Listening to Jazz: The Jazz Precursors

Part 1 with Dr. Mitch Butler

Before jazz had a name, it had roots.

Join ColaJazz for Part 1 of Listening to Jazz: Roots & Lineage, a two-part listening course led by Dr. Mitch Butler, jazz trombonist, composer/arranger, educator, Coordinator of Jazz Studies at William Paterson University, and Director of Education for the ColaJazz Foundation.

This first session explores the musical traditions that helped shape early jazz, including field hollers, street cries, work songs, ring shout, early Black church music, blues, ragtime, brass bands, New Orleans culture, call and response, blue notes, syncopation, swing, and more.

Part 1 includes media examples and a live band, creating an engaging, accessible evening for music lovers, students, educators, musicians, and anyone curious about how jazz became one of America’s most influential art forms.

Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Time: 6:00–7:30 PM
Location: ColaJazz Office, 2123 College St, Columbia, SC 29205
Presenter: Dr. Mitch Butler
Format: Media presentation + live band

Come listen, learn, and hear the roots of jazz come alive.