Go to MSN Homeencarta®
HomeEncyclopediaDictionaryAtlasK-12 SuccessCollege & Grad SchoolDegrees & TrainingQuizzesMore
Jazz Saxophonist John Coltrane (Image credit: Prestige Records under master license to Fantasy, Inc.)
Jazz 101 Quiz

by Megan Aemmer

It may not be the highest-selling musical genre, and you're not likely to catch a jazz vocalist on MTV, but jazz does have some of the most loyal listeners out there. Those who get into jazz are often fans for life. (Can you say the same about those '80s hair-metal bands you used to rock out to?) Maybe you can hum a few bars, but how much do you know about this truly American art form?
1
Which city is considered the birthplace of jazz?
2
Jazz trendsetter Miles Davis played which instrument?
3
What percentage of music sales are jazz recordings?
4
Which jazz vocalist was also known as Lady Day?
5
How many pieces did pianist and bandleader Duke Ellington compose?
Duke Ellington (Image credit: 1977 Prestige Records-Fantasy, Inc.)
6
Who was the first jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for music?
7
What was West Coast jazz also known as?
Pianist Dave Brubeck (Image credit: Columbia Records)
8
Which jazz guitarist leads the band on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno?
9
Your friend loves to listen to the piano stylings of Bud Powell, Charlie Parker's saxophone sound, and Dizzy Gillespie's trumpet. Which style is probably her favorite?
Jazz Saxophonist Charlie Parker (Image credit: Debut Records under master license to Fantasy, Inc.)
10
In the signature Duke Ellington Orchestra song “Take the 'A' Train,” where does the A train go?
Advertisement

Also on Encarta
• 10 tips for building your English vocabulary
• Alternatives to the M.B.A.
• GPS for students
• Saving for college
• Presidential Myths Quiz
• Coffee break: Recharge your brain
Our Partners
• ApplyWise Online College Admissions Counseling
• Englishtown: Learn English online
• The Princeton Review
• Tutor.com: Live Help When You Get Stuck
Also on MSN
• "Brink": cutting-edge scientific discoveries on the Science Channel
• MSN Shopping: Best books for the season
• MSN Careers: Nail that job interview
• Today's news on MSNBC
• Merriam-Webster’s Spell Jam
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
MSN Shopping
Encarta RSS Feeds
© 2008 Microsoft