Course Description
In this course, students will gain an understanding of how jazz works. Students will learn the distinctions (and similarities) between various sub-categories and chronological periods in jazz. They will also learn the roles of various jazz instruments and how these roles have evolved. Important topics like jazz improvisation, the rhythm section and jazz composition will be explored. Through reading and listening to jazz recordings, students will become familiar with many of the great artists of jazz, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
Prerequisite
- ENG 101: English Composition 1
- Additionally, while musical training and vocabulary are not prerequisites for this class, students should be comfortable with the idea of listening to music analytically. The ability to aurally distinguish instruments from one another (for example, hearing the difference between a saxophone and a trumpet) will be helpful.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will have a general understanding of the following:
- The roles of the following instruments in jazz (including the ability to aurally identify each instrument):
- saxophones (including soprano, alto, tenor and baritone)
- trumpet
- trombone
- bass
- guitar
- piano
- drum set
- voice
- The basic structures and principles that factor into the creation of jazz, including:
- improvisation
- form
- composition and arrangement
- the rhythm section
- cross-pollination with other forms of music (including classical, rock, ethnic music, and so on)
- The primary formal and aural characteristics of the following sub-styles of jazz (and, as applicable, the impact of each style on the role of each instrument):
- Dixieland/traditional/early jazz
- swing/big band
- bebop
- cool jazz
- hard bop
- soul jazz
- avant-garde /free jazz
- fusion
- The historical/musical significance and primary contributions of the following artists:
- Louis Armstrong
- Jelly Roll Morton
- Duke Ellington
- Count Basie
- Charlie Parker
- Thelonious Monk
- Miles Davis
- John Coltrane
- Charles Mingus
- Ornette Coleman
- The general significance and style of several dozen other significant jazz figures, including the following artists:
- Bessie Smith
- James P. Johnson
- Bix Beiderbecke
- Sidney Bechet
- Earl Hines
- Benny Goodman
- Charlie Christian
- Billie Holiday
- Lester Young
- Coleman Hawkins
- Jimmy Blanton
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Bud Powell
- Max Roach
- Clifford Brown
- Art Blakey
- Horace Silver
- Bill Evans
- Weather Report
General Education Outcomes (GEOs)
Please check the applicable GEOs for this course, if any, by outcomes at GEO Category Search, or by subject area at GEO Discipline Search.
Course Activities and Grading
Assignments | Weight |
Online Postings | 35% |
Comparative Essays | 35% |
Performance Review | 10% |
Final Project | 20% |
Total | 100% |
Required Textbooks
(Available through our online bookstore)
- Gridley, Mark. Jazz Styles Package. 11th ed. Pearson, 2012. ISBN-10: 0205879314 or ISBN-13: 9780205879311 Package Includes:
- Textbook - Jazz Styles
- Jazz Styles: Jazz Classics Compact Discs (set of 3)
- Jazz Styles: Demonstration CD (software)
- Songs to download from Spotify. It is extremely important to download the required Spotify selections prior to the beginning of the course. See the Additional Information section below for the link to the song selections and details about using Spotify.
Additional Required Materials
- Songs to stream from the Spotify. Additional Information section below for the link to the song selections and details about using Spotify.
- Admission to one concert - cost depends on concert chosen
Course Schedule
Week | SLOs | Reading and Listening Assignments | Assignments |
1 | 1-5 | Unit 1: Meet the Instruments; How Jazz Works
Unit 2: Form and Improvisation
|
|
2 | 1-5 | Unit 3: The Rhythm Section
Unit 4: Early Jazz
|
|
3 | 1-5 | Unit 5: Swing
Unit 6: Duke Ellington and Count Basie
|
|
4 | 1-5 | Unit 7: Bebop
Unit 8: Cool Jazz
|
|
5 | 1-5 | Unit 9: Hard Bop
Unit 10: Avant-Garde
|
|
6 | 1-5 | Unit 11: Post-Modern Assimilation (including John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis and others)
Unit 12: Fusion
|
|
7 | 1-5 | Unit 13: Latin Jazz
Unit 14: Jazz Today
|
|
8 | 1-5 | Discussion of Final Projects
|
|
Additional Information
While most of the listening examples you will be expected to study will be on the required CDs, several of the listening examples you will be expected to study for class assignments can be found in playlists on Spotify . Spotify "Premium" (which costs approximately $10/month) allows for an ad-free environment and the capacity to listen to the tracks offline without purchasing them. However, the free version of Spotify is also fully-functional for the purposes of this class if you can handle some commercials and are doing your listening from a web-connected device.
The playlist for this course is located here http://open.spotify.com/user/noahbaerman/playlist/4dNkB6Ke2FpPow3Z7jMcg7
COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.