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			{{Short description\|Instrumental approach to jazz using the voice}}
	] Singing can be defined by the instrumental approach to the voice, where the singer can match the instruments in their stylistic approach to the lyrics, improvised or otherwise, or through ] singing; that is, the use of nonsensical meaningless non-morphemic syllables to imitate the sound of instruments.
			'''Vocal jazz''' or '''jazz singing''' is a genre within jazz music where the voice is used as an instrument.

			Vocal jazz began in the early twentieth century. ] music has its roots in ] and ragtime and can also traced back to the ].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web \|date=2024-03-20 \|title=Jazz {{!}} Definition, History, Musicians, & Facts {{!}} Britannica \|url=https://www.britannica.com/art/jazz \|access-date=2024-04-16 \|website=www.britannica.com \|language=en}}</ref> Jazz music is characterized by ], ], and unique ] and pitch deviation.<ref name=":2" /> In vocal jazz, this includes vocal improvisations called ] where vocalists imitate the instrumentalist's tone and rhythm.
	==The origins of jazz singing to 1950==
	The ‘roots’ of ] were very much vocal, with ‘]s’ and ceremonial chants, but whilst the ] maintained a strong vocal tradition, with singers such as ] and ] heavily influencing the progress of American popular music in general, early jazz bands only featured vocalists periodically, albeit those with a more ‘bluesy’ tone of voice; one of the first ‘Jazz’ recordings, the 1917 ] recordings featured one '''Sarah Martin''' as vocalist.

			== History ==
	It was ] who established singing as a distinct art form in jazz, realising that a singer could improvise in the same manner as instrumentalist, and establishing ] as a central pillar of the jazz vocal art.
			Jazz singing originates from African-American ] people who sang ]s and ]s.<ref name=":1" /> Work songs and field hollers provided a mode of expression for enslaved people to challenge the oppressive structures of ].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web \|title=Work Song, Field Call & More \|url=https://timeline.carnegiehall.org/genres/work-songs-field-street-calls-satirical-protest-songs \|access-date=2024-04-26 \|website=Timeline of African American Music \|language=en}}</ref> They allowed emotional expression, helped pass the time, and coordinated labor movements.<ref name=":4" /> The musical elements of these songs involved a ] structure and included repetitive phrasing and ] which are foundational elements of jazz music.<ref name=":4" />

			Spirituals in churches, ], and ] also were the basis for jazz music.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book \|last=Yanow \|first=Scott \|title=The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide \|publisher=Backbeat Books \|year=2008 \|location=New York, NY \|pages=x-xi}}</ref> Jazz grew into popularity in the early twentieth century, with its roots in ].<ref name=":1" />
	A frequently repeated legend alleges that ] invented scat singing when he dropped the lyric sheet whilst singing on his 1926 recording of '']''. This story is false and Armstrong himself made no such claim. Jazz musicians ], ], and ] all recorded examples of scat earlier than Armstrong. However, the record ''Heebie Jeebies'' and subsequent Armstrong recordings introduced scat singing to a wider audience and did much to popularize the style. Armstrong was an innovative singer who whilst experimenting with all kinds of sound, improvised with his voice as he did on his instrument. In one famous example, Armstrong scatted a passage on ''I'm A Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas'' – he sings "I've done forgot the words!" in the middle of recording before taking off in scat.

			] is often cited as being a large contributor to the rise in popularity of vocal jazz music, beginning in the late 1920s.<ref name=":1" /> His 1926 recording of "]" is often cited as the first modern song to employ ], a vocal improvisation technique.<ref>{{Cite book \|last1=Crowther \|first1=Bruce \|title=Singing Jazz \|last2=Pinfold \|first2=Mike \|publisher=] Books \|year=1997 \|isbn=0-87930-519-3}}</ref>
	The entrance of ] into the world of jazz singing in the early 1930s was a revelation. She approached the voice from a radical angle, explaining, in her own words,

			In the 1940s, jazz evolved into the ]. Notable singers of this period were ], ], ], and ] who had all previously sung with big bands and developed their solo careers.<ref name=":1" />
	ˈˈI don't feel like I'm singing, I feel like I'm playing the hornˈˈ.

