Me & My Jazz with Yomi Sower (Episode 7): Are you a Jazz singer? (Part 2)

“So do you listen to Sarah Vaughan and Ella…?” They asked. The pre-teen still dressed in school uniform replied “Sarah who…who’s Ella?” That pre-teen was me in the 90s before Internet, google and Spotify weren’t a thing.

Any information one had was either derived from reading books or through radio and television. Besides, what literature was readily available in sub-saharan Africa about those legendary Jazz singers? But, wait a minute! There was good old BBC and Voice of America- and if one was lucky, one could chance on some Jazz music.

Also one may have inherited a few vinyl recordings of those singers, but would also need a functioning turntable to play them. Or, perhaps, one had lived abroad where those singers were popular.

However, in my case, the melodies and how I chose to express them, were all created in my head. They were not a product derived from listening to other singers and trying to imitate.

This was what I told them, but I’m pretty sure they did not believe me. These grown-ups, a few of them musicians, continued to ask the source of the tone of my voice and phrasing, particularly my natural tendency for ‘sharpening’ several notes in a song, thereby tilting its scale from the Major to the Chromatic – something they referred to as ‘jazzifying’ a song.

At that time, I did not think there was much to my singing, but their constant enquiries led me to believe that there was something peculiar about a Jazz singer’s tone and phrasing that distinguished them from other singers. And that I had unknowingly displayed certain qualities of a Jazz singer in my singing.

You may recall two episodes ago, i.e ‘God Made Jazz: Role of The Church in the Development of Jazz’, where a certain Church Deacon addressing me had remarked “…the tone of your voice” despite me trying to suppress any indication of being a Jazz singer. Now let us examine those qualities that Jazz singers identify with.

We shall interchange the word ‘singer’ with ‘vocalist’- The hallmark of Jazz vocalists is their mastery of instrumental techniques like improvisation, phrasing and rhythm. While sharing these skills, legendary singers developed distinct, recognisable styles, including:

Ella Fitzgerald

Known as the ‘First Lady of Song’, Fitzgerald had a clear, youthful tone and an unmatched technical ability.

• Ageless voice – Throughout her career, her three-octave range remained clear and versatile, allowing her to sing sultry ballads, big band numbers and bebop with equal prowess.
• Virtuosic scat singing – Inspired by horn players, Fitzgerald took scat singing to new levels of complexity and sophistication. She could mimic instrumental tones with playful, complex improvised syllables.
• Masterful phrasing – She could emotionally charge lyrics and bring new life to familiar songs by instinctively varying her phrasing—stretching syllables, altering pitch and placing words on, before or after the beat. To hear Ella’s unmatched qualities, listen to ‘A- Train’, ‘How High the Moon’, ‘Funny Valentine’.

Billie Holiday

Dubbed ‘Lady Day’ by her musical partner Lester Young, Holiday was an influential and deeply emotional singer whose voice evolved over her career.

• Vocal as an instrument – Like Armstrong, Holiday treated her voice like a Jazz horn, bending notes and improvising around the melody to deliver a poignant, personal interpretation.
• Unflinching emotional honesty – She was a masterful storyteller who used subtle vocal inflections and precise timing to convey raw, complex emotion. Critic Nat Hentoff called her “the best and most honest Jazz singer alive” at one point. Listen to her on ‘Strange Fruit’.
• Unique phrasing – Rather than scatting, Holiday improvised through her phrasing, detaching her vocal line from the regular beat and altering the melody to serve the song’s meaning.

Sarah Vaughan

Referred to as ‘Sassy’ or ‘The Divine One’, Vaughan possessed a stunning vocal instrument with a three-octave range.

• Operatic control – She had an exceptionally pure and powerful tone with a flexible, wide-ranging vibrato, which led many to compare her technical command to that of an opera singer.
• Bebop influence – Vaughan’s improvisational style incorporated complex, bop-oriented phrasing. She could effortlessly navigate intricate chord changes while scat singing or interpreting standards.
• Expressive versatility – She could transition from a powerful, operatic sound to a rich, alluring contralto tone. A master of vocal textures, she could fray or bend notes for maximum emotional effect. Her versions of ‘Lullaby of Birdland’, ‘Tenderly’ and ‘Misty’ are examples of her vocal Jazz style

Kim Burrell

Kim Burrell is an American Grammy-nominated gospel singer-songwriter, producer and pastor from Houston, Texas. Her distinct singing style, often categorised as ‘Gospel Jazz’, seamlessly blends traditional gospel roots with intricate Jazz and R&B sensibilities.

