Jazz music made its mark in the hearts of Americans ever since the 20th century when people embraced the musicians of the time. However, when the singers came on the scene strong with skills in the art of scatting that is a vocal form of Jazz improvisation, the ability to articulate music expressively, and have that pizzazz to swing to the rhythms effectively makes a Jazz virtuoso. Jazz music bore another gift on the American public to spread to the world during the 1940's when singers came together to form groups. The sound of acapella harmony of many voices like in a church choir using a juxtaposition of Jazz harmony is ethereal and divine.
In fact, due to the success of such groups as the Mills Brothers, Boswell Sisters, Andrews sisters, and Modernaires during the 1930's 1940's made Jazz fans of vocal Jazz music seek more. As a result, record stores stocked up on the music of vocal Jazz music, and it became a tremendous success that made quartets like Manhattan Transfer a household name today.
In addition, America has the largest selection of vocal Jazz music even though there are vocal Jazz ensembles all over the world. These new vocal Jazz groups do not all sing a capella style music that is common to barber shop. Vocal Jazz groups commonly use a Jazz band to accompany them as they perform. Jazz music may not be as strict as classical music, but it is in a class all it's own. It takes great skill to sing Vocal Jazz as it does with Classical, and many other styles of music. Meaning, everyone cannot be a good jazz soloist, but it doesn't mean that they cannot sing in the vocal jazz ensemble. Each singer must match in volume, resonance, and key in order to be a worthy member in the vocal Jazz ensemble. Ever singer must be able to sing their parts, and be heard as well as blended into the group. There are times when different people in the vocal Jazz group will be asked to scat to the music, and take the challenges that some complex Jazz music holds with great skill.
All the beauty that Vocal Jazz possessed in the past did not always keep it in popularity. For instance, there was a time in the 60's when Jazz music no longer had mass appeal due to the American interest in Rock music. Imagine the record companies who supply music to the radios, and the nightclubs who allowed popular acts to perform live suddenly locking Jazz musicians out. Yet, Jazz never lost its following despite the ever-changing interests of the public. Vocal Jazz singers attempted to begin again in the 70's, but the public did not show much interest in a style that was considered passe.
Fortunately, those who loved the music and dedicated themselves to the music caused people to take notice from the latter part of the 80's to the millennium where Jazz singers came prepared to recreate Jazz again. Vocal Jazz singers went along with the times to keep the traditional Jazz and add new elements that the public would like to hear.
The History Of Vocal Jazz
The History Of Recording
The abilities to record may seem to be more recent, especially with the capabilities of technology and the understanding of how sounds are used within a recording studio. However, there is a longer time frame of recording that has been used in order to document audio areas and to put music on track. By understanding the progression of recording, you can also find ways to implement similar characteristics and routines within your own studio.
The beginning of recording dates back to the 1890s. During this time, most of the recording was done through acoustic means. Recording equipment consisted of a tape that would allow for the audio to be documented into the tape. This would then go through a horn which would record the sound frequencies that were being played. This would then be documented by putting grooves into the recording through the waves and how they were translated.
This type of recording also included limitations on the sound rooms and how the sound was recorded. Upper scale recording studios consisted only of a sound proof wall so that the audio noise would not bounce. The ability to mix, master and edit the audio information; however, was not available. Those who were interested in recording would also take the records outside of the studios to do things such as field recordings, where natural sounds would be placed onto audio. This became a second popular means of creating recordings to share with the public.
By the 1930s, different options and equipment began to be popular for recording. This started with amplifiers and microphones that were added to record more sound frequencies. This was followed by a mixing board and by loud speakers so that the sounds could be manipulated and changed while recording. This caused for most of the acoustic recording that was done in the past to be replaced by the new technology so that more accurate recordings could be done.
Up until the 1970s, these combined methods were the popular way of recording musicians and artists in the studio. The acoustic rooms were combined with the microphones and were recorded live through the mixing board and straight into the disc or recording tape. This left little room to re-record or edit. Most of the recording that was done would be done with complete bands, orchestras or groups that would place everything onto the disc at one time.
The change that occurred during this time combined the ability to monitor the sounds more effectively and to move into editing. It was during the late 1960s and 1970s that analog recording moved into the field, allowing for more complex machinery to be at the forefront of recording. The analog recording consisted of a magnetic tape that would carry the sound waves and read them back through the recording. This could then be written over and revised according to what was recorded.
This time period not only allowed for advancement within recording, but also created experimentation with new equipment, sounds and effects that became popular for individual recording studios, now considered to be signatures of various recording industries. Those who were working within the industry found not only new technologies for recording, but also developed sounds that were unique because of the ability to process the mixing and mastering in a different way.
It was the movement into analog recording that changed recording into an electronic and digital set of capabilities as well as industry standards that are now accepted as the normal setting among all recording studios. Because of this experimentation and new technology, those working within the industry came to certain conclusions about what worked better with recording and how the production could be effective.
This progression shows how recording has become a mainstream through innovations, creativity and experimentation. By the recording industry creating the effects of recording, it has allowed for new arenas of development in recording music to be explored.