			Alongside the rise of the more relaxed ] in the 1950s, singers followed the same laid-back approach. This period gave rise to ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref name=":1" />
	Compared to other great jazz singers, Holiday had a rather limited vocal range of just over an ]. Where Holiday's genius lay, however, was to compensate for this shortcoming, with impeccable timing, nuanced phrasing, and emotional immediacy, qualities admired by a young ].

			== Vocal technique ==
	With the end of ] in the ], a more 'danceable' form of jazz music arose, giving birth to the ']', and with it big bands such as those led by ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Many of the great post war jazz singers sang with these bands in the infancy of their careers.
			Vocal jazz is characterized by vocal techniques such as ], ], ] execution, and soft releases of vowels.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal \|last1=Spradling \|first1=Diana \|last2=Binek \|first2=Justin \|date=June 2015 \|title=Pedagogy for the Jazz Singer \|url=https://acda.org/cj.asp \|journal=The Choral Journal \|publisher=] \|volume=55 \|issue=11 \|pages=6–17}}</ref> In vocal jazz, compared to classical choral pedagogy there is less ] and ornamental use of ].<ref name=":3" /> Jazz vocalists use more conversational pronunciation of words and shorter musical phrasing than in ].<ref name=":3" />

			Jazz arrangements require great flexibility and the ability to use mixed-register singing techniques. Jazz singers usually sing in keys that fall in their middle to low registers.<ref name=":3" /> The microphone technique is a big part of vocal jazz singing, allowing vocalists to amplify their voices with certain phrases.<ref name=":3" />
	With the end of the 'Swing Era', the great touring ] of the past decade were no longer a viable option, and the demise of the typical big band singer was further complicated by the advent of ] as a creative force in jazz.

			Most jazz singers use a rhythm section (], ], ]s, and ]) and sometimes ].<ref name=":0">{{Cite thesis \|last=Moline \|first=Lara Marie \|date=2019 \|title=Vocal Jazz in the Choral Classroom: A Pedagogical Study \|url=https://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations/576/ \|type=DMA dissertation \|publisher=University of Northern Colorado \|id=Paper 576 \|via=Digital UNC}}</ref> Vocal ]s consist of multiple voices alongside instrumental accompaniment.
	The rise of Be-bop saw a new style of jazz singer, one who could match instrumentalists for sheer technical skill, and this was evident in ]’s rise to fame, the art of jazz singing was elevated to even higher rankings, allowing the notion of 'free voice' to exist, giving instrumental qualities to the voice through ]s, registers and ].

			Vocal jazz ] typically includes music from the ]. Popular music arrangements are often made for vocal jazz ensembles.
	==1951 to 1968==
	The birth of ] as a distinct genre, and a new generation of teenagers having different tastes than their previous adult audience caused a significant decline in Jazz’s popularity.

			==See also==
	Around the same time, the ‘Long Playing’ Record was invented, ‘freeing’ musicians from the time constraints of the ‘Extended Player’ record. The ], being more expensive, was aimed at the adult audience who could afford to spend the extra money on records.
			* ]
			* ]
			* ]

			==References==
	Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald released some of the most popular early LP's recorded in a jazz vein.
			{{reflist}}

			{{Jazz}}
	Though she was constrained by her material, Ella Fitzgerald's 'Songbook' series introduced a great many people to jazz singing.

		⚫	]
	Many of the singers that had worked with the great ] of the swing era were now solo artists, in the prime of their careers and many had achieved fame internationally.
			]

			]
	], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] all all greatly advanced vocal jazz at this period.

	==1970 to future==
	Vocal Jazz, from 1970 onward, was, and is, led by several big names, including ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ], among many others. Some of the biggest influences on the Vocal Jazz style, all of whom approach the jazz voice in different ways, are ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. What follows are chronological descriptions of each group / artist’s contribution to the development of Vocal Jazz, and a short record of their achievements.

	==Contemporary jazz vocalists==
	Brazilian-born ] released her first solo album in 1973, entitled ], on ] through ] , and is most renowned for her remarkable six-] ]. Her first exposure to mainstream audiences was through two recording collaborations with ], an important part of the Big Band Swing scene, entitled “Light as a feather” and “Return to Forever”, in 1972 and 1973, respectively, which stand to date as significant developments in the field of ]. Purim’s approach to Vocal Jazz included ], using a ‘percussive’ element in her work.

