Write an essay that introduces these two songs to a new audience for the first time. Provide some light background information about the artist(s), how they fit into particular jazz subgenres/style(s), and then get into a detailed discussion of these songs’ musical/social/historical significance.

Assignment Question

The purpose of this assignment is for you to demonstrate that you have achieved an appropriate level of proficiency in the following Learning Outcomes of our course: Participate in, respond, and connect through musical experiences. Articulate a comprehensive understanding of music in relation to its musical elements, creators and performers, purposes, cultural significance, philosophical and artistic underpinnings, and historical contexts. Draw from diverse cultural, philosophical, and artistic perspectives to inform, enrich, and/or challenge assumptions and beliefs. Communicate concepts and ideas effectively, supported with credible evidence, and engage multiple perspectives and contexts. Critically trace and evaluate the evolution of musical forms, stylistic devices, key innovators, and cultural impacts of jazz throughout its history. Articulate a deep, individual understanding of jazz in relation to its musical elements, creators and performers, cultural significance, influence on contemporary musics, and historical contexts. To do this, you will complete and submit an original (created solely by you), 4-6 page paper that will synthesize your new understandings with an in-depth analysis of the jazz music(s) of your choice* (*excluding songs that were already covered/discussed in the modules of this course). This assignment is meant to be an opportunity for you to pursue a depth of understanding on a topic situated within jazz that is interesting and meaningful to you. You are now a jazz critic, working for a jazz magazine. Your manager has asked you to write an essay that introduces these two songs to a new audience for the first time. Provide some light background information about the artist(s), how they fit into particular jazz subgenres/style(s), and then get into a detailed discussion of these songs’ musical/social/historical significance. To accomplish this, your piece needs to bring together your personal knowledge with connections to additional sources to support that knowledge (and to help your readers pursue more in-depth information on their own).

Step 1: Choose Your Own Adventure from One of these two Options: Choose one subgenre/style of jazz that we’ve learned about that interests you the most. In this musical subgenre/style, find/select two songs* of interest within this style of jazz to analyze and write about in detail. Your two songs may be from the same artist, or they can be from two different artists. Choose one theme (social, historical, or musical) and find/select two jazz songs* of interest that fit with your stated theme. Compare and contrast how these two songs fit with/handle/embody this theme. These songs can be from the same artist, or they can be from two different artists. Some students may wish to focus on a social and/or historical theme, for example, “Civil Rights Protest through Jazz” or “Female Jazz Bassists of the 1990s.” It can be as broad or narrow as you want. Some students with more musical training may decide to choose a musically intricate theme, like “Tenor Saxophonists’ Improvisations over Rhythm Changes” (where they focus more on a jazz artist’s execution of musical techniques). *You may not use songs that have already been used/analyzed/discussed as part of the course modules or a previous assignment. (You are welcome to use artists that were previously mentioned, as well as iconic albums that were previously mentioned- as long as you are finding/commenting on songs that haven’t been discussed from those albums.) Songs discussed already listed at bottom.

Step 2: Content: Your primary goal in completing this assignment is to show that you: understand musical elements, stylistic periods in jazz, and historical/social contexts shaping them, can apply these to your inform your listening/analysis of two songs, can articulate an in-depth understanding of significant aspects of these works, can consider diverse perspectives to emerge, inform, enrich, and/or challenge assumptions and beliefs, can successfully support your interpretation with specific evidence- this will require you to find and cite connections to sources in addition to the sound recordings of the songs you choose. Execution: You are required to guide, frame, and support your written analysis through the following: Use and cite a few specific, credible sources to specifically support how the songs exhibit the musical characteristics, jazz styles, and historical/cultural significance that you are specifically claiming them to have. Examples of credible sources include books, songs, lyrics, textbooks, journals, music press, websites [never Wikipedia]. Pay a virtual visit to one of our outstanding librarians if you need assistance with this step. You can research/cite more supplemental information about the songs/artists/themes as you need to, BUT make sure that you do not submit a personal essay solely containing your unsubstantiated feelings and opinions. It’s also not a biographical paper about a particular artist, a historical period, or simply a contextual history of individual songs. Any/all of these things might be part of your paper, but do not let these to be the focus of your paper. Also, feel free to use and cite examples from other disciplines to further support your statements and draw interesting connections while keeping the focus firmly on the analysis of the songs you have selected, and provide evidence that supports these. (See the warning in bold in the bullet point above).

Step 3: Get Organized First, decide on which option and which songs you are going to choose. Don’t spend too much time on this step- it will slow you down! Make it your mission to get it done! Second, make a basic outline of how you will organize the body of your paper (where you are doing all of the heavy intellectual lifting). Sure, your paper must have a brief introduction, a body, and a brief conclusion. But what is going to happen in the body of your paper? This is what you need to focus on first. It’s easy to write a clear and concise introduction and a conclusion after the body of your paper is written, and in good shape! While working on the body of your paper. Look at that outline you just made.

Ask yourself: Do I understand the musical elements/social/historical contexts that I want to talk about? Do I have enough info about these things to use them and cite them? (If not, put this on your list of things you need to research!) Do I know enough about the artists/themes/songs that I want to use? (Remember, this paper is NOT a biography or a history of the songs- you need some context to include/know, but don’t fall down a rabbit hole of spending too much time here.) What do I initially think about when I listen to these songs, from a musical standpoint? Social/cultural standpoint? Historical standpoint? Jot down some hunches and answers. Why do I think these songs mean what they mean? How do I know? Jot down some answers. What is interesting about these songs? Jot down some initial answers. What assumptions might I have that inform how I’m making sense of the music/artist(s)/social/cultural issues? How might others have a different perspective? Please make an effort to consider and be mindful of multiple perspectives in writing the paper. What sources are available to help support my claims of how I’m interpreting these meanings?

