Revised 08/2024

MUS 225 - The History of Jazz (3 CR.)

Course Description

Studies the underlying elements of jazz, concentrating on the socio-cultural and historical development from earliest stages to the present. Explores key figures and significant works instrumental in the development and evolution of jazz. Lecture 3 hours. Total 3 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

Increase knowledge of the world of jazz by examining its history, the socio-cultural context of its development, key artists and performances.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

None.

Course Objectives

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:

  • Communication
    • Effectively communicate music observations through written and/or oral communication 
  • Civic Engagement
    • Identify values that diverse cultures and life experiences bring to society through the world of jazz to promote civic engagement
  • Cultural and Social Understanding
    • Demonstrate knowledge of the role of music in different socio-cultural contexts
    • Identify historical factors that influence the evolution of music within a culture
    • Recognize/describe how aesthetics vary from one social group/culture to another
    • Identify commonalities and value differences between social groups
  • Personal Development
    • Augment listening skills through ear training exercises and listening quizzes
    • Enhance knowledge and understanding of the world of jazz
    • Cultivate personal goals related to music listening, participation, or performance attendance
  • Fundamentals of Music and Jazz Foundations
    • Demonstrate a knowledge of the basic elements of music
    • Identify octaves, diatonic and chromatic scales, clefs
    • Locate notes on a keyboard
    • Identify ?the pickup?
  • Essential Features of Jazz and the Blues
    • Recognize the significance of improvisation
    • Identify syncopation and polyrhythms
    • Understand the influence of swing
    • Recognize musical characteristics of the blues and the influence of pitch bending
    • Identify basic Blues chord progressions
  • Basic features and origins of jazz
    • Recognize standard forms and the bridge
    • Identify jazz instruments
    • Describe the influence of African American traditions on jazz
    • Describe the influence of New Orleans brass bands
    • Describe the influence of call and response on jazz performance
  • Early jazz through the 30s
    • Identify the influence of New Orleans Jazz and the musicians who shaped it
    • Describe how Chicago influenced the recording of jazz
    • Identify characteristics of scat singing
    • Recognize musical characteristics of New York Jazz and Harlem stride piano
    • Recall important contributions of key figures, such as Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Fletcher Henderson, Django Reinhardt, Art Tatum, Duke Ellington, and Billy Strayhorn
  • Swing in Chicago, New York and Kansas City
    • Recall important contributions of key figures, such as Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald
  • Advent of Modern Jazz
    • Recognize musical characteristics of Bebop and bop piano style
    • Identify components of Afro-Cuban jazz
    • Recognize instruments within jazz big bands
    • Recall important contributions of key figures, such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and Sarah Vaughan
  • Cool Jazz
    • Recognize musical characteristics of cool jazz
    • Recall important contributions of key figures, such as Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Stan Getz, and the Modern Jazz Quartet
  • Hard bop
    • Identify musical characteristics of hard bop
    • Recall important contributions of key figures, such as Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis
  • Key figures in the late 50s and early 60s
    • Recognize important contributions of key figures, such as Miles Davis, Bill Evans and John Coltrane
    • Identify the components and purpose of modal jazz
  • Avant-garde and Free Jazz Musicians
    • Explain the movement toward free jazz
    • Recognize the musical characteristics of free jazz
    • Recall important contributions of key figures, such as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ornette Coleman and Charlie Mingus
  • Jazz Fusion
    • Recognize the musical characteristics of jazz fusion
    • Recall important contributions of key figures, such as Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett
  • Modernism, Postmodernism and Neo-classicism in Jazz
    • Recognize the musical characteristics of modernism, postmodernism and neo-classicism in jazz
    • Recall important contributions of key figures, such as Anthony Braxton, the Art Ensemble of Chicago and Wynton Marsalis
  • Latin Jazz, Globalization of Jazz and other Recent Trends
    • Recognize the musical characteristics of Latin Jazz and key figures, such as Tito Puente
    • Identify the musical characteristics of Afro-Cuban Jazz
    • Recall important contributions of key figures, such as Arturo Sandoval, Branford Marsalis, Diana Krall, and Medeski, Martin & Wood

Major Topics to Be Included

  • Personal Development
  • Fundamentals of Music and Jazz Foundations
  • Essential Features of Jazz and the Blues
  • Basic features and origins of jazz
  • Early jazz through the 30s
  • Swing in Chicago, New York and Kansas City
  • Advent of Modern Jazz
  • Cool Jazz
  • Hard bop
  • Key figures in the late 50s and early 60s
  • Avant-garde and Free Jazz Musicians
  • Jazz Fusion
  • Modernism, Postmodernism and Neo-classicism in Jazz
  • Latin Jazz, Globalization of Jazz and other Recent Trends