MU 205 Introduction to Jazz: Getting Started

If you want to find performances or works by an artist, perform an AUTHOR search in the Tiger catalog.  This will bring up our holdings of anything she has created (scores, recordings, writings, etc).

If you want to find out about a jazz figure, perform a SUBJECT search. Everyone is a SUBJECT!

IMPORTANT!!  You must use the convention of Last Name, First Name when using AUTHOR or SUBJECT searches!

  You can limit your search in the following ways:

• VIEW ENTIRE COLLECTION-you'll bring up scores, recordings, videos, and any books, or chapters in books, etc. about your performer.
• MUSIC LIBRARY-you'll bring up everything located in the Music Library-mainly scores and audio/video recordings.
• AUDIO/VIDEO-you'll bring up any audio/video recordings available in both libraries

Try the above techniques as you search for works by and information about Miles Davis.

Many contemporary performers have websites with sound files and biographical information.

Generally....

• You'll find books about music in Tutt Library.

• You'll find music works (scores, media) in the Music Library.

BROWSE THE SHELVES!--You'll find sources you weren't expecting!

Libraries shelve like topics together; browsing will help you find something surprisingly useful that you may not have noticed in the Tiger catalog. Try the following call number ranges in both libraries (althought Tutt is your best bet):

• ML102 .J3 Jazz Bio-bibliographies

• ML3508-9 Popular music. You'll find books about jazz in this area.

• ML419 Biographies of jazz performers are located here, A-Z, by last name....so if you're looking for Dexter Gordon, check in ML419 under the Gs.
• Search MT68 and/or use a Subject search on "Jazz, Analysis, Appreciation" to find information on learning to play Jazz.

Libraries also shelve similar types of musical works together.  Search for these in the Music Library.

• We have a limited collection of jazz scores. It's difficult to find these by browsing.  Ask a librarian for help.
• Jazz Audio/Video recordings are generally shelved by last name of the performer. Ask a staff member for permission to browse this collection.

You can use Prospector to widen your search, including items that aren't owned by CC libraries or are checked out.

• Access to materials (scores, books, CDs, DVDs, etc.) throughout Colorado and Wyoming
• Materials arrive in 3-5 business days

To further extend your search, use WorldCat.  This is often the best way to find obscure items. Items typically arrive within 2 weeks.  Materials you find inside Colorado are better ordered through Prospector.

Best Bets for your assignments:

• Groves Music Online. Part of the Oxford Music Online suite, this is the most important English-language resource for music. Use this resource to locate background information on musical instruments, peoples, and regions or nations.  Includes articles on jazz. Contains excellent bibliographies, illustrations,links to related articles within Groves, and links to other Internet resources. Includes some articles from the upcoming second edition of the Groves Encyclopedia of Musical Instruments.

• Proquest Historical Newspapers.  Use the link below to search for reviews and comments about jazz artists and their performances.

• Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive. An archival research resouce containing the essential primary resources for studying the history of the film and entertaingment industries, from the era of vaudeville and silent movies to 2000.  The core US and UK trade magazines covering film, music, broadcasting and theater are all included, together with film fan magazines and music pres titles.  Magazines have been scanned cover-to-cover in high-resolution color, with granular indexing of all articels, covers, ads and reviews.

• The Oxford Companion to Jazz, ed. by Bill Kirchner. Contains a multitude of readings on jazz topics.

• The many jazz encyclopedias by Leonard Feather:

• Jazz Research and Performance Materials by Eddie S. Meadows-An excellent resource from the predigital age.

These resources are a great way to

• Brainstorm ideas
• Narrow an existing topic
• Glean keywords for catalog and database searches
• Leverage bibliographies for the next stage of your research

SUBJECT HEADINGS are a great way to widen your search, leading you to information about a musical-not just a score or recording of a musical.

The best way to find suitable headings is to look in a record you pull up during a search.

 Here's a good way to mine SUBJECT HEADINGS:

• Start with a WORD search first, selecting VIEW ENTIRE COLLECTION.
  • NOTE:  you can also search by TITLE or AUTHOR, select different collections-then use the same process below.
• When you find something useful...scroll down and take a look at the SUBJECT HEADINGS ...click on those that interest you, to extend your search. (will broaden or narrow your search)
• A WORD search will usually reveal more results than a SUBJECT search.

               Compare these searches:

• • SUBJECT search:

    Jazz History  Leads you to a list of subjects, which reveals a more appropriate heading:  History and Criticism. This yields 175 results.  Important!  History and Criticism headings are also broken down chronologically by decade, for more specificity:  Jazz -- 1961-1970 -- History and criticism

  • WORD search:

                    Jazz* Histor*  618 results.

An asterisk is a truncation device that allows you to search for all letters coming after the root word you're using: musical* searches musical, musicals, etc. 

Check this out:  Perform a SUBJECT SEARCH, selecting VIEW ENTIRE COLLECTION, on the term "Jazz".  You'll find an extensive list (21 pages) of subjects illuminating various aspects of Jazz.  Click on these links to discover more resources.