Course Code: HIST 1045
Academic Year: 2025-2026
History of Jazz is a survey course in jazz history that examines in lecture, text and recorded examples various styles of jazz from the current and last century. This course will enrich a student's relationship and listening experience with jazz by familiarizing the student with the basic rhythmic, harmonic, melodic and formal conventions in jazz. Students will learn to differentiate various periods of jazz into geographical (New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City, West Coast, New York) and historical periods (Early Jazz, Bebop, Swing, Cool, Avant-Garde, Hard Bop). Further, students will learn to identify key practitioners in each of the styles discussed, identify musical examples and gain a working familiarity with such musical terminology germane to jazz as trading fours, improvisation, swing feel, sax soli, riffs, blue notes etc. While students will not be required to memorize every musical name contained within this history (there are many), students will come to learn about the genre's key players, encounter what they sound(ed) like and learn to comprehend why they are important. Lastly, jazz, like all music, offers an excellent portal through which to study America, race relations, social concerns and a host of extra-musical issues. This course will address many of these central issues in this exciting course in order to enrich the student experience with this fascinating body of music.