	] made his first impressions on the world through the 1975 release of his “We Got By” album on ] , which promptly won him a German ] award, as did his following 1979 release “Glow”. Jarreau’s music features elements of ], ] and ], and he is also the only person to hold ] awards for all three styles of music. Jarreau is renowned for being able to perfectly imitate the sound of Guitars, Electric Basses, Upright Basses and Percussion instruments, and tends to improvise performances using that talent rather than ‘sing songs’, as other singers do. Jarreau’s experience with performance and singing has its roots in his early childhood, where he and his brothers performed together in a close harmony group, later singing in the church choir.

	Jazz Guitarist ] shocked his audience in 1976 by releasing an album, “This Masquerade”, on ] Music, on which he sang- to winning effect. Having released his first album twelve years prior, a collaboration with ], entitled “The New Boss Guitar”, describable as “]-Tinged ]” , released through ]. Benson’s guitar overshadowed his skill as a vocalist, and he appeared for many years as a sideman for some great names in Jazz, including ], ] and ], before going into the Studio with ] as producer- making an album that proceeded to win him a ] award for making the “Record Of The Year”, probably attributable to the close relationship between his singing style and his guitar playing- melodic and chromatically fluent, with a touch of blues influence, the emphasis on sensuous, soft vocal lines. Describing his music, Benson says “I really like when people kick up their heels and go crazy.”

	] is well known for her fluent improvisational style that mixes Jazz with R&B Elements, for which she has won four ] awards since her first release in 1977, “Welcome To My Love”, on ]. Born into a musical family, her Father being a Trumpet player and her mother a Singer, Reeves has to date released eighteen solo albums, and appeared on twenty four other albums as a guest, and is best known as a live performer rather than a studio singer, having appeared with the ], and the ], singing in her own smooth improvisational scat style. Dianne Reeves was featured prominently as the vocalist performing in the studio adjacent to that of Edward R. Murrow in the 2005 film ].

	] has released nineteen Albums, and has received ten ] awards, since his first self-titled release in 1982, and has the first a capella song on ]’s ‘]’ chart, “]” (1988) to his credit. He has since 1994 held the position of creative chair at the ], the USA’s largest chamber orchestra- McFerrin moves easily between the worlds of ] and ], working as a conductor and releasing recordings of classical music, although it is his incredible four-] vocal range that earns him sold out unaccompanied and fully improvised world tours; McFerrin has the remarkable ability to turn concerts into large-scale ‘workshops’, where the audience plays an integral role.

	] is renowned for her re-workings of popular music into jazz-style, as with her 2005 release, “Schuur Fire”, where, for instance, ]’s “Ordinary World” is reworked into ]. Blinded shortly after birth by a hospital complication, Schuur’s 3½ ] range has earned her a place playing with the ], filling the shoes ] left behind, for which she won a ]. Given her blindness, Schuur is forced to put all of her energy into her singing in order to communicate with her audience- which she, with her bluesy vibrato, manages to do better than most sighted singers.

	], a vocal harmony group comprising of a ], a ] and four ]s , founded by Claude McKnight released their first, self-titled, album straight at the top, on ] Music, combining ], ], ] and ] arrangements, and setting the standard for contemporary male harmony groups. The group focuses on more ‘percussive’ elements in their music, going as far as to create ‘vocally produced instrumental jazz’ on a whim.

	] formed through an ] college alumni group and released their first, self-titled album on ] in 1989, and won a Grammy award for their 1996 collaboration with the ], “Count Basie Orchestra with New York Voices Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild”. Initially a sestet, the ] have, through numerous member-changes become a quartet, who, aside from performing, give jazz clinics at schools and universities. The New York Voices have to date released six albums, all blends of ], ], ], ] and ].

	==Conclusion==
	As noted above, the explosion of ] in the 1960s was detrimental to Jazz’s development, leading to a supposed ‘ebb’ in the late 1960s / early ] which was then seemingly followed by a resurgence and the ‘golden age’ of vocal jazz with numerous new artists developing the genre and pushing the standards consistently higher, all boding well for the future of vocal jazz.

