Jazz: The American Classic Art Form
Edition: 2
Copyright: 2025
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Introduction: The Roots of Jazz
Chapter 1: Understanding the Basic Elements of Jazz
Chapter 2: Early New Orleans and Chicago Style Jazz
Chapter 3: The Jazz Age: From Chicago to New York
Chapter 4: The Swing Era
Chapter 5: Duke Ellington
Chapter 6: Bebop: A Major Metamorphosis
Chapter 7: The Cool Period: Jazz in the 1950s
Chapter 8: Miles Davis
Chapter 9: Hard Bop, Funky, Soul, and Gospel Jazz
Chapter 10: Avant-Garde and the Free Jazz Movement
Chapter 11: Fusion: Jazz in the 1970s and 1980s
Chapter 12: Traditionalism and Contemporary Trends in the 1980s and 1990s
Chapter 13: The Evolution of Jazz Vocalists
Chapter 14: Latin Jazz
Chapter 15: Current Trends and the Future of Jazz
Born and raised in Chicago, Robert started studying drums at the age of 10, starting a band with twin brother (Richard) who plays bass. They had a soundproof studio built by their father (Charles Shipley) who was a recording engineer.
Robert attended Chicago Vocational High School majoring in music. After High school he went to Kentucky State University on a marching band scholarship, and then to The American Conservatory of Music in Chicago.
In 1979, he started touring the world with Blues bands such as Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, who he recorded on Gatemouth’s Grammy-winning album (Best Blues Artist) in 1981. After moving to Los Angeles in 1982, he began touring with Natalie Cole (1983–1989), Diana Ross (1989), The Temptations (1989–1990), The O’Jays (1990–2002), Chaka Khan (1995–1998), and isolated dates with artists such as Stephanie Mills, Gerald Levert, Yolanda Adams, The Main Ingredient, Ben Vereen, Evelyn King, The Emotions, The S.O.S. Band, Jody Whatley, and many more.
Robert decided to take his career in another direction after 20 years on the road performing in every venue from Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, The Superdome in New Orleans, to the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, and appearing on several TV shows such as Soul Train, Oprah Winfrey, The Tonight Show, and many H.B.O. Specials. He moved to Vegas to pursue a more stable life in the Vegas showrooms and to share with kids his passion for drumming.
After having a rising career in Vegas with productions such as Ain’t Nothing like the Real Thing, Earl Turner, Legends in Concert, and Hitzville (The Show), a Motown revue featuring Jin Jin Reeves. He teaches drum lessons to students at Winchester Community Center, sponsored by The House of Blues Foundation, DW Drums, and Sabian Cymbals. In addition to his many endeavors, beginning in May 2010, he toured worldwide as Musical Director/Drummer, for Eddie Levert (The O’Jays), Johnny Gill (New Edition), Gerald Alston (The Manhattans), and Dennis Edwards (The Temptations).
Robert invested six years of his life toward securing his Bachelor’s Degree in jazz performance and Master’s Degree in jazz composition at the University of Nevada Las Vegas supporting the substance of his fortitude and willingness to do the hard work that is required when he sets his mind and heart toward a goal.
Robert Shipley is currently the Director of Jazz Studies at Hope College. A tenure track position he proudly excepted on July 1, 2021.
He is the author of (3) drum method books titled
THE ART OF COMMERCIAL DRUMMING
COMPLETE DRUM METHODS FOR THE WELL-ROUNDED DRUMMER
THE EVOLUTION OF THE GROOVE
He is also an accomplished musician, widely acclaimed for his versatility and accomplishment, whose various styles of playing includes but is not limited to Pop, Jazz, R&B, and Latin music.
