Access to Rare Primary Source Materials

Produced by the Répertoire International de la Presse Musicale (RIPM), RIPM Jazz Periodicals is an essential tool for anyone interested in exploring the rich history surrounding jazz music. It provides users with a contemporary view of jazz history by making rare primary source materials accessible. Content includes articles, reviews, illustrations, and advertisements from jazz publications spanning the early 20th century to the early 21st century.

Jazz publications are challenging to access, as few institutions hold significant collections of these materials. In most cases, libraries with these publications possess incomplete journal runs. An exception to this scarcity is the Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS) at Rutgers University, which boasts one of the largest, if not the largest, collection of jazz periodicals in the world. The content from IJS forms the core of the RIPM Jazz Periodicals database, ensuring that it provides a comprehensive and authoritative resource for exploring the history of jazz.

RIPM Jazz Periodicals is updated with new content annually. Future updates will include publications from Europe, documenting the international dissemination and perception of this originally American artform.

Beyond the Music: The Influence of Jazz on History, Culture and More

RIPM Jazz Periodicals shines a unique light upon the influence of jazz as it relates to 20th-century history, politics, culture, and much more. Its value can be seen across many areas of academic study, including 20th-century American history, African American history, the Civil Rights Movement, modern politics, cultural studies, media studies, and a spectrum of related disciplines.

Content Highlights Include:

  • Leading jazz musicians in their own words
  • Nearly 100,000 photographs
  • 86,000 recording reviews

Topics Covered:

Music & 20th-Century Society:

  • Jazz & The Great Depression
  • World War II Music & Musicians
  • Segregation & Jim Crow Laws
  • Civil Rights & the African-American Press
  • Musician Unions & Desegregation
  • Jazz & the Cold War
  • The Rise of Rock & Roll
  • Avant-Garde & Countercultural Movements
  • Jazz & its Connection to the Other Arts
  • Jazz as Perceived and Practiced Around the World

Entertainment Industry News:

  • Reviews of Radio Shows, Films & Television Programs
  • Music & Musicians in Hollywood
  • The Recording Industry

Popular Music:

  • Rock & Roll
  • Country & Western
  • Blues
  • Rhythm & Blues
  • Motown & Doo-Wop
  • Soul & Gospel
  • Disco & Funk
  • Latin-American Music

Music Education