In the third lecture of the four part series presented at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on March 28, 1995, Billy Taylor discussed the evolution of swing, in rhythm and harmonic structure, and demonstrated this evolutionary process by playing examples at the piano.

• What is the most common time signature in swing?

• What is the rhythmic structure of swing?

• Was the guitar used in swing?

• How did swing progress?

• How did swing relate to the popular song form of the 1930s and 1940s?

• Was there any relationship between swing and Broadway musicals?

• How did swing become bebop, and who contributed to this transition?

• How did John Coltrane get interested in Richard Rogers songs?

• Did George Gershwin make a contribution to jazz?

• How did Gershwin's approach to jazz change as his career progressed?

• What is Bebop? (with example from Monk's "52nd Street Theme" and "'Round Midnight")

• How is bebop influencing the artists of today's jazz, such as Wynton Marselis?

• Its amazing how independent the right and left hands of jazz pianists are. Do you have to be ambidextrous to play jazz piano? (example in style of Errol Garner)

• What kind of techniques did Art Tatum employ at the piano? (example in style of Art Tatum)

• How did the transition from 78 rpm records to 33.3 rpm lp's affect jazz performances?

• Did European classical music influence jazz?

• Was the harmonic content of jazz influenced by European classical music and popular music of the day?

• How is artistic expression in jazz different than in popular music?

• Is improvisation unique to jazz--and is the ability to improvise a special talent?

• Could a pop song be played in the bebop style?

• What is the role of jazz education in professional jazz artists' background today?

• How did vocalists fit into bebop's fast tempos and difficult harmonic structures?

• How does a jazz ensemble end a song together?

• Does stage setup affect interaction between jazz musicians during a performance?

• Where did cool jazz get its name?

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