27132 - History of Jazz (1)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will:

- know the history of jazz, understood as prevalently non-written music based on improvisation;

- how to illustrate the historical, biographical, historical-documentary and socio-economic aspects of jazz;

- analyse the fundamentals of improvisation and its transformations in the different phases of the history of African American music;

- acquire the ability to listen to a composition in a structural and critical manner;

Course contents

Course title:

John Coltrane rom 1960 to 1965 (30 ours– 6 CFU)

Lessons: Tueasday, h 17-19, Thursday, h 11-13, Wednesday, h 11-13, aula Donatoni.

The course will start Tueasdayì 29 January 2019 , h 16-19, aula Donatoni.

The course will deal with a fundamental period of the artistic path of John Coltrane, when he founded the celebrated "Classis quartet" (McCoy Tyner , piano; Jimmy Garrison, double bass, Elvin Jones, drums). With this group the american musician develeoped a new conception of jazz improvisation based partly on the modality, partly on innovative chordal sequences, often build with quartal chords. Moreover Coltrane in this period used systematically pedals and ostinatos tools. Over these structures Coltrane build very extended solos, with a quite complex relationship between the saxophone and the rhythmic section. During the lessons of the course will be analyzed the disc A Love Supreme, recorded at the end of 1964, and which represents one of the most significant outcome of the last years of Coltrane's art.

Readings/Bibliography

Lewis Porter, Blue Trane. La vita e la musica di John Coltrane, Roma, Minimum Fax, 2006.

Ashley Kahn, ‘A Love Supreme’: storia del capolavoro di John Coltrane, Milano , Il Saggiatore, 2004.

The student should also demonstrate the knowledge of the disc A Love Supreme (CD Impulse 051-155-2; the record can be listened also on web at the ulr page https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll3CMgiUPuU),

At the start of the course it will be distributed an handout concerning the structure and the musical Language of A love supreme. The handout could also be requested to prof. Paolo Cecchi  writing to his e.mail adress (paolo.cecchi@unibo.it) rom the beginning of january 2019.

Assessment methods

The final examination will be an interview. Students are expected to know the bibliography and have a sufficiently clear picture of the artistic journey and the linguistic and aesthetic developments of John Coltrane's Music from 1060 to 1965, as outlined in the book by Lewis Porter. In addition, the student shall demonstrate an appropriate knowledge of the disc A Love Supreme, reading the book of Ashley Kahn and the ahndout that shall be distribuited at the beginning of the course. 

It will be assessed as adequate the performance of those students achieving an organic vision of the course contents, the use of a proper specific language, the originality of the reflection as well as the familiarity with the tolls for analysing the History of Jazz.

It will be assessed as discrete the performance of those students showing mostly mechanical or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, not articulated synthesis and analysis capabilities, a correct but not always appropriate language, as well as a scholastic study of the History of Jazz. It will be assessed as barely sufficient the performance of those students showing learning gaps, inappropriate language, lack of knowledge of the History of Jazz. It will be assessed as insufficient the performance of those students showing learning gaps, inappropriate language, no orientation within the recommended bibliography and inability to analyse the History of Jazz.

 

 

For office hours please consult the webpage of the teacher, professor Paolo Cecchi

Office hours

See the website of Paolo Cecchi