History of Jazz

Catalog description

This course investigates the evolution of jazz from its origins in late 19th-century New Orleans to its present-day manifestation as an international musical idiom. With emphasis on contextualization, specific focus is directed to the diverse but interconnected issues of race, culture, politics, commerce, and technology. Equal focus is directed to the music itself. Through the practice of critical listening, students will be conditioned to recognize various jazz styles and their constituent (musical) parts related to rhythm, improvisation, harmony, form, and instrumentation.