How to Listen to Jazz

Listening to jazz is a skill that can be developed through active listening. Educator and jazz musician Alan Sherwin explains that jazz is not random improvisation but music built on an underlying harmonic structure. Understanding these musical “rules” can reveal the order, beauty, and excitement within a performance. Using familiar songs by leading jazz artists, Sherwin introduces song form, the role of improvisation, and how musicians interact within a jazz ensemble to create the music listeners hear.