Jazz History and American Popular Song



Jazz History and American Popular Song

MUHI 315

Fall 2017, Case Western Reserve University

T, TR, 10:00-11:15

Paul Ferguson, Instructor, pxf2@case.edu

Required Texts

Keeping Time by Robert Walser, 2nd Edition

Recommended Text-American Popular Song by Alec Wilder

This class is designed to give an overview of Jazz History, followed by detailed melodic and harmonic analysis of classic American Popular songs written largely between 1910 and 1950.

Do the readings before class. Choose one of the essays and provide a one page summary that includes your impressions of the music discussed in the essay, or performed by a musician discussed in the essay.

8/29 Origins of Jazz

8/31 Ragtime, Blues-Joplin, Johnson, Bessie Smith

Reading: Walser Part 1, 1 page summary due

9/5 Jelly Roll Morton

9/7 Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke

Reading: Walser Part 2, 1 page summary due

9/12 Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson

9/14 Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn

Reading: Walser Part 3, 1 page summary due

9/19 Count Basie, JP Johnson, Art Tatum

9/21 Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Charlie Christian

9/26 Bebop-Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell

9/28 Thelonious Monk

Reading: Walser Part 4, 1 page summary due

10/3 Miles Davis 1944-59

10/5 Miles Davis-the sixties and beyond

Reading: Walser Part 5, 1 page summary due

10/10 John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins

10/12 Ornette Coleman, Free Jazz

Reading: Walser Part 6, 1 page summary due

10/17 Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock

Reading: Walser Part 7, 1 page summary due

10/19 MIDTERM EXAM, 5 page jazz artist papers due

10/24 Fall Break

10/27 Jerome Kern

10/31 Irving Berlin

11/2 George Gershwin

11/7 Richard Rodgers

11/9 Cole Porter

11/14 Harold Arlen

11/16 Hoagy Carmichael, James Van Heusen, Johnny Mandel

11/21 Antonio Carlos Jobim

11/23 Thanksgiving

11/28 Keith Jarrett

Reading: Walser Part 8, 1 page summary due

11/30 Maria Schneider

12/5 Contemporary developments

Reading: Walser Part 9, 1 page summary due

12/7 Contemporary developments

Final Exam-Tuesday, 12/12(tue), 8am

Papers

5 Page Jazz Artist papers are due 10/19.

5 Page Songwriter papers are due by the last day of class(12/7).

The one page papers are due by 12/12 at the final exam. Late papers will be deducted a letter grade.

1.Write a Five page paper on a jazz musician you find interesting. Focus on a particular period of their career, a unique problem they faced, or a singular triumph they experienced. Keep it narrow and focused. Example: “Louis Armstrong with Fletcher Henderson in 1924-expanding horizons, exploding paradigms”.Include a brief discography of 10-15 of the artist's recordings. Check your topic with me before beginning-it must be approved

2.Write a Five page paper on a songwriter you enjoy. It need not be anyone we study in class. Consult Alec Wilder's "American Popular Song" for ideas. Stress musical analysis over biography. Keep it narrow. Example: “Gershwin’s final years in Hollywood” Check your topic with me before beginning-it must be approved

3.Attend NightTown Jazz Club(Southside, Cedar/Fairmount) and submit a one page review

4. Attend a Jazz Concert and write a one page review. Case Jazz concerts at Harkness are good, the Cleveland Jazz orchestra at the CMA on 11/10 is highly recommended

5. Do a 1 page Jazz CD review. Choose someone famous but unfamiliar to you.

6. Listen to WCPN(FM90.3) for 1 hour between 9PM and 12, Monday to Thursday. Provide a log of musicians and tunes with observations. 1 page

Jazz Listening List(for the midterm)

Identifying these pieces will constitute about 33% of the midterm exam. Most of the examples are easily located on YouTube but can also be found on the Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz, available at Haydn Hall or CIM

Scott Joplin-Maple Leaf Rag

Original Dixieland Jazz Band-Dixie Jazz Band One Step

Bessie Smith-Lost Your Head Blues

Jelly Roll Morton-Maple Leaf, Black Bottom Stomp, Grandpa’s Spells

King Oliver-Dippermouth Blues

Sidney Bechet-Blue Horizon

James P. Johnson-Carolina Shout

Armstrong- Struttin, Hotter Than That, West End Blues, Sweethearts on Parade, I Gotta Right to Sing The Blues

Beiderbecke-Singing the Blues

Fletcher Henderson-Stampede, Wrappin it up

Fats Waller-I Ain’t Got Nobody

Meade Lux Lewis-Honky Tonk Train

Art Tatum-Willow Weep For Me

Coleman Hawkins-Body and Soul

Basie, Lester Young-Doggin’ Around, Taxi War Dance, Lester Leaps in

Goodman/Christian- Breakfast Feud

Ellington-East St. Louis Toodle-oo(both versions), Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue, Cotton Tail, Concerto for Cootie, Harlem Airshaft, Transblucency

Gillespie-Shaw Nuff

Parker-Ko-Ko, Crazeology

Monk-Misterioso, Criss Cross

Miles Davis-Boplicity, Summertime, So What, Flamenco Sketches, Masquelero

John Coltrane-The Promise, Giant Steps

Sonny Rollins-Blue Seven

Dave Brubeck-Blue Rondo A La Turk

Bill Evans-Solar

Ornette Coleman-Lonely Woman, Civilization Day

Chick Corea-Steps

Herbie Hancock-Maiden Voyage

Pop Song Listening List(for the final)

Identifying these pieces will constitute about 40% of the midterm exam. I will perform them on the piano from start to finish without lyrics

Jerome Kern-The Way You Look Tonight, The Song Is You, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, All The Things You Are, Heaven in my Arms, Every Little While

Irving Berlin-Alexander’s Ragtime Band, Always, Puttin on The Ritz, Cheek to Cheek, Change Partners, Top Hat White Tie and Tails, How Deep Is The Ocean, Steppin’ Out

George Gershwin-Stairway to Paradise, Somebody Loves Me, The Man I Love, Embraceable You, Someone to Watch over Me

Richard Rodgers- Spring is here, My Romance, Have You Met Miss Jones, I Have Dreamed, My Heart Stood Still

Cole Porter-Under My Skin, Night and Day, Just One of Those Things, I Concentrate on You

Harold Arlen- Come Rain or Come Shine, Get Happy, Last Night When We Were Young, Ill Wind, It Was Written in the Stars

Hoagy Carmichael-Skylark, Stardust

Jimmy Van Huesen- Here’s That Rainy Day

Johnny Mandel-A Time For Love, Close Enough For Love

Antonio Carlos Jobim-Felicidade, Passarim, Song of the Jet, Corcovado

Listening will comprise 40% of the final exam. I will perform 30 tunes from start to finish on the piano. There will be questions concerning the traits and tendencies of each songwriter as well as questions comparing individual songs(form, modulations, sequences, blue notes, repeated notes, diatonicism, chromaticism, etc.)

Grading

Midterm 30%

Final 30%

Papers-Jazz 5 page 10%

Songwriter 5 page 10%

1 page reviews, summaries 15%

Attendance, participation 15%

You must pass either the midterm or the final in order to pass the class

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