MHST 255 Jazz History in Print and Practice
This course explores the historical development of jazz styles and improvisation from its beginnings to the 1960s through study of four representative artists: Louis Armstrong, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis. The course approaches the subject academically and practically through listening, playing, transcribing, analyzing, reading, and writing. Students read current and historical writings and immerse themselves in listening, analyzing, and transcribing the music, challenging preconceptions and drawing historical connections between different periods. Complementing this academic approach, students spend time playing the music itself. This methodology reflects the aural and performance tradition of jazz in order to tie together historical questions raised by scholars to the playing itself.