and circular breathing are all on display here.

Blog

Thursday, December 01, 2011
Too Much Information?
READ BLOG POST ::
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Jennifer Scott Trio November 13th
READ BLOG POST ::
Monday, October 03, 2011
Autumn Leaves
READ BLOG POST ::
Monday, September 05, 2011
Lazy, Hazy, Crazy
READ BLOG POST ::
Friday, July 29, 2011
Sunday Jazz Hour at the Heart of Anacortes August 14th
READ BLOG POST ::
Upcoming Concerts

Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Fidalgo Swing
6-9pm at Rockfish Grill
READ MORE ::
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Savage Jazz Trio
6-9pm at Rockfish Grill
READ MORE ::
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Trish Hatley
6-9pm at Rockfish Grill
READ MORE ::
Know of any other jazz/swing events in the Anacortes, WA area?
Click here to send it to us.

News

2012 Scholarships Available

The Manieri Jazz & Swing music endowment of the Anacortes Public Library Foundation is offering scholarships in three categories:

  1. College Student Scholarship - up to $1000 for music students who are active in jazz / swing performance and who will be attending college during academic year 2012-13;
  2. Jazz Camp Scholarship - up to $500 to students who want to attend a music camp during summer 2012 or academic year 2012-13; and
  3. Teacher's Continuing Education Scholarship - up to $500 for music teachers interested in getting credits or clock hours in jazz / swing education during summer 2012 or academic year 2012-13.
More Information