NEW

POPPIN’!

The Story of Blue Note Records
Grade: 5-12

Targeting students in grades 5-12, Poppin’! is an informative, finger-snappin’, foot tappin’ journey through the history of Blue Note records that aims to illuminate the impact that the label and its unparalleled roster of groundbreaking artists has had (and continues to have) on the direction of modern jazz.

OVERVIEW: Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, two jazz-loving German immigrants founded Blue Note Records in 1 939 originally to record traditional jazz and boogie-woogie music. But by the late 40’s, Lion and Wolff turned their attention to modern jazz. The rest is history.

Between 1947 and 1968, the Blue Note label produced a catalog of recordings that comprise some of the most seminal albums in jazz history. From Thelonious Monk to Art Blakey to Horace Silver to Bud Powell to jimmy Smith to Wayne Shorter to Joe Henderson to Herbie Hancock and Freddie Hubbard just to name a few, these innovating giants of modern music explored exciting, new creative territory and in so doing, defined that classic, unmistakable Blue Note sound.

From the revolutionary recording techniques of engineer, Rudy Van Gelder, to the distinctive session photography of Francis Wolff and trailblazing graphic design of Reid Miles, the blue note record label set a benchmark for innovation, hipness and quality yet to be matched.