JAM at the Museum
JAM 2019 Calendar
As the home of Jazz Appreciation Month, every April the National Museum of American History presents a cadre of programs and jazz displays around the museum for local or visiting jazz fans.
This year, JAM celebrates jazz beyond borders by looking at the dynamic ways jazz can unite people across the culture and geography. See below for a range of ways to join the fun with us all month:
March 31: Nat "King" Cole Evening Concert by the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra
April 4: Free Daytime Concerts by George Mason University Latin Jazz Ensemble
April 11: Free Daytime Concerts by the Montgomery College Jazz Ensemble
April 18: Free Daytime Concerts by George Washington University Latin Jazz Band
April 25: Free Daytime Concerts by Howard University's Women's Vocal Ensemble, SAASY
Films in the Warner Bros. Theater
April 10 to April 14: Jazz Film Festival
April 8 to May 6: Music Movie Mondays
Centennial Year of Nat “King” Cole Featuring Guest Vocalists Sharon Clark and Steve Washington
Sunday, March 31, 2019 at
7:30 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West
Tickets: single seating $30.00
The royal moniker “King” has been bestowed on only a small percentage of artists. Nathaniel Adams Cole’s elevation to “King” was earned through his increasing rise to prominence, and his full mastery of the piano, and voice. American culture and history has many stains; however, the brilliance of Nat “King” Cole could not be denied. Ranking among the most popular vocalists of his era, Cole eventually hosted his very own TV show in the 1950s. On March 31, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra will feature guest vocalists Sharon Clark and Steve Washington bringing to life some of those iconic arrangements, to include “Nature Boy” and “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter.”
The museum’s Constitution Avenue doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the LeRoy Neiman Jazz Café will be open and serving light fare and drink options for purchase from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. Food and drink are welcome at seats in the Performance Plaza.
JAM Daytime Concerts: George Mason University Latin Jazz Ensemble
Thursday, April 4
12, 1, and 2 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West
Free!
Catch free live jazz performances at the museum in April. Featuring three performances each Thursday, visitors can enjoy jazz performed by local musicians and universities celebrating how jazz has evolved, responding to influences and innovations from around the globe. On April 4, we will be joined by the George Mason University Latin Jazz Ensemble.
JAM Daytime Concerts: Montgomery College Jazz Ensemble
Thursday, April 11
1 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West
Free!
Catch free live jazz performances at the museum in April. Featuring three performances each Thursday, visitors can enjoy jazz performed by local musicians and universities celebrating how jazz has evolved, responding to influences and innovations from around the globe. On April 11, we will be joined by the Montgomery College Jazz Ensemble.
JAM Daytime Concerts: George Washington University Latin Jazz Band
Thursday, April 18
12, 1, and 2 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West
Free!
Catch free live jazz performances at the museum in April. Featuring three performances each Thursday, visitors can enjoy jazz performed by local musicians and universities celebrating how jazz has evolved, responding to influences and innovations from around the globe. On April 18, we will be joined by the George Washington University Latin Jazz Band.
JAM Daytime Concerts: Howard University's Women's Vocal Ensemble, SAASY
Thursday, April 25
12, 1, and 2 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, 1 West
Free!
Catch free live jazz performances at the museum in April. Featuring three performances each Thursday, visitors can enjoy jazz performed by local musicians and universities celebrating how jazz has evolved, responding to influences and innovations from around the globe. On April 25, we will be joined by Howard University's Women's Vocal Ensemble, SAASY.
Jazz Film Festival
April 10 to April 14
Warner Bros. Theater, 1 Center
Ticket prices vary.
Smithsonian Theaters is continuing the Smithsonian’s Year of Music celebration with a five-day festival featuring Academy Award-winning modern favorites Chicago, La La Land, and Whiplash, and the classic Some Like it Hot. See the full schedule.
Music Movie Mondays
April 8 to May 6
Warner Bros. Theater, 1 Center
Ticket prices vary.
Enjoy documentaries such as America’s Musical Journey, starring Aloe Blacc, and classic films like All That Jazz and Mo’ Better Blues to explore music and how it influences pop culture and American cinema. See the full schedule.
Smithsonian Jazz is made possible through leadership support from:
The LeRoy Neiman Foundation
The Argus Fund
The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation
founding donor of the Jazz Appreciation Month endowment
David C. Frederick and Sophia Lynn
Goldman Sachs
The John Hammond Performance Series Endowment Fund
