Swing University Spring 2020 Schedule
The Life and Music of Benny Goodman
Taught by Loren Schoenberg
4 nights: April 2, 9, 23, and 30, 2020
6:30-8:30 pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$140
One of the most beloved artists in American history, the “King of Swing” was many things: a virtuoso clarinetist who broke ground in pop, jazz, and classical styles; a visionary bandleader whose efforts and innovations helped reshape the big band sound in the 1930s; a fighter for racial equality who integrated his bands decades before other public institutions integrated; and so much more.
Master musician and teacher Loren Schoenberg—a longtime associate and friend to Goodman—brings you into the life and world of this extraordinary figure.
The Songbook of the 1950s
Taught by Will Friedwald
4 nights: April 6, 13, 27, and 28, 2020
6:30-8:30 pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$140
If the 1950s were not the greatest decade in the history of Jazz, it’s hard to imagine what would be! This was an era in which every variety of Jazz–America’s greatest contribution to world musical culture–flourished. From pianists to singers to drummers, from Hot Jazz to Cool Jazz, the music commanded both critical respect and mass popularity like never before.
In this four-part retrospective, award-winning historian and journalist Will Friedwald takes a deep dive into the jazz world of 60 to 70 years ago with a combination of critical acumen, musical perception, and rare performance footage (from vintage films and TV shows) not found anywhere else!
The Art of Rhythm Sections
Taught by Michael Carvin
2 nights: April 16 and 17, 2020.
6:30-8:30 pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$80
Master drummer Michael Carvin returns to Swing University flanked by a live trio, as they explore the art of two of Jazz’s greatest rhythm sections!
Join us as we devote one night to the swinging elegance of the Red Garland Trio (a group that propelled the legendary Miles Davis quintet in the mid-1950s), and one night to the incomparable Oscar Peterson Trio!
Jazz 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Jazz
Taught by Seton Hawkins
8 nights: May 14, 21, 28, June 4, 11, 18, 25, and 26, 2020
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.
Jazz 301: An Expert’s Guide to Jazz
Taught by Ben Young
8 nights: May 19, 26, June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, and July 1, 2020
6:30-9:30 pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$250
Ready to become a Jazz expert? Jazz 301: An Expert’s Guide to Jazz is the most advanced jazz survey course in the world! Join us as scholar Ben Young gives you detailed and nuanced insights into all aspects of the music’s history.
Students in Jazz 301: An Expert’s Guide to Jazz may choose to take an optional final exam; those who pass are presented with a certificate signed by our Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis, acknowledging the recipient’s exceptional scholarship.
Louis Armstrong and the 1950s
Taught by Ricky Riccardi
2 nights: May 20 and 27, 2020
6:30-8:30 pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$80
Join us as we celebrate some of the greatest recordings of the 20th Century’s most influential artist! Master Louis Armstrong scholar (and one of Swing University’s most requested instructors) Ricky Riccardi leads a two-night exploration of Pops’ records in the 1950s.
Drawing on Armstrong’s Decca material, his landmark Columbia albums of WC Handy’s and Fats Waller’s music, as well as stops along the way with Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson, Riccardi will bring you into one of Louis Armstrong’s most extraordinary and exciting decades of music.
Bebop and Beyond
Taught by Ben Young
4 nights: June 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2020
6:30-8:30 pm
Irene Diamond Education Center (IDEC)
$140
The arrival of BeBop marked a true revolution in Jazz: in the way the music was played, talked about, and perceived within society. Join us as we explore BeBop and its descendants. Jazz scholar Ben Young will take you through Jazz’s development during the second half of the 20th century in this four-night course.