Study and perform some of the great compositions and style of the Art Blakey Ensemble. Students will explore some of Art’s most famous tunes, including “Blues March,” “Moanin,'” “One by One,” “This is for Albert,” and more. For trumpet, tenor, trombone, and rhythm section. Intermediate to Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform compositions from the Blue Note era of the 1950’s and ’60’s. Students will study musical selections from Blue Note artists, including Wayne Shorter, Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock, Hank Mobley, and Horace Silver. For trumpet, tenor, trombone, and rhythm section. Intermediate to Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform the compositions, style, and analysis of the classic Bill Evans Trio sound. Transcriptions will be required. Students will explore tunes including “Very Early,” “Autumn Leaves,” “Waltz for Debby,” “Comrade Conrad,” and more. For piano, bass, drums, and guitar Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform some of the great compositions and harmonic style of Billy Strayhorn, famous for co-writing with the legendary Duke Ellington and his orchestra. Students will learn the songs “Upper Manhattan Medical Group,” “Chelsea Bridge,” “Passion Flower,” “Isfahan,” and more. For trumpet, tenor, trombone, and rhythm section. Intermediate to Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform the compositions and style of the Brecker Brothers sound. Students will explore some of Michael and Randy’s most famous tunes, including “Skunk Funk,” “Sponge,” “Sneakin’ Up Behind You,” “Grease Piece,” and more. For trumpet, tenor, alto, and rhythm section. Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform the compositions and style of Cal Tjader. Students will explore tunes including “Mamblues,” “Alonzo,” “Black Orchid,” “Soul Burst,” and more. For vibes, guitar, piano, bass, drums, and percussion. Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform some of the great compositions and style of the Cannonball Adderley Quintet. Students will explore some of Cannonball’s most famous tunes, including “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” “Wabash,” “Jeanine,” “This Here,” and more. For trumpet, alto, and rhythm section. Intermediate to Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform some of the great compositions and style of the Charles Mingus Ensemble. Students will explore some of Charles’s most famous tunes, including “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,” “Better Git it in Your Soul,” “Jump Monk,” “Fables of Faubus,” and more. For trumpet, tenor, alto, baritone, trombone, and rhythm section. Intermediate to Advanced level Read More

Study and perform the compositions of Chick Corea’s Electric Band. Students will play “Got a Match,” “Side Walk,” “Rumble,” “Cool Weasel Boogie,” and more. For tenor, keyboards, bass, drums, and guitar. Enrollment by Audition only

Study and perform some of the great compositions and style of the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Ensemble. Students will explore some of Clifford’s most famous tunes, including “Joyspring,” “I’ll Remember April,” “Daahoud,” “Lands End,” and more. For trumpet, tenor, and rhythm section. Intermediate to Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform some of the great swinging compositions played by the Count Basie Orchestra. Students will explore the tunes “Broadway,í¢ä‰åŒ “Lilí¢ä‰å䋢 Darliní¢ä‰å䋢,í¢ä‰åŒ “In A Mellow Tone,í¢ä‰åŒ “For Lena and Lennie,í¢ä‰åŒ and many others. This book is written for 5 horns (trumpet I, trumpet II, alto & tenor, tenor & baritone, trombone) and four piece Read More

Study and perform the compositions and style of Dave Brubeck. This class emphasizes odd meters, solo transcription and ensemble playing. Students will explore tunes including “Take Five,” “Blue Rondo Ala Turk,” “Three to Get Ready,” “The Duke,” and more. For piano, bass, drums, and alto. Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform some of the great compositions and harmonic style of Dizzy Gillespie. Students will learn the songs “Con Alma,” “Woody’n You,” “A Night in Tunisia,” “Manteca,” and more. For trumpet, tenor, alto, trombone, and rhythm section. Intermediate to Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform some of the great compositions and harmonic style of Duke Ellington. Students will explore the tunes “Take the A Train,” “Mood Indigo,” “Perdido,” “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” and many others. This class is for trumpet, tenor, alto, baritone trombone, and rhythm section. Intermediate to Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform the compositions and style of the great Freddie Hubbard. Students will explore tunes including “Little Sunflower,” “Crisis,” “Red Clay,” “Up Jumped Spring,” and more. For trumpet, tenor, trombone, and rhythm section. Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform the repertoire and the “Shearing Sound.” This class will emphasize ensemble playing, block chord voicings for piano, and transcriptions. Students will explore tunes including “Lullaby of Birdland,” “Consternation,” “East of the Sun,” “Autumn Serenade,” and more. For piano, bass, drums, guitar, and vibes. Intermediate to Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform the compositions and style of Grant Green from his classic Blue Note recordings. Students will explore tunes including “Idol Moments,” “Jean de Fleur,” “Nomad,” “Django,” and more. For guitar, B3 organ, drums, and tenor saxophone. Intermediate to Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform some of the great compositions and style of of Herbie Hancock from the Bluenote years. Students will explore some of Hancock’s most famous tunes, including “Watermelon Man,” “Maiden Voyage,” “Dolphin Dance,” “Driftin’,” and more. For trumpet, tenor, trombone, and rhythm section. Advanced level required.

