Survey of Jazz (MUSL 148)
From Louis Armstrong to Wynton Marsalis (and back?!)--the goals of MUSL 148 include an increased awareness of the social, political, and artistic worlds from which jazz emerges. In many ways, jazz musicians such as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Charles Mingus have assumed critical roles in the social and cultural history of the United States, making jazz a uniquely American art form. This historical survey of the development of modern jazz traces its origins from an early African-American art form, and includes topics such as African retentions, the synthesis of African and European styles, Ragtime, Stride, Blues, Boogie-Woogie, Dixieland, Big Band, Swing, Bebop, Cool, Third Stream, West Coast, East Coast, Hard Bop, Funk, Rhythm & Blues, Jazz-Rock Fusion, and Free Jazz. Although non-technical in approach, the fundamentals of improvisation and performance are discussed and demonstrated. Jazz is essentially an oral form of expression, therefore a substantial amount of time in and out of the classroom is spent listening to, discussing, and experiencing recordings of "classic" jazz. The development of listening skills, the ability to evaluate jazz performance and to identify historical influences are major components of MUSL 148.
"The professor's style and personality are refreshing and dynamic. The best part of his teaching style is his willingness to work outside the classroom. I've never encountered a teacher so willing to help if any questions arose after class."
--former student, on a course evaluation form
Credit?
Arts and Science--elective
Engineering--humanities
Peabody--humanities
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