The History of Jazz: A Cultural and Musical Exploration

Jazz is America’s own homegrown music, as rich and as diverse as the American people itself, a musical melting pot. Arising at the beginning of the 20th Century in New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City and New York, jazz drew upon every kind of music it could find: music of the dance halls met African and South American rhythms, waltzes, polkas and klezmer; melodies and harmonies from classical music and folk traditions merged, creating something entirely new, uniquely American. Jazz giants like Louis Armstrong introduced improvisation into jazz, emphasizing personal expression, a sense of freedom, a feeling of music being created on the spot. Today, jazz comprises an overflowing cornucopia of different genres, from swing to blues to bebop to big band to sophisticated to experimental to fusion, a world of endless improvisation, innovation and expressiveness. Learn what makes so many people lifelong lovers of jazz. Discover the stories of those musical pioneers, from Scott Joplin and Robert Johnson to Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Stan Kenton and dozens of other great musicians. Learn how to listen knowledgeably and to appreciate its unique qualities. It’s the beginning of a lifelong love affair with music.

Course Number: MUS-40055   Credit: 2 units