Study and perform some of the great compositions and style of the Horace Silver Ensemble. Students will explore some of Horace’s most famous tunes, including “Song for my Father,” “Opus de Funk,” “Horacescope,” “Doodlin,” and more. For trumpet, tenor, and rhythm section. Intermediate to Advanced level required.

Study and perform the great compositions of the Benny Golson/Art Farmer group “The Jazztet.” Students will explore tunes including “Killer Joe,” “Along Came Betty,” “Stablemates,” “Mox Nix,” and more. For trumpet, tenor, trombone, alto, and rhythm section. Intermediate to Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform the repertoire and style of John Coltrane’s Blue Note years. Perform transcriptions of some of Coltrane’s most famous compositions, including “Giant Steps,” “Naima,” “Countdown,” “Blue Train,” and more. For tenor and rhythm section. Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform the compositions and style of the Blue Note years of Lee Morgan. Students will explore tunes including “The Sidewinder,” “Ceora,” “The Procrastinator,” “Mr. Kenyata,” and more.   For trumpet, tenor, alto, trombone, and rhythm section.   Intermediate to Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform some of the repertoire and style of the mid-50’s and ’60’s recordings of the famous quintet. Perform transcriptions of some of Miles’s famous arrangements, including “All Blues,” “Freddie the Freeloader,” “So What,” “Blue in Green,” and more. For trumpet, tenor, alto, and rhythm section. Intermediate to Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform the compositions and style of the MJQ, primarily dealing with the chamber music approach of John Lewis’s compositions. Students will explore tunes including “Django,” “Skating in Central Park,” “Bags Groove,” “La Ronde,” and more. For vibes, piano, bass, and drums. Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform the compositions and style of Oliver Nelson’s Blues and the Abstract Truth. Students will explore tunes including “Stolen Moments,” “Hoe-down,” “Cascade,” “Yearnin,” and more. For trumpet, tenor, alto, baritone, and rhythm section. Advanced level required.

Study and perform the compositions and styles of the early ’60’s collaboration with Joao Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Students will explore tunes including “Corcovado,” “Garota de Ipanema,” “So Danco Samba,” “Once I Loved,” and more. For tenor, nylon string guitar, voice, and rhythm section. Intermediate to Advanced level suggested.

Study and perform some of the great compositions and style of the Thelonious Monk Ensemble. Students will explore some of Monk’s most famous tunes, including “Blue Monk,” “Well You Neední¢ä‰å䋢t,” “I Mean You,” “Ruby My Dear,” and more. For trumpet, tenor, alto, trombone, and rhythm section. Intermediate to Advanced level required.

Study and perform the compositions of this famous funk band. This class will emphasize precision and groove. Perform some of Tower of Power’s greatest hits, including “What is Hip,” “Squib Cakes,” “Down to the Night Club,” “Drop it in the Slot,” and more. For 2 trumpets, 2 tenors, baritone, guitar, bass, drums, percussion, organ, and Read More

Study and perform some of the great compositions and style of the Blue Note years of Wayne Shorter. Students will explore some of Shorter’s most famous tunes, including “Witch Hunt,” “Yes or No,” “Speak No Evil,” “Infant Eyes,” and more. For trumpet, tenor, alto, trombone, and rhythm section. Advanced level required.

Study and perform the compositions and styles of Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter. This class will emphasize groove, soloing, and how to play as a group. Students will explore tunes including “Birdland,” “A Remark You Made,” “Palladium,” “Elegant People,” and more. For tenor, keyboards, bass, drums, and percussion. Enrollment by audition only.

Study and perform the compositions, style, and guitar techniques of Wes Montgomery and his trios. Students will explore tunes including “Four on Six,” “West Coast Blues,” “Unit 7,” “Jingles,” and more. For guitar, piano, bass, and drums. Intermediate to Advanced level suggested.

An introductory class to arranging for a small group, this class begins with simple lead sheets and trio arrangements, and then progresses to arrangements for two horns.

Students will learn how to sight read charts, single line melodies and 4-voice harmony parts. This core class is important to the growth of the jazz musician.

This class will cover basic theory and notation and apply these to writing simple chord charts.

This is a basic class that begins with intervals, triads, 4 note chords, inversions of chords, bass lines and simple melody lines.

A continuation of Ear Training 1, this class will give students a better understanding of chord extensions and their inversions. It includes minimal melodic dictation.

