Vocal jazz or jazz singing can be defined by the instrumental approach to the voice, where the singer can match the instruments in their stylistic approach to the lyrics, improvised or otherwise, or through scat singing; that is, the use of nonsensical meaningless non-morphemic syllables to imitate the sound of instruments.
The roots of jazz music were very much vocal, with field hollers and ceremonial chants, but whilst the blues maintained a strong vocal tradition with singers such as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith heavily influencing the progress of American popular music in general, early jazz bands only featured vocalists periodically, albeit those with a more blues-sounding tone of voice.
More recently, Diane Schuur is renowned for her re-workings of popular music into jazz-style, as with her 2005 release “Schuur Fire”, where Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World” is reworked into Latin jazz. Take 6 also released their first self-titled album combining gospel, R&B, soul and jazz arrangements, setting the standard for contemporary male harmony groups. The group focuses on more percussive elements in their music, going as far as to create vocally produced instrumental jazz on a whim.
