Swing University Fall 2019 Schedule

Jazz and the Great American Songbook

Taught by Will Friedwald

Please note that due to an unexpected issue, the 11/14 Great American Songbook class is cancelled. We will be in touch with each enrolled student about scheduling a make-up session. Please email swingu@jazz.org for more information.

Tickets are limited for this class. Advance registration is recommended.

6 nights: Oct 10, 17, 24, 31, November 7, and 14, 2019
6:30-8:30 pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$186

Jazz and the Great American Songbook may be the two most durable musical forms created, nurtured, and sustained in the United States, and yet they could hardly exist without each other. Join us for this six-part series, conducted by author and historian Will Friedwald, as we consider the ways that these two distinct musical forms depend on each other for their existence, and as we celebrate the music of Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Jimmy van Heusen, and more!


Jazz 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Jazz

Taught by Seton Hawkins

8 nights: October 14, 21, 28, November 4, 11, 18, 25, and December 2, 2019
6:30-8:30 pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$250

Do you love jazz and want to learn more about it? Join us for one of today’s best introductions to our nation’s greatest art form! In Jazz 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Jazz, we’ll help you develop your ears to hear the many details and intricacies that make this music so endlessly fascinating and guide you through the history and development of the styles. Instructor and Swing University curator Seton Hawkins will provide your introduction to jazz; no musical knowledge is required.


Chick Corea

Taught by Adam Birnbaum

3 nights: October 15, 22, 29, 2019
6:30-8:30 pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$111

One of Jazz’s most incredible pianists, recognizable composers, influential bandleaders, and visionaries for the music, Chick Corea has been one of our most beloved innovators for six decades! Pianist and teacher Adam Birnbaum guides you through some of Corea’s most exceptional works.


Jazz in Europe

Taught by Ben Young

4 nights: October 16, 23, 30, November 6, 2019
6:30-8:30 pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$140

You might know Django Reinhardt, but how about Alexander von Schlippenbach? Over four nights, we will explore the history of Jazz in Europe, the rise of European approaches to performing Jazz, as well as Europe’s key role in celebrating the early emergence of Jazz. Historian and author Ben Young guides you through this extraordinary array of music.


Gospel Music

Taught by Damien Sneed

Please note this class is sold out.

3 nights: November 5, 12, 19, 2019
6:30-8:30 pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$111

Pianist and scholar Damien Sneed guides you into the world of Gospel Music, focusing on some of the style’s origins, highlighting its innovators, and providing you the tools for a deeper examination into this extraordinary world of music.