The Smithsonian Jazz initiative has created a very fine website that brings together oral histories from jazz greats such as Artie Shaw, information about the Smithsonian’s own Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, and a very fun “This Day in Jazz History” fe

Provided as part of the Smithsonian's rich resources on folk music, students can interact with a jazz band. They can choose from three songs representing different jazz styles and then raise and lower the volume of a particular instrument sound to hear it more accurately. If students select specific instruments, a window pops up with more information about that instrument's role in jazz ensembles.