Swing University Spring 2016 Schedule
Max Roach
With Jerome Jennings
4 Tuesday nights: May 31; June 7, 14, and 21
6:30-8:30pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$115.00
Master drummer, teacher, Jazz innovator, and social activities Max Roach performed on the first records of Harry Belafonte, Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, and indeed of BeBop itself. A driving force behind Hard Bop and later Third Stream, Max Roach would remain an innovative musical force throughout his life. Drummer and Max Roach scholar Jerome Jennings will tell you more.
Fletcher Henderson
With Rob Vrabel
4 Wednesday nights: June 1, 8, 15, and 22
6:30-8:30pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$115.00
The key pioneer of Big Band Jazz and the power behind the throne of Benny Goodman’s Kingdom of Swing, the pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader Fletcher Henderson may well be the uncrowned King of Swing. Early Jazz Scholar Rob Vrabel will guide you through the life and music of this extraordinary figure.
Jazz 101
with John Wriggle
8 Tuesday nights: March 22, 29, April 5, 12, 19, 26, May 10, and 17
6:30–8:30pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$226.00
One of today’s best introductory courses to our nation’s greatest art form, Jazz 101 teaches through engaging lectures by trombonist and educator John Wriggle, paired with recordings by the legends who created the music. This course will provide you with an understanding of the foundations of Jazz, and the ability to learn more at your own speed.
Jazz 201
with Vincent Gardner
8 Wednesday nights: March 16, 23, 30, April 6, 13, 20, May 4, and 11.
6:30–8:30pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$226.00
For students ready to take their knowledge of Jazz history up a notch, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s lead trombonist Vincent Gardner offers Jazz 201. Following the same storyline as Jazz 101, this course offers deeper listening, more listening instructions, and discusses a greater breadth of Jazz musicians.
with Ben Young
7 Monday nights: March 21, 28, April 4, 11, 18, May 2, and 9 (optional exam May 23)
6:30–9:30pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$226.00
Taught by noted Jazz scholar Ben Young, Jazz 301 is the most advanced Jazz survey course in the world and provides students with detailed and nuanced insights into all aspects of the music’s history. Students in 301 may choose to take an optional final exam; those who pass are presented with a certificate signed by Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis acknowledging the recipient’s exceptional scholarship. Many have used this document for academic credit and career advancement.
Benny Carter
with Ed Berger
6 nights: March 14, 21, 28, April 4, 11, and 18.
6:30–8:30pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$150.00
Crowned as “King” by fellow Jazz musicians, Benny Carter was one of the music’s greatest legends: a master of alto saxophone and trumpet, a great composer and arranger, and an incredible bandleader. Join Ed Berger, the master Jazz scholar and Carter’s biographer, as he guides you through the life and career of this remarkable legend.
Billie Holiday & the Swing Song Tradition
with Phil Schaap
5 Tuesday nights: March 15, 22, 29, April 5, 12
6:30-8:30pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$150.00
Until the 1930s, the inclusion of a song’s lyrics in a Jazz performance was when the Jazz went away. The Swing Song tradition changed that: the vocalist was not a Jazz soloist, taking a turn with the instrumentalists. Billie Holiday was the pioneer and the pinnacle to this precious change. Join Jazz at Lincoln Center’s curator Phil Schaap as he tells you more.
Evolution and Development of Big Band Jazz
With John Wriggle
6 nights: March 16, 23, 30, April 6, 13, and 20
6:30-8:30pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$150.00
In the 1920s, Jazz musicians got in on the social dance craze sweeping the nation and joined dance orchestras. Soon, the Jazz Age big band was born. Learn more about the creation of this remarkable ensemble, and trace its development through the 1930s and 1940s as it grew in size and scope. Trombonist and big band scholar John Wriggle will guide you through the big band’s history.