The Jazz Age: 1905–1935
The great early bandleaders, blues singers, instrumentalists and composers of early jazz drew from rich personal gifts and local culture, building a uniquely American art form shaped by artistic ferment, social upheaval, and urbanization. Duke Ellington composed the most advanced, colorful and transcendent sounds of the era becoming a household name via his Cotton Club broadcasts. Classic Blues singers Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey asserted their power, sensuality and identity, accelerating popular interest in Jazz. The vivid music, dance and vice of Frisco’s Barbary Coast also shines.
Each class offers more than a dozen audiovisual clips – many created expressly for this course — accompanied by a lecture highlighting the stories, characters and contexts that made this art form and these artists so transformative. You'll explore everything from Jazz origins & the Blues, to the Harlem Renaissance, and more.
Faculty Bio
Dave Radlauer has worked as a vintage jazz radio programmer for forty years, garnering six broadcast awards, and contributed a large collection of jazz audio, artifacts, and photos to Stanford University.
This is a Livestreamed + Recorded Course
- Classes will stream live on the scheduled day and time.
- Classes will also be video recorded.
- Fee assistance is available if cost is a barrier. Learn more.
Schedule Highlights
- Course starts on Wednesday, Sept. 20 and ends on Wednesday, Oct. 25
- Classes meet for six weeks, 1.5 hours per session (12–1:30 PM)
- Videos will post on Fridays in Member Dashboards
- All course materials, including videos, will be available to view and enjoy through Dec. 31
Member Praise for Dave Radlauer
Dave Radlauer and the course were exceptional in every way!
The videos and slideshows Dave put together were informative and entertaining, full of relevant material and a pleasure to watch.