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			{{Short description\|Instrumental approach to jazz using the voice}}
	{{more footnotes\|date=November 2011}}
			'''Vocal jazz''' or '''jazz singing''' is a genre within jazz music where the voice is used as an instrument.
	{{POV-check\|date=October 2008}}

			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.
	'''Vocal jazz''' or '''jazz singing''' is an instrumental approach to the voice, where the singer can match the instruments in their stylistic approach to the lyrics, improvised or otherwise, or through ]; that is, the use of non-morphemic syllables to imitate the sound of instruments.

			== History ==
	==The origins of jazz singing to 1950==
			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" />
	The roots of ] were very much vocal, with ]s and ceremonial chants, but while 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.

			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" />
	It was ] who established singing as a distinct art form in jazz, realising that a singer could improvise in the same manner as an instrumentalist, and along with American vocalist ] they established ] as a central pillar of the jazz vocal art.

			] 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>
	A frequently repeated legend alleges that ] invented scat singing when he dropped the lyric sheet while 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 "]" in 1926 by Armstrong and "]" in 1927 by ] and ] subsequently introduced scat singing to a wider audience and did much to popularize the style. Armstrong was an innovative singer who while 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.

			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" />
	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,

			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" />
	:''I don't feel like I'm singing, I feel like I'm playing the horn.''

			== Vocal technique ==
	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 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 ] 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.

			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.
	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.

			Vocal jazz ] typically includes music from the ]. Popular music arrangements are often made for vocal jazz ensembles.
	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 ].

	==~~1950s~~ ~~and 1960s~~==		==See also==
			* ]
	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 the popularity of jazz.
			* ]

			* ]
	Around the same time, the ] (LP) was invented, freeing musicians from the time constraints of the ] record (EP). The ], being more expensive, was aimed at the adult audience who could afford to spend the extra money on records.

	], ] and ] released some of the most popular early LPs recorded in a jazz vein. Though constrained by the material, Ella Fitzgerald's ''Songbook'' series introduced a great many people to jazz singing.

	Many of the singers who 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.

	],Vic Damone, ], ],Tony Bennett,],Dean Martin, ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] all greatly advanced vocal jazz at this period.

	==1970 to future==
	Vocal jazz, since 1970, has been led by several big names, including ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], among many others.

	Other popular contemporary jazz vocalist would include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

	Vocal jazz has been mainly a mainstream, as opposed to ''avant-garde,'' phenomenon. However, some performers, such as ] and ], have performed within an avant garde vein.

	==Contemporary jazz vocalists==
	Brazilian-born ] released her first solo album in 1973, entitled '']'', on ] through ], and is most renowned for her remarkable vocal range. Her first exposure to mainstream audiences was through two recording collaborations with ], an important pianist and composer, 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 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". 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.

	In 1976, jazz guitarist ] introduced an unsuspecting public to his surprisingly polished vocal ability with the ] release ]. Having worked for many years as a sideman for some of the greatest names in Jazz, including ], ] and ], Benson's guitar playing had always overshadowed his skill as a vocalist until collaborating with producer ], resulting in the ] for "Record Of The Year." The close relationship between his melodic and chromatically-fluent singing style and guitar work (with a touch of blues influence) highlight his sensuous, soft vocal lines to best effect. 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 18 solo albums, and appeared on 24 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 19 albums, and has received ten ] awards, since his first self-titled release in 1982, and has the first a cappella 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.

	], known for her total commitment to the art of jazz singing, a singer whom Carmen McRae called "the only real jazz singer," <ref>Bauer, William R. ''Open the Door: The Life and Music of Betty Carter'' (Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 2002), xiv.</ref> went outside the boundaries of accepted vocal jazz. Her improvisational skills allowed her the ability to deconstruct and reconstruct melodies in interesting and challenging ways. She was an innovator, a singer who constantly took risks.

	==Vocal jazz ensembles==

	Throughout most of jazz history, most vocal music was performed by either a soloist or a very small group of singers, usually one to a part. In the mid-1960s, a few brave directors decided to try transcribing ] charts for voices. This idea was first tried by ] at ] in 1967 with a group called Genesis. The group hosted the oldest vocal jazz festival in the United States, the Northwest Vocal Jazz Festival. Hal Malcom directed the group for 23 years until passing it to his former student, Dave Barduhn, who directed this group until his retirement in the Spring of 2012.

	13 years later, in 1980, Lonnie Cline formed a sister group at ] eventually taking the name ], which it performs under today. Mainstream was a new type of ensemble, one that moved away from performing the big band arrangements and other jazz standards and began to learn and perform a wide variety of music, including jazz, rock, pop, funk, and fusion. The idea was looked down upon at first but eventually was adopted by many and is now popular in high schools across the country.

	A vocal jazz ensemble usually consists of the choir, normally made up of 8-16 singers, and a ] most often consisting of a pianist, a bassist, a guitarist, and a drummer. Singers either each hold a microphone or sing with area microphones. Vocal jazz ensembles also often sing ].

	==References==		==References==
	{{reflist}}		{{reflist}}

	==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.
	* Williams, Iain Cameron. "Underneath A Harlem Moon ... the Harlem to Paris Years of Adelaide Hall". Continuum, 2003. ISBN 0826458939
	* Bauer, William R. ''Open the Door: The Life and Music of Betty Carter'' (Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 2002)

	== External links ==
	{{External links\|date=June 2011}}
	*
	*
	*
	* by Ted Gioia, .
	{{Jazz}}		{{Jazz}}

	]		]
			]
			]

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.