History and Styles of Jazz - Music 2663

Fall 2010
Office Hours TBA
Dr. Utah Hamrick
Office: 1.01.33
Phone: x5324
E-mail: utah.hamrick@utsa.edu

Course Description

This course is a study of the evolution of jazz styles, contributions of important performers and composers, and musical techniques
involved in the creation and performance of jazz music. No prerequisite and no previous musical background is required.

Objectives of the Class

You will have the opportunity to ...

1) Learn the basic elements of music: melody, harmony, rhythm, instruments, form and notation
2) Acquire a musical vocabulary that will enable clear and concise intellectual discussion of all music
3) Identify the specific musical characteristics of jazz: swing, improvisation, musical form, and standard tunes
4) Explore the stylistic periods of jazz and the musical characteristics prevalent in each style
5) Learn the performers of jazz and the historical context in which they developed their individual styles
6) Identify specific skills necessary for performing musicians, improvisers, composers, and arrangers
7) Understand the thought processes involved in performing music in general, and jazz in particular
8) Develop the ability to LISTEN to music on a deeper level, and
9) Gain experience in communicating with others about music, expressing your opinions and observations

Core Curriculum Goals

As part of UTSA’s Core Curriculum, this course will pursue the specific goals of Domain III: Literature, The Arts and Language
objectives, as well as the general goals of the Core:

Enable Students: *To assess the perspectives and accomplishments of the past
*To move to the future with an informed and flexible outlook

Promote: * Intellectual adaptability

* Ethical awareness
* Transfer among diverse modes of thought

Cultivate: * Verbal, numerical, and visual skills that are necessary to analyze and synthesize information
* Identify and solve problems

Foster: * Understanding of the intellectual and cultural pluralism of modern society as it is

reflected in language, literature and artistic expression

Develop: * Critical awareness of the continuities and discontinuities of human thought, history,
and culture to help prepare students to meet the demands of change

Demonstrate: * Understanding of the conceptual approaches and history of at least one of the arts, as
a means of comprehending the aesthetic patterns that underly human creativity

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Recommended Textbook: Jazz tenth edition and CDs, by Paul Tanner, David McGill, and Maurice Gerow
Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz (CD's), plus selected readings
Required: Scantron form 882 - ES for exams
Reading Assignments and Quizzes will be on WebCT
 History and Styles of Jazz - Music 2663

Schedule of Reading and Listening Assignments

Aug. 26th Welcome Overview- What is Jazz?

Aug. 31st Introduction Listening to Jazz; Elements of Music/Jazz; Instruments; Terms

Sep. 2nd Jazz Heritages: African, European influences; Work Songs; Gospel;
Marching bands

Sep. 7th Heritage cont’d, The Blues- Origins to Contemporary

Sep. 9th Blues cont’d, Piano Styles: Ragtime to Boogie-Woogie

Sep. 14th Quiz In class demonstration: Improvisation

Sep. 16th New Orleans and Chicago Jazz; Dixieland Soloists

Sep. 21st New Orleans and Chicago Jazz cont’d, review

Sep. 23rd Test # 1 (Scantron - 50 questions, listening)

Sep. 28th Swing, Big Band Era

Sep. 30th Big Band-Benny Goodman

Oct. 5th Duke Ellington

Oct. 7th Quiz BeBop- Parker and Gillespie

Oct. 12th 1st Concert Report Due! BeBop cont’d

Oct. 14th Thelonious Monk, review

Oct. 19th Test #2 (Scantron - 50 questions, listening)

Oct. 21st Cool/Third Stream

Oct. 26th Miles Davis

Oct. 28th Miles’ Sidemen: Cannonball Adderley; Wayne Shorter; Herbie Hancock

Nov. 2nd Hard Bop: Clifford Brown; Sonny Rollins; Horace Silver

Nov. 4th Vocal Jazz: Louis Armstrong; Billie Holiday; Ella Fitzgerald; Sarah Vaughan
 History and Styles of Jazz - Music 2663

