American River College Vocal Jazz Ensemble “YOUR EYES” CD

Assignment Instructions….

At the beginning of the semester start listening to this CD. A little bit each week will really help you write this paper.
Write a minimum single spaced 2-page review of the CD and include some or all of the suggestions I have provided below.
Read Jazz CD reviews on line and in magazines. These models can help you format your own review.
If you are still unclear as to what format you would like to try for your review, ask yourself a few questions like the questions below. These questions might provide you with a structure and give form to your review.
For example: You might try one of the following formats….

A comparison of each track. How they different from each other in mood; texture; swing, Latin, or ballad feel.
A comparison of the entire CD with another jazz vocal CD.
A comparison of the “arrangements” on this vocal CD with the concept of ‘arrangements’ that are a characteristic trait of “Swing Period Big Band” jazz we just finished studying in the previous module. So, some points of comparison might be:
Does this vocal music rely mostly on arrangements or improvisation?
How is it different than the sound of the Big Band music? Yes, I know there are vocals. No need to tell me this. What else is different?
An in-depth analysis of the harmony, rhythms, chord progressions, and formal structure of one or more pieces.
Of course, you may wish to try a completely different format. But, use as much jazz history vocabulary as you have learned.
As you learn more music vocabulary and become familiar with jazz history rewrite your thoughts utilizing this newfound vocabulary before your final submission.