1st 7 Thursdays, 2:15-4:15pm, San Miguel Hall Classroom
Class will meet 5 out of 7 Thursdays. Professor will discuss meeting times in class.
Enrollment Code: 50393
What is jazz fusion? Often described as one of America’s few indigenous art forms, jazz has taken on many forms and jazz fusion represents one of the most innovative, challenging, controversial, and misunderstood incarnation of the art form. Originally spearheaded by Miles Davis in the late 1960’s as a new musical form that would combine jazz improvisation with elements of rock ‘n roll, jazz fusion has since continually reinvented itself. This seminar offers an introduction to the history and development of jazz fusion from inception in 1968 to the present. Utilizing a rich archive of audio visual materials, this course will begin with Miles Davis’ early innovations and trace the evolution of jazz fusion from Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report and the jazz rock supergroups of the 1970’s to new forms of fusion including Steve Coleman’s Mbase, John Zorn’s Naked City, and Bela Fleck and the Fleckstones. The seminar is aimed at introducing the main sub-genres of jazz fusion, including "smooth jazz," Indian fusion, and rap fusion. At the same time, the seminar also provides a new perspective from which to view artistic, cultural, and political change in America over the past 40 years.
Professor Michael Berry, East Asian Studies, area of research include modern and contemporary Chinese literature, Chinese cinema, popular culture in modern China, fiction and drama of late imperial China, and translation studies. Berry’s approach is transnational and his work addresses the richness and diversity of Chinese art and culture as it has manifested itself in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and overseas Chinese communities. He is also the translator for several works of contemporary Chinese fiction. Teaching includes courses such as Popular Culture in Modern Chinese Societies.
