All That Jazz: Appreciating an American Art Form Course

Program Overview

This course offers a comprehensive overview of jazz history, exploring its evolution from New Orleans Jazz to contemporary styles. Students will delve into the various genres and artists that have shaped jazz, from King Oliver to Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman. The course covers the major eras of jazz, including Big Bands, Bebop, Cool Jazz, Hard Bop, and Fusion Jazz.

Program Outline

Outline:

• This course provides an overview of one hundred years of jazz.
• Students will learn about the various styles and genres of jazz, from its origins to the present day.
• The course will cover the New Orleans Jazz of King Oliver and Louis Armstrong; the Big Bands of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Stan Kenton; Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie’s Bebop to the Post-Bop era of Miles and Coltrane; the West Coast Cool Jazz of Gerry Mulligan and Dave Brubeck; the East Coast Hard Bop of Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk; and Modern/Free Jazz with Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy.
• The course will also cover the Fusion Jazz of Michael Brecker and Pat Matheny, New Age jazz, and contemporary jazz artists.