	==Further reading==
	* Johnson, J. Wilfred. ''Ella Fitzgerald : An Annotated Discography : Including a Complete Discography of Chick Webb'' McFarland, 2001. ISBN 0-7864-0906-1
	* Gourse, Leslie. ''The Ella Fitzgerald Companion'' London: Omnibus Press, 1998. ISBN 0-7119-6916-7
	* Nicholson, Stuart. ''Ella Fitzgerald: A Biography of the First Lady of Jazz'' London: Indigo, 1996. ISBN 0-575-40032-3
	* Friedwald, Will. ''Sinatra! The Song Is You: A Singer's Art''. Da Capo Press, 1999.
	* Granata, Charles. ''Sessions with Sinatra: Frank Sinatra and the Art of Recording''. Chicago Review Press, 1999.
	* Hamill, Pete. ''Why Sinatra Matters''. Back Bay Books, 2003.
	* Julia Blackburn, ''With Billie''. ISBN 0-375-40610-7
	* Donald Clarke, ''Billie Holiday: Wishing on the Moon''. ISBN 0-306-81136-7
	* Schuller, Gunther, ''Early jazz: its roots and musical development''. New York: Oxford University Press, 1968.
	* Ward, Geoffrey C ''Jazz: A History of America's music'' New York: Knopf, 2000.

	==External links==
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	==People==
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Latest revision as of 16:41, 29 November 2024

Instrumental approach to jazz using the voice

Vocal jazz or jazz singing is a genre within jazz music where the voice is used as an instrument.

Vocal jazz began in the early twentieth century. Jazz music has its roots in blues and ragtime and can also traced back to the New Orleans jazz tradition. Jazz music is characterized by syncopated rhythms, improvisation, and unique tonality and pitch deviation. In vocal jazz, this includes vocal improvisations called scat singing where vocalists imitate the instrumentalist's tone and rhythm.

History

Jazz singing originates from African-American enslaved people who sang field hollers and work songs. Work songs and field hollers provided a mode of expression for enslaved people to challenge the oppressive structures of white power. They allowed emotional expression, helped pass the time, and coordinated labor movements. The musical elements of these songs involved a call-and-response structure and included repetitive phrasing and improvisation which are foundational elements of jazz music.

Spirituals in churches, minstrels, and vaudeville also were the basis for jazz music. Jazz grew into popularity in the early twentieth century, with its roots in blues.

Louis Armstrong is often cited as being a large contributor to the rise in popularity of vocal jazz music, beginning in the late 1920s. His 1926 recording of "Heebie Jeebies" is often cited as the first modern song to employ scatting, a vocal improvisation technique.

In the 1940s, jazz evolved into the bop era. Notable singers of this period were Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Dinah Washington who had all previously sung with big bands and developed their solo careers.

Alongside the rise of the more relaxed cool jazz in the 1950s, singers followed the same laid-back approach. This period gave rise to Peggy Lee, June Christy, Chris Connor, Helen Merrill, Chet Baker, Carmen McRae, Joe Williams, and Ray Charles.

Vocal technique

Vocal jazz is characterized by vocal techniques such as pitch bending, inflections, consonant execution, and soft releases of vowels. In vocal jazz, compared to classical choral pedagogy there is less legato and ornamental use of vibrato. Jazz vocalists use more conversational pronunciation of words and shorter musical phrasing than in choral singing.

Jazz arrangements require great flexibility and the ability to use mixed-register singing techniques. Jazz singers usually sing in keys that fall in their middle to low registers. The microphone technique is a big part of vocal jazz singing, allowing vocalists to amplify their voices with certain phrases.

Most jazz singers use a rhythm section (piano, bass, drums, and guitar) and sometimes vocal percussion. Vocal jazz ensembles consist of multiple voices alongside instrumental accompaniment.

Vocal jazz repertoire typically includes music from the Great American Songbook. Popular music arrangements are often made for vocal jazz ensembles.

References

^ "Jazz | Definition, History, Musicians, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
^ Yanow, Scott (2008). The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide. New York, NY: Backbeat Books. pp. x–xi.
^ "Work Song, Field Call & More". Timeline of African American Music. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
Crowther, Bruce; Pinfold, Mike (1997). Singing Jazz. Miller Freeman Books. ISBN 0-87930-519-3.
^ Spradling, Diana; Binek, Justin (June 2015). "Pedagogy for the Jazz Singer". The Choral Journal. 55 (11). American Choral Directors Association: 6–17.
Moline, Lara Marie (2019). Vocal Jazz in the Choral Classroom: A Pedagogical Study (DMA dissertation). University of Northern Colorado. Paper 576 – via Digital UNC.