Jazz Appreciation Month was created in 2001 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. April was selected because a lot of jazz greats were born this month, including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae, Charles Mingus, and Herbie Hancock. This year, JAM is a celebration of Ellington, because 2024 marks his 125th birthday. Also in April, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization—often referred as UNESCO—celebrates... Read this story