In this class, students study the keyboard, learning note names, intervals, chord structures, and musical notation in an easy to understand format. Students will learn a better sense of pitch center, chord shapes, and overall musical accuracy. Students must purchase Jazz Keyboard For Pianists and Non-Pianists by Jerry Coker. Available at www.jazzbooks.com

This class examines lyrics of famous composers, including Broadway, Hollywood and jazz writers, and also examines how Western Literature and poetry influenced major lyricists, including Johnny Mercer, E.Y. Harburg, and Lorenz Hart. Topics include rhyme schemes and song forms as they apply to the lyric. Students bring in their own writing, find and bring in Read More

This course focuses on the creation of rhythm section parts, starting with basic chord charts, master rhythm charts, and fully notated charts for the basic 4-piece rhythm section (keyboard, guitar, bass and drums). The class will concentrate on proper notation, layout, and techniques for printing and preparing charts for live performance and recording. Students will Read More

In this class, the focus is on original student compositions as students learn how to write in standard jazz forms, including blues, minor blues, rhythm changes, and modal tunes in order to capture the styles of famous jazz composers. For instrumentalists and vocalists. Intermediate to advanced level. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

This class is for all musicians – singers, instrumentalists, and writers alike. The course will focus on releasing the blocks that stand in the way of feeling freedom, ease, and joy in making music, as well as building skills for more effective practice and ultimately, a more effortless experience of music making. Through group discussion, Read More

Students will listen to and analyze different versions of the same tunes in order to understand the elements of different jazz styles.

This class covers the history, styles, and repertoire of some of the most famous jazz quintets in history, such as Miles Davis, Art Blakey and Horace Silver.

This class covers the styles of the great jazz pianists of our time, including Nat Cole, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, Wynton Kelly, Red Garland, and more. Students will become familiar with the repertoire that made these pianists unique and will learn how to recognize their styles.

In the 1950’s, the big band moved from the dance hall to the concert hall. Arrangements became more complex and adventurous; these were not your father’s (or grandfather’s) big bands. This class will study some of these great bands, including the 1950’s Basie Band, the Buddy Rich Band, the Maynard Ferguson Band, and the Thad Read More

For the non-musician and musician alike, this class will cover the evolution of Big Bands from the smaller Duke Ellington ensembles of the 1920’s through the eras of swing, bop, hard bop, and fusion. The class will cover styles, instrumentation, orchestration, composition, and soloists.

In this class, students will view and discuss a variety of jazz performances from theatrical releases, soundies (juke box films), television shows, and concert videos, spanning chronologically from the advent of film to the present time, and ranging stylistically from swing to mainstream, including instrumental, vocal, and dance performances.

This class explores the act of listening to jazz, including how to listen into the music, what to listen for, who to listen to, and how to listen between the notes.

Attention musicians, songwriters/composers, producers, artist managers, and student artists: Learn about copyright protection for your musical works, as well as mechanical licenses, synchronization licenses, and digital licenses. Find out about ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and how they serve you. Consider the future of music publishers and record companies and getting paid for the use of your Read More

Students will learn about the types of contracts musicians encounter and the disputes that commonly arise upon breach. The instructor will also discuss related issues, including trademarks and copyright registrations.

Students will learn how to create a self-produced music product, set it up on the internet for distribution in multiple sales channels, and publicize it via their own social media platform to generate sales. This class will be helpful for anyone planning to produce a custom record of any genre, for anyone considering the possibility, Read More

In this class for singers and instrumentalists, students will learn how to promote their music activities beyond just setting up an account on Facebook and Twitter. Find out how to set up and maintain a social media “platform” from which to build and maintain your audience. This class is for both aspiring and professional musicians Read More

This class covers the history, styles, and repertoire of some of the most famous jazz trios in history, including the trios of Oscar Peterson, Nat Cole, Ahmad Jamal, and Red Garland.

Duke Ellington was one of the most important composers of the 20th century. Through his orchestra, he gave us some of history’s greatest jazz musicians and compositions, which have become a mainstay of American popular music. This listening and history class will cover Duke and his orchestra from its inception in the 1920’s to his Read More

This course covers the life of Miles Davis from his first professional job with Ernest Randle’s Ramblers in St. Louis to his final concert at Montreaux, including his triumphs of the 1950’s with arranger Gil Evans. Listening will include music from all of the major periods in Miles’s career.

This class is devoted to Bill Evans’s music, including his work as a sideman, trio leader, and solo pianist, with emphasis on the evolution of his trio innovations.

This course covers the life of John Coltrane and the innovations he introduced. Listening will include music from the different periods and styles in Coltrane’s career.

This class is a complete study of the music and life of Oscar Peterson, one of the greatest jazz pianists of our time. Oscar was famous for his blazing technique and incredible improvisational skills. But did you know that he was a vocalist? Come and enjoy learning about this great pianist and the many musicians Read More

Stan Getz was a true jazz icon of the tenor saxophone, but his life was as turbulent as his music was smooth. With guitarist Charlie Byrd, Getz is best known for starting the Bossa Nova craze in the mid 1960’s. This was far from his only musical accomplishment. From the classic Third Stream recording “Focus” Read More

This class is devoted to styles of jazz drumming from big band to small ensemble. Students will learn how to listen to drums and will gain a new appreciation of the nuances and textures of jazz drumming.