Key characteristics of Kim Burrell’s singing style:

• Vocal agility – Burrell is known for her “surgical agility” and masterful use of riffs and runs. Her vocal embellishments are not random but deliberately structured with harmonic and melodic intelligence, showing a deep understanding of music theory.
• Improvisation – Drawing heavily from the improvisational nature of Jazz, she has an uncanny ability to hear and execute complex melodic and harmonic possibilities in real time. This skill allows her to reimagine even centuries-old hymns and make them sound new and fresh.
• Dynamic and expressive tone – Burrell effortlessly shifts her vocal density, moving between warm, soft and low-density resonances to bright, clear and powerful high-density passages. She also uses techniques like vocal fry and twang to add raw emotion and texture to her voice.
• Gospel roots – Her sound is deeply rooted in the traditions of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), where she grew up singing. This background provides the spiritual and soulful foundation for her delivery.
• Influential runs – Her inventive and soulful vocal runs have influenced a generation of popular R&B and mainstream recording artists, including Jazmine Sullivan and Justin Timberlake, who have studied her technique.
• Musicality – A multi-talented musician who also plays the piano, Burrell often integrates her instrumental and vocal skills. When performing, her vocal lines are directly influenced and supported by her keyboard harmonies, with the voice and keys moving as one.
• Lived experience – The authenticity and emotional power in her voice come from her personal and spiritual journey, making her singing feel deeply personal and lived-in. In this way, she is not just singing, but testifying. For songs displaying this and other qualities, listen to ‘Holy Ghost’, ‘Over and Over’ and ‘Little Drummer Boy’.

Samara Joy

Samara Joy’s singing style is rooted in the rich traditions of classic Jazz, characterised by her warm, velvety tone, effortless vocal agility and masterful improvisational skills. Often compared to Jazz legends like Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, she combines a deep respect for the genre’s history with a fresh, youthful energy that appeals to a new generation of listeners. Key elements of her singing style include:

• A ‘classic’ Jazz sound – Joy possesses a mature voice with an old-school feel, earning her praise as a classic Jazz singer from a new generation. She draws heavily from the Jazz standards of the mid-20th century.
• Exceptional vocal technique – She has impressive range and control, allowing her to move seamlessly from a powerful belt to a quiet whisper without losing melodic authority. This command of her instrument gives her performances a polished, masterful quality.
• Rich, velvety tone – Her voice is frequently described as silky, smooth, rich and warm, with a full, contralto-like quality. This provides a soulful and soothing foundation for her interpretations.
• Inventive improvisation – Joy is a skilled improviser, incorporating spontaneous and creative vocal choices into her performances. She has also demonstrated her ability to write lyrics for instrumental Jazz pieces, a skill known as vocalese.
• Dynamic and expressive phrasing – She uses her voice to tell a story, delivering nuanced and heartfelt phrases that capture the mood of each song. Her performances are often described as full of feeling, confidence and joy.
• Gospel and R&B influences – Her family’s background in gospel music and her exposure to artists like Stevie Wonder and Lalah Hathaway are also audible in her soulful delivery and powerful tone.

Joy’s approach honours the past while pushing the genre forward, balancing imitation and creative individuality. She has worked diligently to develop her own unique voice, proving to be a genuine student of the music. For songs displaying her unique artistry, listen to ‘Guess Who I Saw Today’  and ‘You Stepped Out of a Dream’.

Louis Armstrong

Affectionately nicknamed ‘Satchmo’, Armstrong was a foundational Jazz trumpeter and vocalist who shifted the focus of Jazz from collective improvisation to solo performance.  His innovative and soulful trumpet playing served as a foundation for his vocal style. He often reshaped a song’s melody and lyrics, using a playful and expressive approach. Louis Armstrong had a rich gravelly, charismatic voice that was instantly recognisable. It became an archetype for singers across genres.

• Pioneering scat singing – Along with his horn playing, Armstrong pioneered and popularised scat singing, adding a layer of vocal improvisation using nonsense syllables.

Nat King Cole

As a Jazz vocalist, Nat King Cole’s singing style was characterised by a smooth, warm baritone, impeccable pitch and a relaxed, understated delivery. His decades as a leading Jazz pianist gave him a unique rhythmic sensibility that set his vocal phrasing apart from other singers.

Cole was an intuitive and elegant interpreter of songs, bringing a sophisticated Jazz feeling to both upbeat swing tunes and romantic ballads. So if you were one of those who thought singing through the nose in a lazy or drooling voice was what Jazz singing involved, now you know better.

The grown-ups from my pre-teen years impacted me so much with their questions about my singing and “jazzifying” songs  that I  became very curious about Jazz . Through them, I came to know of legendary Jazz singers; singers who were previously unknown to me. Later, one of them presented me with a cassette recording of tracks from several Jazz singers and this was a huge morale boost.

I heard singers doing with their voices things I had only imagined in my head, but was too scared to express. I understood that to possess such ability and to be a custodian of such gift is something that should not be taken for granted. For this reason I say “I did not go looking for Jazz, Jazz came and found me; I did not choose Jazz, Jazz chose me!”

>>>Me & My Jazz are the weekly musings of Jazz Singer & Jazz Radio Host, Yomi Sower. Her programme Maximum Jazz airs on Saturdays 4-7PM on Ghana’s Guide Radio 91.5FM. She is a Professional Voice Coach also offering Vocal Jazz Tuition @YomiSower -Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X  and E- mail: [email protected]

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