Course Description

Instructor: James Rozzi

At just over 100 years old, jazz has changed dramatically from its earliest roots in blues and New Orleans music to reflect the most tumultuous centuries in history. In Part 1, we will explore jazz’s beginnings through the 1940s big band era—via recordings, written histories, photos, and videos. Part 2 will be offered in a later session, commencing with the complexities of 1940s bebop through jazz’s current, multi-cultural musical trends. Jazz is the most substantial of American art forms, our gift to the world. The aim of this course is to entertain while increasing understanding and accessibility. Please join us as we listen and discuss the evolution of this multi-faceted musical genre.

Bio: James Rozzi is a saxophonist and published jazz journalist. He is a retired public school band director (30 years). His feature articles and reviews on jazz have appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, DownBeat, Jazziz, Wired, Coda, Creative Loafing, and Audio. As a saxophonist, he has played with The Temptations, Natalie Cole, and numerous big bands, including those still touring and performing the music of Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey.