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Representing the Jazz Self in Song
by Vincent Stephens
In the nearly ten years since the revised edition of Will Friedwald's Jazz Singing (1996) and Bruce Crowther & Mike Pinfold's Singing Jazz (1997) “jazz singing has generated several familiar conversations among jazz critics. Generally these criticisms, discussed in the “Original Recipe Vs. Extra Crispy chapter of The Future of Jazz (2002) and Stuart Nicholson's Is ...
Diane Schuur: Live in London
by Vincent Stephens
Does Diane Schuur still matter? Though the vocalist has been performing actively on the national jazz scene since her 1984 GRP debut, Deedles, came out, and she has won two Grammies, critical interest in her work has waned since the early 1990s. Many critics have lauded her powerful voice and stylistic versatility but lamented her tendency ...
Repertoire Rebellion: What
by Vincent Stephens
Even when pop/rock would-be torch singers, like Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Barry Manilow, Rod Stewart etc. fail to illuminate the musical and lyrical nuances of the Great American Songbook their often inadequate approaches do not distort the fundamental excellence of the material they're singing. If such attempts will never erase anyone's memories of benchmark performers like ...
Remembering Bobby Short: The Intimate Enthusiast
by Vincent Stephens
The most common buzzwords writers have used to describe the death of America's premier male cabaret singer, Bobby Short who died of leukemia today, were words like “sophistication and “elegance. However, I would like to qualify the use of these words. Short, with his crisp enunciation, exquisite sartorial taste, sharp wit and polished interpretations of classic ...
They're Still Here: How to Honor Maturing Singers
by Vincent Stephens
Ernestine Anderson, Etta James, and Johnny Mathis have been recording for five decades and still release albums. More importantly they still sing well and sound good. Can you imagine the horror if in a few years these singers, feeling compelled by ego, record company suggestion or just bad judgment, released a “duet" album where they revisited ...
Underwhelming Understatement: A Plea for Persona in Jazz Vocals
by Vincent Stephens
Are “subtlety” and “understatement” toxic characteristics? Such critics’ buzzwords are overshadowing the centrality of persona among jazz singers. Critics often use these terms to compliment and contrast thus it is critical gospel to contrast vocal say Diana Krall’s restraint with Diane Schuur’s vocal pyrotechnics. In jazz singing this is particularly pertinent in an era where reserve, ...
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