Nov. 9th John Coltrane

Nov. 11th Avante Garde: Ornette Coleman; Cecil Taylor; Eric Dolphy

Nov. 16th Test #3 (Scantron - 50 questions, listening)

Nov. 18th Jazz/Rock Fusion- Weather Report; Chick Corea, Michael Brecker

Nov. 23rd 2nd Concert report due!! Modern Big Bands: Stan Kenton; Woody Herman, Thad Jones-Mel Lewis;
Maynard Ferguson

Nov. 25th Thanksgiving

Nov. 30th Review

Dec. 2nd Test #4- Final (Scantron - 50 questions, listening)

History and Styles of Jazz - Music 2663

Concert Attendance:

You will be required to attend two jazz concerts/performances outside of class. This could include:

1) Theaters - Empire Theater, Sunken Gardens, etc.

2) Local jazz clubs - The Landing (on riverwalk at the Hyatt Hotel, Lasoya St); Carmen’s de la Calle
(Mistletoe/ St. Mary’s); Luna Fine Music Club (San Pedro).

3) Jazz performances at UTSA, St. Mary’s University, University of the Incarnate Word, or San Antonio
College

4) Jazz Festivals

The reports must include the following information:

1. Date of Performance

2. Location of Performance

3. Name of Performers - leader’s name, and preferably, all the performer’s names with their instrument

4. Instruments played (unless that was covered in (3.) above)

5. A brief description of the styles; names of tunes, and soloists with comments

6. Your name

The report must be two pages, double-spaced, typed and free of grammatical errors and typos. It must be about the
performance, from your perspective. Use terms, concepts, etc. from class as a basis. Information from the performers is
very useful. Do not use information from web sites, liner notes, programs, reviews, other students, etc. In short, copy
nothing (see note about scholastic dishonesty below).

Grading:

Grades will be determined by scores in three areas: Tests and Quizzes; Homework; and Concert attendance:

Tests and Quizzes:

Lecture Quizzes 20 %

Tests 3@ 15% 45 %

Final Exam 15 %

Reports:

Concert Attendance Reports 20 %

Tests: Tests will be multiple choice, up to 50 questions, covering lecture topics and listening examples. The final exam
will be comprehensive.
Attendance: A roll sheet will be passed around at every class meeting. More than two unexcused absences will affect
your final average by one point per absence, and could also affect quiz grades by default.

Note: Make-ups for Quizzes will not be given. An extra credit project may be assigned on an individual basis,
and only after a one on one consultation. Extra credit work can improve your final grade by no more than one letter
grade.

A note about scholastic dishonesty

The University expects every student to maintain a high standard of individual integrity for work done. Scholastic
dishonesty is a serious offense, which includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test or other class work, plagiarism
(the appropriation of another’s work and the unauthorized incorporation of that work in one’s own work), and
collusion (the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing college work offered for credit). In cases of
scholastic dishonesty, the faculty member responsible for the class may initiate disciplinary proceedings against the
student.

Class Deportment:

Students are expected to assist in maintaining a classroom environment that is conducive to learning. To assure all
students have the opportunity to gain from time spent in class, students are prohibited from engaging in any form of
distraction. Inappropriate behavior in the classroom shall result, minimally, in a request to leave the class. Examples of
inappropriate behavior include the use of cellular phones or beepers, computer games, eating in the classroom,
prolonged chattering, excessive tardiness, sleeping, and overt inattentiveness.

Concert Attendance: If attending a performance in a theater, such as the UTSA Recital Hall, there are
certain guidelines to follow:

Plan on arriving early. If you are late there may not be programs available. Late arrivals are
generally not allowed to enter until a break in the performance.

Do not engage in any disruptive activity such as: loud talking, eating, rustling of papers, etc.

Do not try to write your paper during the concert. It is O.K. to quietly take notes.

Turn off cell phones, beepers, and computers.