German-American pianist, composer, and educator, Uli Geissendoerfer has been living and working in the United States since 1987. In 2009, he moved from his spiritual home New York as musical director for Cirque du Soleil’s Viva Elvis production to Las Vegas. Invited by Dave Loeb he started teaching at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), resurrecting the Latin Jazz Ensemble at UNLV, which since won five Downbeat awards including the 1st place in 2015. In 2011, he initiated a lecture series at the University bringing in over 50 guest artists since. He founded the Jazz Club at the Dispensary Lounge in 2012 (winning Best of Las Vegas), which revived the Las Vegas Jazz scene and featured luminaries such as Wynton Marsalis, Brandon Fields, Sam Most, Rick Margitza, Dick Griffin, Scott Henderson, Danny Gottlieb, George Garzone, and many more that performed there with his Trio and Quartet.
In 2012, he recorded his first Vegas production “Colors” featuring a great quintet with Charles McNeal, Pascale Elia, Derek Jones, and Ryan Rose. The opening tune of album “3-41” won 1st place in the 13th IMA awards.
In the fall of 2017, he joined the new Jazz Program at the Nevada School of the Arts and founded Vegas Records, promoting the local Jazz scene and music from UNLVC’s Jazz department (now 18 releases). In 2018, he received the part-time-teacher-of the-year award from the Fine Arts department at UNLV.
His current projects include being the musical director and curator at Gambit, Henderson’s new performance venue, the Uli Geissendoerfer Trio, backbone of the Jazz Club, with their CD “Long Way Home,” the “Beregovski Suite,” a duo with the fabulous, award-winning violin virtuoso Alicia Svigals and his World Music group Colors featuring Pascale Elia.
Two books are in process, a Jazz history book written with Robert Shipley for Kendall Hunt Publishing and on publishing his book The Natural Hand (an effortless approach to musical instruments). Three new albums (Quartet and Trio) are to be released in September and October.
He has worked with, among others, William Cepeda (Grammy nomination), Groove Collective, Giovanni Hidalgo, Blood Sweat & Tears, Leslie Uggams, Cirque du Soleil, Ute Lemper, David Cassidy, Tito Puente, several Symphonies, the Connecticut Opera, a bevy of Jazz greats, and many African Artists such as Kofo the Wonderman and Sheik Tediane Seck.
Introduction: The Roots of Jazz
Chapter 1: Understanding the Basic Elements of Jazz
Chapter 2: Early New Orleans and Chicago Style Jazz
Chapter 3: The Jazz Age: From Chicago to New York
Chapter 4: The Swing Era
Chapter 5: Duke Ellington
Chapter 6: Bebop: A Major Metamorphosis
Chapter 7: The Cool Period: Jazz in the 1950s
Chapter 8: Miles Davis
Chapter 9: Hard Bop, Funky, Soul, and Gospel Jazz
Chapter 10: Avant-Garde and the Free Jazz Movement
Chapter 11: Fusion: Jazz in the 1970s and 1980s
Chapter 12: Traditionalism and Contemporary Trends in the 1980s and 1990s
Chapter 13: The Evolution of Jazz Vocalists
Chapter 14: Latin Jazz
Chapter 15: Current Trends and the Future of Jazz
Born and raised in Chicago, Robert started studying drums at the age of 10, starting a band with twin brother (Richard) who plays bass. They had a soundproof studio built by their father (Charles Shipley) who was a recording engineer.
Robert attended Chicago Vocational High School majoring in music. After High school he went to Kentucky State University on a marching band scholarship, and then to The American Conservatory of Music in Chicago.
In 1979, he started touring the world with Blues bands such as Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, who he recorded on Gatemouth’s Grammy-winning album (Best Blues Artist) in 1981. After moving to Los Angeles in 1982, he began touring with Natalie Cole (1983–1989), Diana Ross (1989), The Temptations (1989–1990), The O’Jays (1990–2002), Chaka Khan (1995–1998), and isolated dates with artists such as Stephanie Mills, Gerald Levert, Yolanda Adams, The Main Ingredient, Ben Vereen, Evelyn King, The Emotions, The S.O.S. Band, Jody Whatley, and many more.
