Course

In the first half of the 20th century professional female musicians transformed modern American popular entertainment on multiple vectors of jazz, blues, and swing. In this course, we will celebrate the independent creativity of blues musicians like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, and savvy innovators like composer, arranger, and pianist Mary Lou Williams. We will encounter the all-female wartime orchestras entertaining servicemen at home and abroad, as well as singers Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, virtuoso bandleaders, and performers, among others.

Faculty Bio 

Dave Radlauer is an award-winning radio broadcaster and historian specializing in early jazz. He is the host of Jazz Rhythm, a radio show which explores the works of well-known and obscure musicians of the genre. 

This is a Livestreamed + Recorded Course

• Classes will stream live on the scheduled day and time 
• Classes will also be video recorded
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Tuesday, Jan. 19, and ends on Tuesday, Feb. 23
• Classes meet for 6 weeks, 1.5 hours per session (10:30–noon)
• All course materials remain in Member Dashboards through March 28

 Member Praise for Dave Radlauer

Dave Radlauer and the course were exceptional in every way!

The videos and slideshows Dave put together were informative and entertaining, full of relevant material and a pleasure to watch.