Description
Book SynopsisSince the 1930s and ?40s, jazz has stood tall in American popular music, drawing into its embrace not only great horn players, percussionists, guitarists, bassists, and pianists, but also some of the greatest singers in America's musical history. Jazz has laid the groundwork for important innovations in modern singing, opening up entirely new ways of delivering songs through what would eventually become jazz standardssongs that formed the basis of the American Songbook. In So You Want to Sing Jazz, singer and professor of voice Jan Shapiro gives a guided tour through the art and science of the jazz vocal style. Throughout, Shapiro hones in on what makes jazz singing distinctive, suggesting along the way how other types of singers can make use of jazz. She looks at such key matters in jazz singing as the role of improvisation, the place of specific singers who influenced and even defined vocal jazz as we know it today, and the unique way in which jazz incorporates vibrato, conversationa
Trade ReviewFor the reader intent on pursuing a career as a jazz vocalist, the entire book is useful; however, several chapters are indispensable.... This volume never wanders from a practical approach. Shapiro walks the singer through professional preparedness and etiquette, from the creation of lead sheets to appropriate apparel. She describes the challenges faced by the prospective jazz singer, such as a diminishing number of performance venues, and a proliferation of easily accessible recordings (usually as close as a cell phone) that lessens the demand for live performances. The author is not pessimistic, however, about the genre; nor does she discourage the reader to pursue jazz singing, either as an avocation or as a profession. Instead, she paints a realistic picture of the challenges and rewards that await the singer who is serious about a career in jazz. -Brian Manternach * Journal of Singing *
Table of ContentsChapter 1 - The History of Jazz and Elements of Jazz Singing Chapter 2 - Singing Jazz and Voice Science Chapter 3 - Vocal Health and the Vocal Jazz Artist Chapter 4 - Jazz Vocal Characteristics Chapter 5 - Developing Jazz Ears Chapter 6 - The Great American Songbook Chapter 7 - Scat and Interpretation Chapter 8 - Jazz Vocal Performance Chapter 9 - Jazz Singing as a Career
