Instrumental Performance Ensemble

PRF100; 200; 300; 400

Jazz Repertoire Ensemble

2 credits, 3 hours lab

A performance ensemble focusing on a wide range of repertoire from the Great American Songbook to bebop, post-bebop and ‘world music’ genres.

PRF101

the Music of Horace Silver

2 credits, 3 hours lab

An ensemble focusing on the repertoire of Horace Silver.

PRF120; 220; 320; 420

Jazz Strings Chamber Ensemble

2 credits, 3 hours lab

A performance ensemble for violinists, violists, cellists and double bassists. Repertoire includes material written and arranged by top composers in the jazz string world including Turtle Island Quartet, Darol Ander, Jean-Luc Ponty, Edgar Meyer and Evan Price among others. Includes jazz, Latin, fiddle, Western European classical, pop and rock genres.

PRF201

the Music of Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter

2 credits, 3 hours lab

An ensemble focusing on the repertoire of Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter.

PRF202

Post-Bop Ensemble

2 credits, 3 hours lab

An ensemble focusing on music of the post bop style including John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock among others.

PRF203

Jazz Fusion Ensemble

Elective — 2 credits, 3 hours lab

An ensemble focusing on playing and analyzing the music of Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Jaco Pastorius, Jean-Luc Ponty and others in the jazz fusion vein.

PRF204

Gypsy Jazz Ensemble

Elective — 2 credits, 3 hours lab

An ensemble in the style of Django Reinhardt’s and Stephane Grappelli’s Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Beginning with their first recordings in 1934, these two innovators forged a new genre — gypsy jazz or jazz Manouche — acoustic music combining pumping, infectious rhythm with virtuosity, inventiveness, and soul. Students learn the subtleties of the rhythm gui- tar technique known as la pompe, the special role of the bass in a drumless rhythm section, as well as the distinctive improvisational dialect intrinsic to the style. Instrumentation: voice, violin, viola cello, ac-cordion, solo guitar, rhythm guitar and bass.

PRF205

Music of Wes Montgomery

2 credits, 3 hours lab

An instrumental ensemble focusing on original compositions and arrangements of standards as written/performed by legendary guitarist Wes Montgomery. Repertoire includes classics such as “Four on Six”, “West Coast Blues”, “Road Song” and “‘Round Midnight”. An in-depth analysis of transcribed solos from selected personnel on Montgomery’s seminal 1962 Riverside recording Full House spurs a deep understanding of the music and provides a springboard for rhythmic, melodic and harmonic exploration and development. Open to guitarists, pianists, bassists, drummers, and saxophonists.

PRF230

Latin Jazz Ensemble

2 credits, 3 hours lab

An ensemble based on the amalgam of styles and techniques that form and inform the multifaceted field of Latin jazz.

PRF240

Brazilian Jazz Ensemble

2 credits, 3 hours lab

An ensemble focusing on the amalgam of Brazilian and American jazz styles of music and techniques. Open to instrumentalists and vocalists.

PRF250

traditional North Indian Ensemble

Elective — 2 credits, 3 hours lab

An instrumental ensemble focusing on the rhythmic, melodic and harmonic underpinnings of traditional North Indian music.

 

PRF262

Cross-Cultural Jazz Ensemble

2 credits, 3 hours lab

An ensemble combining jazz with traditional styles of music from non-western European cultures.

 

PRF270

East Bay Funk ensemble

2 credits, 3 hours lab

A performance ensemble focusing on the East Bay funk canon — the distinctive, rhythm-driven genre of music that emerged out of San Francisco Bay Area-based bands from the late 60s to the present. Beginning with its source, the music of the “godfather of soul,” James Brown and his music director, Pee Wee Ellis, students study and perform repertoire by noted San Francisco Bay Area bands including Sly and the Family Stone, Cold Blood, Tower of Power, The Headhunters, Ray Obiedo and The V.W. Brothers, among others. The revolutionary and legendary contributions of bassist Larry Graham are also covered.

 

PRF271

Bluegrass Ensemble

2 credits, 3 hours lab

An ensemble focusing on traditional and contemporary bluegrass technique with an emphasis on rhythmic drive, ensemble interaction, band dynamics and creative arrangements. Class is designed for acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, acoustic or electric bass, dobro and vocals. Listening assignments and a one-hour end-of-semester performance are required.

 

PRF301

Odd Meter Ensemble

Elective — 2 credits, 3 hours lab

An ensemble exploring the application of odd meters to jazz standards. Includes techniques for incorporating odd grouping in solos. Swing and “straight 8th” rhythmic styles covered.

 

PRF303

The Music of Charles Mingus

2 credits, 3 hours lab

An ensemble focusing on the repertoire of Charles Mingus.

 

PRF304

The Music of Art Blakey

2 credits, 3 hours lab

A performance ensemble focusing on the repertoire of Art Blakey.

 

PRF305

JI Jazz Orchestra

2 credits, 3 hours lab

A large performance ensemble focusing on the study and performance of standard and contemporary big band literature. Limited to standard big band instrumentation with one player to a part.

 

PRF308

Improvised Music Ensemble

Elective — 2 credits, 3 hours lab

An ensemble exploring the realm of ‘free’ improvisation. Students are introduced to various techniques they may use to collectively com- pose in the moment. Focusing on listening and communication, students gain a deeper insight into their own artistic voice and discover a wider spectrum of musical textures and compositional approaches. Considerations include listening and communicating, style, form, motif, texture, meter and pulse, among others.

 

PRF335

Advanced Afro-Latin Percussion Ensemble

Elective — 2 credits, 3 hours lab

The history and performance of traditional, popular and contemporary Latin American repertoire. Covers techniques and roles of over a dozen different instruments including tumbadoras (conga drums), bongos, timbales, tambora, cajón, pan- dereta, claves, cowbell, maracas, güiro, quijada, güícharo, chékere, and güira. Rhythms and styles addressed include Bembé, Iyesá, Palo, Makuta, Abakuá, Arará, Yambú, Columbia, Guaguancó, Conga de Comparsa Habanera, Conga de Com- parsa Santiaguera, Bomba, Plena, Merengue, Samba, Landó, Son, Danzón, Mambo, Salsa, Timba, and Cumbia.

Prerequisites: advanced hand and stick technique and coordination, and the ability to read basic rhythmic notation.

PRF341

tangos, Choros and Frevos

Elective — 2 credits, 3 hours lab

An ensemble focusing on repertoire of Astor Piazzola, Egberto Gismonti, Jose Maria de Abreu, Toninho Horta, Edu Lobo, Steve Erquiaga and other significant Latin American composers. Diverse instrumentation welcome.

PRF380

Saxophone Quartet

Elective — 2 credits, 3 hours lab

The traditional SATB configuration for soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. Repertoire covers styles from Baroque to bebop and beyond and addresses technical aspects relevant and unique to a woodwind quartet.

PRF409

Jazzschool institute Advanced Jazz Workshop

2 credits, 3 hours lab

A performance ensemble for the advanced stu- dent focusing on important core innovations by post-bop luminaries including Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Dave Liebman, Michael Brecker among others. Students are encouraged to bring in original work. Prerequisites: rhythmic, melodic and harmonic fluency with the bop and post-bop language; familiarity with repertoire from the Great American Songbook.