MUSC 217 - Jazz in America

Credit(s): 3
Lecture: 3
Non-Lecture: 0

An examination of the history, development, and meanings of jazz in the United States. Students learn to analyze and interpret jazz styles, and they learn about key figures such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wynton Marsalis, and Esperanza Spalding. Students gain an understanding of the cultural and political forces that shaped (and continue to shape) the American jazz tradition. They examine the relationship between jazz and African American 4 history by engaging with texts by African American writers such as Amiri Baraka and Toni Morrison.

Offered: Fall Semester