This is the step where a lot of students falter and don’t come through. This is the step that will make or break your journey to a high grade. 4-6 pages. Must also include a Title page and a Reference page. (Title and Reference pages do not count as part of the 4-6 page requirement.) Double-spaced. Times New Roman Font. Color: Black. Size: 12 point. Margins: 1.0 inch on each side. Formatting and Citations will Align with APA (7th Edition). File submission must be a doc or pdf format. (Hazel Scott- A foggy day, Frances Carroll & Her Coquettes Featuring Drummer Viola Smith, The International Sweethearts Of Rhythm- ” Jump Children “, Wynton Marsalis cover of Take the A Train, John Zorn-Beeroth, Ethel Waters- I got rhythm, George Gershwin-I got Rhythm, Miles Davis-Oleo, Tomeka Reid-Old New, Lonely Woman-Ornette Coleman, Back on the block-Quincy Jones, Quincy Jones ft. Ludacris & Naturally 7 & Rudy Currence – Soul Bossa Nostra, Herbie Hancock-Rocket, The Jubalaires – The Preacher And The Bear, Miles Davis-Human Nature, Conflux (JAZZ METAL) – Stomping Grounds, Jerseyband-rats in boxes, The Free Spirits, Im Gonna be Free, Tony williams-Emergency, Miles Davis – In a Silent Way/It’s About That Time/In a Silent Way (2/3), Miles Davis – Pharaoh’s Dance (1/3), Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Up Above My Head, Pee Wee King and His Golden West Cowboys, Chuck Berry-Maybelline, Pete Johnson and Joe Turner – Roll ‘Em Pete, MEADE LUX LEWIS. Low Down Dog, My Daddy Rocks Me-Trixie Smith, Louis JORDAN & His Tympany Five ” Jumpin’ At The Jubilee “, Paul Williams – The Huckle-Buck, Ike Turner and Jackie Brenston-Rocket 88, Lennie Tristano – Descent into the Maelstrom, Charles Mingus – Pithecanthropus erectus, Herbie Hancock-Maiden Voyage, Miles Davis-Milestones, Miles Davis-So What, John Coltrane-Impressions, My Favorite Things-John Coltrane, Invention 1 Bach-Glenn Gould, Paul Desmond & Gerry Mulligan Quartet – All the Things You Are, Dave Brubeck Quartet – “Blue Rondo à la Turk,” Dave Brubeck – Take Five, Miles Davis – Boplicity, Miles Davis – Godchild, Black & White are Beautiful – Hazel Scott, Charles Mingus – Fables of Faubus, Liszt-Hazel Scott, Nina Simone – Mississippi Goddam, JOHN COLTRANE Alabama, Les McCann & Eddie Harris Compared To What, Charles Mingus – Better Get It In Your Soul, The Preacher – Horace Silver, Jimmy Smith – The Sermon, Sister Sadie-Horace Silver, Moanin’ – Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, Jimmy Giuffre — Suspensions,The Modern Jazz Quartet – Vendome, Bird and Dizz-Hot house, How High The Moon – Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker – Ornithology, Ella Fitzgerald How High The Moon, Sarah Vaughan – How High The Moon, Charlie Parker – Koko, Dizzy Gillespie-Manteca, Dizzy Gillespie-A Night In Tunisia, Thelonious Monk Quartet – ‘Round Midnight, Oo-Bla-Dee – Mary Lou Williams, Billy ECKSTINE & His Orchestra ” Rhythm In A Riff ” , Cab Calloway – Minnie the Moocher, Jumpin Jive – Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers, Kansas City Orchestra – Moten’s Swing, One O’Clock Jump – Count Basie, “Jumpin’ at the Woodside” (1938) Count Basie and Lester Young, Fletcher Henderson – Wrappin’ It Up, Fletcher Henderson – The Stampede, Duke Ellington – Koko, Prelude To A Kiss – Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges, CREOLE LOVE CALL by Duke Ellington vocal Adelaide Hall, “Concerto for Cootie” (1940) Duke Ellington and Cootie Williams, Duke Ellington, Mahalia Jackson – Black, Brown and Beige,, Benny Goodman Orchestra “Sing, Sing, Sing”, Glenn Miller – In The Mood, Glenn Miller – Chattanooga Choo Choo, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra – THE ONE I LOVE, Roosevelt ‘Giant’ Hudson – Field Holler, Lightning Washington and prisoners: Good God Almighty, Swing Low Sweet Chariot – Fisk Jubilee Singers, Julie Ann Johnson-leadbelly, Robert Johnson – Hellhound On My Trail, Bessie Smith-Lost Your Head Blues, Piano Roll -The Maple Leaf Rag, Harlem Stride Piano, Carolina Shout – James P. Johnson, Art Tatum — Tiger Rag, MEADE LUX LEWIS-Roll Em, STATE STREET JIVE-COW COW DAVENPORT, Original Dixieland Jazz Band – Dixie Jass Band One, Kid Ory – Ory’s Creole Trombone, King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band:- “Dipper Mouth Blues”, New Orleans Feetwarmers : Maple Rag 1932, Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five “Hotter Than That”, McKenzie & Condon Chicagoans – Nobody’s Sweetheart, Bix Beiderbecke – Singin’ The Blues

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