A Visual History of American Jazz Music Class Starts Wed., Oct. 7 on Zoom in Ridgefield Continuing E

Welcome to Ridgefield Continuing Education! We hold classes year-round and many classes start soon – Day and Evening! – in Person and Zoom.

Advance registration is required. Registration contact information and the website link to all classes, as well as a downloadable brochure, is at the bottom of this article.

Visual History of American Jazz Music
This is a 5 session series where we explore, both visually and audibly, a variety of specific topics in Jazz every other week. Instructor Charles J Greenberg taught this course to students at Wenzhou-Kean University in Wenzhou, China while founding the academic library there. He is an experienced academic librarian with long-term appointments at both Columbia and Yale Universities. He was the founding Library Director of Wenzhou-Kean University in Wenzhou, China from December 2013 to June 2019. He then joined the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine as Health Sciences Library Director from January 2020 to November 2023. He currently is a lecturer at Camden County College, teaching English Composition, as well as a lecturer for the School of Information for San Jose State University, where he has taught online medical and health sciences information topics since 2007.

5 Sessions $ 99 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $ 86)
Separately, the price is $29 per session.
Wed., 10/7, 21; 11/4, 18; 12/2 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Zoom.

ORIGINS AND URBANIZATION: New Orleans, Migration North, and East (Oct. 7)
What is Jazz? From early roots in American slavery and racial exploitation, Ragtime, Early Blues, and pre-WWII dance bands. Artists and composers include WC Handy, Scott Joplin, Earnest Hogan, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, Bessie Smith, Fats Waller, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman.

FROM DANCE TO BOP: Big Bands, Swing, Bebop, Hard Bop (Oct. 21)
Big Bands co-existed with the rise of bebop and the birth of the cool. Swing, Big Bands, Gypsy Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Max Roach, Thelonious Monk, Sarah Vaughn, Miles Davis, MJQ, Hard Bop, Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, Art Blakey, Billie Holiday.

NEW SOUNDS AND FREEDOM: The 1960s and 1970s (Nov. 4)
New forms of jazz composition and performance, coinciding with civil unrest in America and international jazz interest. Rock and roll music diverted attention from jazz but also stimulated interest in blending pop and jazz. John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Stan Getz, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Latin Jazz, Post Bop, Soul Jazz, Jazz-Rock, Cal Tjader, Tito Puente, Jimmy Smith, Dexter Gordon , Weather Report, Return to Forever, Bob James.

ACOUSTIC AND DIGITAL ARTISTRY 1980 - 2000 (Nov. 18)
Improvements in recording and performance technologies brought jazz performances to larger venues and intimate jazz clubs, fusion with electronics and return to acoustic traditions, Herbie Hancock, Pat Methany, Wynton Marsalis, David Murray, Woody Shaw, Randy Weston, Joe Henderson, Steve Coleman, Joe Lovano, Dave Holland, Geri Allen, Bobby McFerrin, Bobby Hutcherson.

POST MILLENIUM INNOVATION 2001 to Present (Dec. 2)
As the Internet began to dominate music distribution and listening habits, jazz artists continued to tour and use live festivals and recorded performances on social media to reach loyal audiences. Roy Hargrove, Cassandra Wilson, Kurt Elling, Stefon Harris, Diana Krall, Steve Turre, Esperanza Spaulding, Robin Eubanks, Gregory Porter, Robert Glasper, Christian McBride, Bad Plus, Kenny Barron, Immanuel Wilkins.

5 Sessions $ 99 (Ridgefield Sr./Disab. $ 86)
Separately, the price is $29 per session.
Wed., 10/7, 21; 11/4, 18; 12/2 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Zoom.

Also available . . .

• Bridge, Mah Jongg.
• Mushroom Walk, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Yoga, Zumba, La Blast, Body Burn, Line Dance, Event, Swing, Club and Ballroom Dance.
• French, Italian, Spanish, Writing, History, Archaeology.
• DSLR and Mirrorless Photography, iPhone Photography, iPhone.
• AI (Artificial Intelligence), eBay, Windows, iPhone, Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Microsoft Office Tutorials.
• Piano, Guitar, Ukulele, Interiors, Elder Law.
• Knitting, Crochet, Painting in Watercolor or Acrylic, Jewelry
• And more . . .

Advance registration required. Visit https://ridgefieldschools.org for registration and more information.

eMail ridgefieldce@gmail.com

Phone Peggy Bruno at 203-431-2812