Course Schedule:
January 14: Introductionk
January 21: Albert Murray, The Hero and the Blues:
Omi and Winant, "Theoretical Concepts of Race;" Appiah, "Illusions of Race;" Derrida, "The Law of Genre;" Gilroy," 'Jewels Brought from Bondage': Black Music and the Politics of Authenticity" (in bulk pack)
January 28: Piazza, Setting the Tempo
Mackey, "Other: From Noun to Verb;" Lutz, "Curing the Blues: W.E.B. DuBois, Fashionable Diseases, and Degraded Music;" Adorno, "The Fetish Character of Music and the Regression of Listening;" Early, "Pulp and Circumstance;" (in bulk pack)
February 4: Basie (with Albert Murray), Good Morning Blues
"Harlos," Jazz Autobiography: Theory, Practice, Politics;" Merod, "Jazz as a Cultural Archive" (in bulk pack); Fisher, "Common Meter," (handout) Welty, "Powerhouse" (handout)
February 11: Holliday (with Duffy) , Lady Sings the Blues ; Wilson, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
Carby,"In Body and Spirit: Representing Black Women Musicians;" Wilmer, "It Takes Two People to Confirm the Truth;" and "You Sound Good--For a Woman!" (in bulk pack)
February 18: Mingus, Beneath the Underdog
Lott, "Double V, Double-Time: Bebop's Politics of Style;" Tomlinson, "Cultural Dialogics and Jazz: A White Historian Signifies" (in bulk pack)
February 25: Davis (with Quincy Troupe): Miles
Gabbard,"Signifyin(g) the Phallus: Mo' Better Blues and Representations of the Jazz Trumpet" Walser, "Out of Notes: Signification, Interpretation, and the Problem of Miles Davis;" and Crouch, "On the Corner: The Sellout of Miles Davis" (handout) Tate, "The Electric Miles" (handout)
March 4: Thomas, Chasin the Trane ; Selections from The Jazz Poetry Anthology
Kofsky: "Revolution, Coltrane, and the Avant-Garde" and "John Coltrane" (handouts)
March 11: No Class, Spring Break
March 18: Pepper (with Laurie Pepper): Straight Life
Baldwin, "Sonny's Blues" (handout); Bambara, "Medley" (handout)
March 25: Ellison, Invisible Man
Floyd," Ring Shout, Literary Studies, Historical Studies, and Black Music Inquiry" Crouch," Blues to Be Constitutional" (handout) and "The Measure of the Oklahoma Kid" (handout)
April 1: Mackey, Bedouin Hornbook
Baraka," The 'Blues Aesthetic" and the 'Black Aesthetic': Aesthetics as the Continuing Political History of a Culture;" Thomas, "Ascension: Music and the Black Arts Movement." (In bulk pack) Tate, "Signs and Cymbals: Nathaniel Mackey's Postmod Pop" (handout)
April 8: Mackey, Djbot Baghostus's Run
April 15: Murray, The Seven-League Boots
April 22: Morrison, Jazz
There will also be nine films (fiction and biopics). Screening times TBA. We will also view a number of short documentaries during class time. The films are as follows:
The Jazz Singer Paris Blues
Round Midnight Mo'Better Blues
Young Man With a Horn Bird
The Glenn Miller Story The Benny Goodman Story
Lady Sings the Blues
Two (2) review-essays (or, if you prefer, liner notes) concerning jazz recordings, (either on vinyl, CD, or cassette). One of your essays must deal with a recording completed before 1960. If you wish, you may substitute a review of a live performance (consult with me first) Your essay should include all personnel and their respective instruments, list all songs played, and where and when the session/concert was recorded/performed. Your review-essay should be no more than 1000 words (about 4 pages).
One (1) 5-7 page bibliographical essay on jazz, jazz literature, or theoretical materials useful to the study of jazz and literature.
One (1) 12-15 page paper dealing with one (or more) of the readings or films in the course or issues raised in the course. The final paper is due at the end of reading period.
All books for the course can be purchased at House of Our Own bookstore on Spruce Street. The bulk pack is available at the Campus Copy Center (3907 Walnut Street).