Robert decided to take his career in another direction after 20 years on the road performing in every venue from Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, The Superdome in New Orleans, to the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, and appearing on several TV shows such as Soul Train, Oprah Winfrey, The Tonight Show, and many H.B.O. Specials. He moved to Vegas to pursue a more stable life in the Vegas showrooms and to share with kids his passion for drumming.
After having a rising career in Vegas with productions such as Ain’t Nothing like the Real Thing, Earl Turner, Legends in Concert, and Hitzville (The Show), a Motown revue featuring Jin Jin Reeves. He teaches drum lessons to students at Winchester Community Center, sponsored by The House of Blues Foundation, DW Drums, and Sabian Cymbals. In addition to his many endeavors, beginning in May 2010, he toured worldwide as Musical Director/Drummer, for Eddie Levert (The O’Jays), Johnny Gill (New Edition), Gerald Alston (The Manhattans), and Dennis Edwards (The Temptations).
Robert invested six years of his life toward securing his Bachelor’s Degree in jazz performance and Master’s Degree in jazz composition at the University of Nevada Las Vegas supporting the substance of his fortitude and willingness to do the hard work that is required when he sets his mind and heart toward a goal.
Robert Shipley is currently the Director of Jazz Studies at Hope College. A tenure track position he proudly excepted on July 1, 2021.
He is the author of (3) drum method books titled
THE ART OF COMMERCIAL DRUMMING
COMPLETE DRUM METHODS FOR THE WELL-ROUNDED DRUMMER
THE EVOLUTION OF THE GROOVE
He is also an accomplished musician, widely acclaimed for his versatility and accomplishment, whose various styles of playing includes but is not limited to Pop, Jazz, R&B, and Latin music.
German-American pianist, composer, and educator, Uli Geissendoerfer has been living and working in the United States since 1987. In 2009, he moved from his spiritual home New York as musical director for Cirque du Soleil’s Viva Elvis production to Las Vegas. Invited by Dave Loeb he started teaching at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), resurrecting the Latin Jazz Ensemble at UNLV, which since won five Downbeat awards including the 1st place in 2015. In 2011, he initiated a lecture series at the University bringing in over 50 guest artists since. He founded the Jazz Club at the Dispensary Lounge in 2012 (winning Best of Las Vegas), which revived the Las Vegas Jazz scene and featured luminaries such as Wynton Marsalis, Brandon Fields, Sam Most, Rick Margitza, Dick Griffin, Scott Henderson, Danny Gottlieb, George Garzone, and many more that performed there with his Trio and Quartet.
In 2012, he recorded his first Vegas production “Colors” featuring a great quintet with Charles McNeal, Pascale Elia, Derek Jones, and Ryan Rose. The opening tune of album “3-41” won 1st place in the 13th IMA awards.
In the fall of 2017, he joined the new Jazz Program at the Nevada School of the Arts and founded Vegas Records, promoting the local Jazz scene and music from UNLVC’s Jazz department (now 18 releases). In 2018, he received the part-time-teacher-of the-year award from the Fine Arts department at UNLV.
His current projects include being the musical director and curator at Gambit, Henderson’s new performance venue, the Uli Geissendoerfer Trio, backbone of the Jazz Club, with their CD “Long Way Home,” the “Beregovski Suite,” a duo with the fabulous, award-winning violin virtuoso Alicia Svigals and his World Music group Colors featuring Pascale Elia.
Two books are in process, a Jazz history book written with Robert Shipley for Kendall Hunt Publishing and on publishing his book The Natural Hand (an effortless approach to musical instruments). Three new albums (Quartet and Trio) are to be released in September and October.
He has worked with, among others, William Cepeda (Grammy nomination), Groove Collective, Giovanni Hidalgo, Blood Sweat & Tears, Leslie Uggams, Cirque du Soleil, Ute Lemper, David Cassidy, Tito Puente, several Symphonies, the Connecticut Opera, a bevy of Jazz greats, and many African Artists such as Kofo the Wonderman and Sheik Tediane Seck.