Looking at: Jazz -- America's Art Form Jazz is a musical form born in early 20th century America.  Rooted in ragtime, it has evolved into an enduring expression of creativity and innovation. The history of jazz is much more than the history of an extraordinary musical genre; it is also the story of 20th century social, political and cultural issues -- issues that continue to be relevant today.

The Looking At: Jazz series is a Film and Discussion project for non-profit organizations and libraries sponsored by Renew Media and the National Endowment for the Humanities in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center and the American Library Association.

• Screenings of award-winning documentaries
• Discussions led by local scholars
• Essays by Looking at:Jazz project scholars
• Live jazz performances at Chelsea's Cafe
• Listening sessions with local jazz musicians and jazz afficionados at library branches throughout the parish

• New Orleans and the early pioneers of jazz
• The Jazz Age and Harlem as a center of art
• The Swing Era and jazz as America’s popular music
• The art of jazz singers, musicians, and composers
• Modern jazz and the fragmentation of jazz styles
• Jazz as an international music

Please explore our site!

• Discover the jazz films and CDs in our collection.
• Check our Baton Rouge: All That's Jazz calendar for jazz-related events
• Meet our local scholars.
• Enjoy clips from the films.
• Read the essays by Looking at: Jazz project scholars.
• Have some fun!