Jazz and the Roots of American Popular Song

Catalog description

This course covers the development of Jazz as a uniquely American art form. Heavy emphasis will be placed on exploring the “birth” of jazz in New Orleans at the turn of the 20 th century, and the unique social and musical context that gave rise to this transformational musical event. From this starting point, steeped in racial and social conflict, we will examine the various trends and developments that have impacted the creation and consumption of this music over the past century. The course will always attempt to examine closely the relationship between this musical evolution and critical political movements that have shaped American history. The global impact of Jazz as a musical revolution and the influence it has managed to exert on other forms of music throughout the world will also be examined in some detail. In short, this course is both a comprehensive survey of major trends in Jazz music as well as a collective critical assessment of how we tell the story of our own unique musical heritage.