Jazz Music is an original American art form that incorporates music from many different cultures. It has become an international music, which can be heard in most countries around the world, performed by musicians from those countries as well as American musicians. This assignment is a research and writing assignment that asks you to write about a contemporary International Jazz musician/group (a musician or group that comes from a country other than the USA) or an International jazz “scene” such as a famous International jazz festival like the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, or the jazz scene found in a specific country or an international metropolitan area such as Paris, London, Cape Town or Tokyo – writing about how Jazz has become part of the “scene” in those places – important venues: jazz clubs, concert houses, jazz societies, and important musicians from the “scene”. This paper is to be about the current Jazz scene or artist/group, you need to document Jazz music that is going on NOW, within the last 5 years. Your paper can discuss important background issues to support your ideas, but your subject is an International Jazz artist OR the jazz scene (festival, city or country) that is currently active.

There are many interesting topics that fall under this umbrella. Many international jazz musicians combine music from their own country or region with existing jazz musical ideas to create a new jazz sound. Other international jazz musicians are dedicated to playing very traditional styles of jazz. Many came to the US to study jazz music and apprentice with American jazz masters. If you choose to write about an artist/group, you will need to find artists/groups that are living and practicing the music in an International location. Some will still perform in the United States, (and around the world) while basing their careers outside the US, often in their home countries or regions.

It is important that the topic you choose has enough information about the international aspects of the musician/group or jazz scene to support a research paper. The assignment is about a “contemporary” artist or scene – meaning that the artists or scene is currently active, with the paper including recent activity – recordings, concerts, etc.. Historical background is important, but the focus of the paper is about an artist/jazz scene going on right now.

For instance, if you write about the jazz scene in Paris, you need to mention the history of Jazz in Paris (this is very important to this topic) and then write about the scene today: where the musicians are playing Jazz in Paris, who they are, and how Jazz is integrated into modern Parisian society.

Requirements:

1. Write a 1000-1500 word paper (this is the body of the paper, not including the discography and references, etc..)

NOTE: word count is the least important part of the grading of this paper. Any paper that covers all of the requirements will be at least 1000 words, this is just a suggestion so that you don’t feel like you have to write a LONG paper. The content, quality of writing, inclusion of required information and following the writing style guidelines are the most important part of this paper. The paper should be well written, following general rules and formatting for a Research Paper in MLA or APA format.

1. Research your topic well. It is important that you find lots of good information to base your paper on.
2. Find and listen to musical examples of the artist(s)/group(s) you are writing about. If you are writing about a jazz “scene”, find and listen to some of the important artists from that scene. Find reviews of their music, and include your own description of what you hear in the music.
3. If you are writing about an artist/group, Include a general description of the artist/group, what they are known for and other relevant projects/recordings they have produced. Include a selected discography as part of your reference citations.

1. A discography is a list of important recordings by the artist or group. (You can find examples of discographies online.) You need to include the artist/group name, title of the recording, record label (company), year it was released, and important personnel on the recording.

1. Include information about the recordings you write about:
   1. Date released
   2. Record label
   3. Musicians on the recording
   4. How readers can find this music (purchase, listen, etc)

You will be graded on:

1. The inclusion of all of the issues listed above in your paper.
2. Evidence of research into the artist/group or jazz scene and the music associated with your topic. References to your other research should be included.
3. How well written and readable the paper is.
   1. This is an IMPORTANT part of the Draft-Final paper process, to create a Final Paper that is well written and interesting to the reader.

Basic format:

Opening Paragraph (Thesis)

– describes the content of the paper and the points to be made.

Inside Paragraphs

– discuss each topic presented in the Opening Paragraph (Thesis)

Conclusion

Research References

– citations need to be in MLA or APA format

Discography

– A discography is similar to a bibliography, the only difference being that it comprises a list of audio or sound recordings that you have cited in your paper. Sound recordings come in a variety of formats such as LP, cassette, CD, MP3, and even audio recordings streamed from the Web. If you refer to sound recordings in your paper, you will need to create a separate section on a new page entitled “Discography.” A “Selected Discography” includes important recordings by the artist or group you are writing about.

A Song or Album – Music can be cited multiple ways. Mainly, this depends on the container that you accessed the music from. Generally, citations begin with the artist name. They might also be listed by composers or performers. Otherwise, list composer and performer information after the album title. Put individual song titles in quotation marks. Album names are italicized. Provide the name of the recording manufacturer followed by the publication date.

If information such as record label or name of album is unavailable from your source, do not list that information.

Spotify – Rae Morris. “Skin.” Cold, Atlantic Records, 2014. Spotify, open.spotify.com/track/0OPES3Tw5r86O6fudK8gxi.

Online Album –Beyoncé. “Pray You Catch Me.” Lemonade, Parkwood Entertainment, 2016, www.beyonce.com/album/lemonade-visual-album/ (Links to an external site.).

CD – Nirvana. “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Nevermind, Geffen, 1991.