Explore what Jones means by this formulation—”Swing” as a verb.

“Swing–From Verb to Noun” is the title LeRoi Jones gives to his chapter on swing music in his 1963 book Blues People. In a 5 to 7-page paper, please address the following: 

• FIRST: Explore what Jones means by this formulation—”Swing” as a verb; “Swing” as a noun; “Swing” going from verb to noun—and explore how Jones uses it to make arguments about music as an expression of race, capitalism, and power in the United States. Why is swing music such an apt style for this set of arguments? How does his formulation further the larger goals of his book? 

• SECOND: After your discussion of Swing, discuss two other musical examples—styles, genres, specific artists/songs—from Blues People, or any of the other readings so far this semester (Week 1 – Week 8), where we might apply Jones’ formulation (e.g., Minstrelsy, Vaudeville, BeBop, Rock, etc.). 

• THIRD: Lastly, please address whether you think Jones’ formulation is still relevant to discussions of contemporary popular music today? In doing so, please provide specific examples to support why/why not.  

In writing your essay, be sure to clearly state your thesis and to develop your argument with evidence clearly cited from the texts at-hand. Papers will be evaluated on the strength of their arguments and the extent to which those arguments are developed and supported with properly-cited textual evidence. You may refer to ideas presented in lecture, and/or to ideas addressed in the films you’ve screened for class; however, these ideas cannot stand in for–or replace–your engagement with the assigned course readings.