Jazz Vocal Workshop at @atamerica Program:
Day 1
Brief history of jazz in America
- Jazz timeline from early jazz, swing, bebop, to modern jazz
- Sound samples from each era
- Discussion: What exactly is jazz?
Important figure: Singing like the horns
- Louis Armstrong
- Billie Holiday
- Discussion: Armstrong and Billie’s horn like singing style
Performance: Repertoire from the early jazz vocal
- “Stardust”
- “Mack The Knife”
- Discussion: Performance style
Day 2
The swing era
- Swing, big bands
- Jazz in the movies
- Sound samples – YouTube
- Video samples – YouTube
- Discussion: What is swing, singing style
Important figures, the crooners
- Nat King Cole
- Frank Sinatra
- Discussion: Crooner’s singing style
Performance: Famous swing repertoire
- “It’s Only A Paper Moon”
- “On The Sunny Side Of The Street”
Day 3
Specific jazz singing style: bebop
- Introduction to bebop
- Scat improvisation
- The art of Vocalese
- Sound samples
- Discussion: Singing style
Important figures, scatters and lyricists
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Bobby McFerrin
- Eddie Jefferson
- King Pleasure
- Kurt Elling
- Sound samples – YouTube
Performance: Scat singing and vocalese
- “Billie’s Bounce”
- “Twisted”
- “Moody’s Mood For Love”
Day 4 (Final)
Modern day jazz vocalists
- Singers saves jazz in the modern world
- Integrations of jazz singing style with modern repertoire
- Sound samples: Esperanza Spalding, Gretchen Parlato
Singing non jazz repertoire in jazz style
- Music rearrangements
- Applying singing styles and techniques
Conclusion: Jazz Vocal
- Discussion: What is jazz singing? How is it different than other styles?
