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Fucker Magee
Dr. none
English 101
26 June 2014
Vocal Jazz, a New Subgenre
As the Industrial Revolution was winding down, musical instruments were becoming
more widely produced and more affordable to the general masses. New sounds were being
explored as more and more people gained access to them. Vocalists began joining forces with
larger bands over the decades forming a new genre of music that was cultivated by the invention
of radio broadcast jazz. Musicians sought to move beyond swing music and develop their own
conception of playing (A Brief History of Jazz) which allowed for personal expression and
improvisation. With its syncopated rhythms some people had a hard time defining the melody.
Some singers classified in this genre have a unique style that could give way to another
subgenre called vocal jazz based on distinctive traits resulting from how jazz has progressed
since its creation in the early 1900s.
One of the first songs written that is classified as jazz was the classic piano tune called
Maple Leaf Rag in 1899 by Scott Joplin. This song launched a new genre of music called jazz.
Jazz was born in the United States as the now subgenre of ragtime. This was jazz in its purest
form. The music was inspired by the rhythmic beat of marching bands which were common in
New Orleans and St. Louis, where jazz is said to originate. Many of the musicians did not know
how to read music, but came up with variations to keep the performances interesting, (A Brief
History of Jazz). This will translate later into singing that will begin to surface with many new
records, giving singers much the same musical freedom to also create their own interpretations of

a melody. To avoid being reminded of the wild roaring twenties, jazz gravitated more toward
ballads and upbeat dance numbers until Benny Goodman arrived on the scene, pumping a new
energy back into the music with hard-swinging orchestras, (A Brief History of Jazz),
ushering in what is known as the big band era. With this progression in the genre, percussion
and woodwinds were added to the mix, increasing stage presence anywhere from 15 to 25
musicians into what is commonly referred to as a jazz ensemble or jazz band. On through the
1940s, many of these big bands were gaining popularity behind exceptionally talented leaders
such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Artie Shaw.
The popularity of this type of music eventually began drawing the interests of fresh,
young singers from poor backgrounds in urban cities with the lure of a growing capital market in
the slowly developing recording industry. Artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
began appearing on the music scene changing the sound of music with new styles of singing
melodies and playing instruments. Scat singing began spreading through upbeat jazz songs in
which the singer sprinkles made-up sounds or melodic words that tend to imitate the sounds of
the instruments in the band. For example, a song called Mack the Knife was written in the
score of a German play in the 1920s and did not make it into the American mainstream until the
1930s. Since then, it has been performed by many artists, including Louis Armstrong and Ella
Fitzgerald, at different times. Toward the end of her song, Ella begins scatting during the song
imitating the sounds of a trumpet, ironically in a Louis Armstrong voice. This style of singing
was refined more during the 1950s doo wop era. But as these singers were emerging with their
new and funky styles, classic vocal singing seemed to become even more sophisticated and
elegant with long, extended notes projected loudly, now accompanied by orchestrated big bands
or jazz bands, as stated earlier. Some of the most famous singers of this vocal jazz subgenre are

Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, who epitomized big band singing and were affectionately
referred to as crooners along with other singers of this style. They usually had soft, dreamy-like
voices and are often imagined in a suit with slicked back hair, singing melodically, dancing
around the stage with a microphone, like Frank Sinatras Pennies From Heaven.
Another trait distinctive to vocal jazz would the importance of the entire band as they are
frequently featured in instrumental solos and sometimes introduced at the beginning or even
mid-song, as commonly showcased by master of music Tony Bennett. His famous live
performance of I Love a Piano is a perfect example of how vocal jazz singers show
appreciation for the band and emphasize the level of talent behind them. Some elements of the
band have even been enhanced, such as playing the drums with brushes, illustrated in Tony
Bennetts unplugged version of Steppin Out With My Baby, which also portrays a strong
theme in this subgenre that echoes the past having a good time and love.
With the progression of jazz centering on the band, this addition of classic singers was
bound to lead to multiple collaborations as many musicians were all performing different
renditions of the same songs. Singers had complete freedom in their solos to create whatever
sounds they felt fit (A Brief History of Jazz), and so began experimenting with different notes
when singing these timeless melodies. They often joined forces with larger bands that performed
songs they would have wanted to sing, creating an opportunity for capital on both sides. Ella
Fitzgerald created an eight-album songbook series showcasing her favorite songs by popular
band leaders and musicians, one of which was in 1957. Her album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the
Duke Ellington Song Book is the only record in the series that was accompanied by the featured
songbook artist. Frank Sinatra and Count Basie created three studio albums in the 1960s and
also recorded a live performance together in 1966 called Sinatra at the Sands. The bands and

singers now receive recognition from performing together whereas when the genre was still
forming, many great talents went nameless. These examples show how the importance of the
band increased over time and created an impenetrable union between singers and musicians.
Vocal jazz as a subgenre is easy to identify if one considers the roots of the music and
how they correlate to the distinguishing traits described. The rhythmic element that remains
present throughout the category of jazz is only expounded upon through each subgenre. One step
between big band and easy listening will keep music of this type neatly categorized under the
jazz section where it belongs. An orchestrated big band is beautifully accompanied and
bountifully appreciated by the singers who sing along and the listeners who enjoy it, all under the
umbrella of jazz.

Works Cited

1. A Brief History of Jazz. Music Genres List. http://www.musicgenreslist.com/musicjazz/. Np, 2013. Web. 25 Jun 2014.