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Vocal jazz

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Genre

Vocal jazz · Jazz singing begins with the blues singers and with Louis Armstrong, who in 1926 scatted on Heebie Jeebies: improvising with sounds without words. Billie Holiday sang just behind the beat and altered melodies towards her own speech. Ella Fitzgerald combined a clear timbre with virtuosic scat and, between 1956 and 1964, recorded a series of songbooks for Verve with songs by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and others. Sarah Vaughan brought the harmonies of bebop into her singing. In vocalese, singers set words to existing instrumental solos; Lambert, Hendricks & Ross made it their speciality. Most jazz singers draw on the Great American Songbook, the songs from Broadway musicals and films. In the Netherlands, Rita Reys and Ann Burton became known; today, singers include Cécile McLorin Salvant and Samara Joy.

Listening

Listening tip. Notice how the singer plays with the beat: just too late, just too early, and yet always back on time.

In School of Rock

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See also

Categories: Genres