Jazz: History and Appreciation

This course will examine jazz from its origins to the present and its relation to other forms of music, including blues, gospel, R&B, soul, etc. Different styles within the jazz genre will also be explored, including early jazz, swing, behop, cool jazz, hardbop, soul jazz, bossa nova, post-bop, and avante garde. Special attention will also be given to pivotal figures in the history of jazz, such as Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman. Representative and monumental instrumental and vocal recordings from the past one hundred years will also be explored. Class time will be spent listening to, analyzing, and discussing a wide variety of recorded jazz performances and watching jazz videos. Visiting artists may also be invited to perform in class and lecture on relevant topics.