The treatment of the voice in vocal jazz

Jazz music has always been defined as a music of interpretation, not composition. This means that we cannot properly speak of a jazz composition or score, although many jazz musicians have also been excellent composers and their compositions nourish the repertoire of most jazz orchestras. If we want to talk about jazz properly, we must do it referring to the interpretation of a particular theme or composition, whatever it is and wherever it comes from; interpretation that must present certain characteristics that are concretized in a certain way of dealing with the executed theme. In short, jazz is not what is played but how it is played.

Jazz music has always been defined as a music of interpretation, not composition. This means that we cannot properly speak of a jazz composition or score, although many jazz musicians have also been excellent composers and their compositions nourish the repertoire of most jazz orchestras. If we want to talk about jazz properly, we must do it referring to the interpretation of a particular theme or composition, whatever it is and wherever it comes from; interpretation that must present certain characteristics that are concretized in a certain way of dealing with the executed theme. In short, jazz is not what is played but how it is played. That said, to define this form of interpretation that is jazz, we must refer to two essential characteristics: the treatment of rhythm (which is called swing) and the treatment of sound (the way the instruments are played). The treatment of the sound in the instruments must incorporate the expressive elements of the African-American way of singing. And here is what we wanted to get to: The natural way of singing of African Americans, which is already evident in religious songs (Negro Spirituals and Gospel Songs) and in secular songs (Blues), is characterized by a set of features such as: the dry attack of the notes, the inflections of the voice, the fast vibrato at the end of the held notes, the guttural sounds (called growl), etc. All these resources were already used by African-American preachers and blues singers and have been passed on in a logical and natural way to vocal interpreters, men and women, in the world of jazz. With these resources, jazz singers manage to transmit a very particular, special and extraordinarily intense type of sensation and emotion. However, we must take into account that there are African-American performers who, having studied in classical music academies and conservatories, their way of interpreting has nothing to do with jazz. These are the cases of great singers such as Marian Anderson, Barbara Hendricks or singer and actor Paul Robeson. Although they can be heard interpreting "jazz tunes", even if they do, their form is "classical" and not "jazz". We must keep this in mind so as not to make any errors of appreciation. It is the names of Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Rushing, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Big Joe Turner, Helen Humes, Dinah Washington, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, etc., who illustrate with all genuineness and brilliance what is vocal jazz. That said, to define this form of interpretation that is jazz, we must refer to two essential characteristics: the treatment of rhythm (which is called swing) and the treatment of sound (the way the instruments are played).

The treatment of the sound in the instruments must incorporate the expressive elements of the African-American way of singing. And here is what we wanted to get to: The natural way of singing of African Americans, which is already evident in religious songs (Negro Spirituals and Gospel Songs) and in secular songs (Blues), is characterized by a set of features such as: the dry attack of the notes, the inflections of the voice, the fast vibrato at the end of the held notes, the guttural sounds (called growl), etc. All these resources were already used by African-American preachers and blues singers and have been passed on in a logical and natural way to vocal interpreters, men and women, in the world of jazz. With these resources, jazz singers manage to transmit a very particular, special and extraordinarily intense type of sensation and emotion.

However, we must take into account that there are African-American performers who, having studied in classical music academies and conservatories, their way of interpreting has nothing to do with jazz. These are the cases of great singers such as Marian Anderson, Barbara Hendricks or singer and actor Paul Robeson. Although they can be heard interpreting “jazz tunes”, even if they do, their form is “classical” and not “jazz”. We must keep this in mind so as not to make any errors of appreciation.

It is the names of Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Rushing, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Big Joe Turner, Helen Humes, Dinah Washington, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, etc., who illustrate with all genuineness and brilliance what is vocal jazz.