Lionelle Hamanaka

Lionelle Hamanaka: A Jazz Bouquet

by Jim Santella
June 1, 2002

Scat singing comes naturally to Lionelle Hamanaka. Like most of us, she learned it through her parents' love of good music. Growing up in Harlem and the Lower East Side, Hamanaka was exposed to the recordings and live jazz performances that would later form her natural grasp of vocalese, songwriting, and lyric interpretation. The acoustic sounds she works with on her debut album come from a respect for tradition; hers is a top-notch New York rhythm section.

Hamanaka's ...