Music: Jazz

The Austin Community College Jazz Ensemble, founded and directed by Dr. Thomas J. Husak, includes faculty members along with students enrolled for credit or in continuing education courses. The program provides students—who must audition for Dr. Husak before joining the ensemble—with training in the specific techniques necessary for ensemble performance and for solo playing.

For nearly thirty years, the ACC Jazz Ensemble has given performances of classic American jazz, pop music, and innovative repertoire programs to diverse audiences in Austin, Texas, and other venues, gaining recognition as one of the leading community college big bands and show revues. 

On January 20, 2009, the ensemble performed at the LINK Technology and Education Inaugural Ball in Washington D.C.  The ACC Jazz Ensemble was the only community college ensemble nationwide to receive such an invitation.  The ensemble headlined at the Texas Jazz Festival at Heritage Park in Corpus Christi, Texas in October 2011.

From its beginning, the jazz ensemble has served the Austin community through performances at charity galas and fundraisers, jazz festivals, and college functions. 

Go to Films on Demand and type jazz in the search box to find streaming media or follow this catalog link for jazz performances on video (there will be a few items in the results that are not jazz performances due to keyword searching).  If you choose to search Films on Demand by segment, you will get all videos that feature jazz as part of a longer film as well films on jazz.  Below are links to selected films:  

Start with a keyword search:

jazz AND art

Look at the related subject headings that appear in your results, for example:

"Jazz in art"

Here is a list of some jazz-related subject headings in the ACC library catalog:     
    Jazz -- 1921-1930 
    Jazz -- 1921-1930 -- History and criticism.      
    Jazz -- 1931-1940 --  History and criticism.          
    Jazz -- Analysis, appreciation.
    Jazz Discography          
    Jazz Encyclopedias          
    Jazz -- History.
    Jazz -- History and criticism.
    Jazz -- Illinois -- Chicago -- History and criticism.    
    Jazz in Literature.
    Jazz in Motion Pictures.
    Jazz Instruction and Study.          
    Jazz Lead Sheets.          
    Jazz -- Literary Collections.      
    Jazz -- Louisiana -- New Orleans -- History and criticism.          
Sometimes subject headings for solo instrumental music or individual musical instruments and families of instruments will be followed by the parenthetical qualifier (Jazz):
    Piano music (Jazz); Methods (Jazz); Studies and exercises (Jazz)          
Sometimes you will be referred to another subject heading that is more specific:
    Jazz Duets -- See Jazz;  Jazz Bands -- See Big bands;  Jazz Music -- See Jazz
    Jazz Ensembles -- See Jazz   -- but some subject headings will include the term "jazz ensemble" as a medium of performance, such as:
               Concertos (Flute with jazz ensemble); Suites (Jazz ensemble)
    Jazz Musicians -- See Also the narrower term Women jazz musicians.
    Jazz Musicians -- African American -- See African American jazz musicians.

To broaden your search by searching for more than one form of a term, use truncation:

    music* will retrieve

    music, musical, musician, musicologist, etc.

You can expand a search by combining related terms in an OR search statement:

"popular music" OR rock OR "hip hop" OR rap

will retrieve results with any or all of these terms.

Use the "Articles" tab in this guide to get information on finding articles and links to music magazines and journals.

Many of the subject headings you find in the library catalog will work for database searches as well.  Try some variations of the Jazz-Specific Searching terms listed on this page.

The three online resources listed below are good places to start your research.

http://www.texasjazz-fest.org/

The ACC Jazz Ensemble has received the honor of a Life-Time Invitation to this prestigious international music festival. The October 17, 2015 performance marked its 30th appearance.

The first UNESCO International Jazz Day was held Apr 30, 2012 at the United Nations General Assembly Hall, New York City.  It was co-hosted by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock.

For more information about International Jazz Day, please visit www.jazzday.com or www.unesco.org/jazzday

April is Jazz Appreciation Month! 
Each April, Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) shines the spotlight on the extraordinary history of jazz and its importance in American culture.

View a selection of print and e-book titles found by searching jazz as a keyword in the library catalog.  Items will be arranged in date order, with the most recently published appearing first.  The titles below are selections from the many jazz titles at the campus libraries.

When you have found a book or video in this guide you would like to borrow

--Click Request Item to the right of the title.

--Type in your ACCeID number and password

--Select a campus Pickup Location

It usually takes 2-5 business days to have a book sent from one campus library to another through campus mail.

Books and videos are loaned for two weeks.  You may renew your book or video twice if no other borrower has requested the item.  To renew materials online, go to My Account.