Tuesday, January 29, 2008

The Amazing Jazz Singers and Jazz Music

One of the most beautiful interpreters of song are Jazz singers. The abilities of the human voice is phenomenal in the fact that one could imitate another person or instrument, or sing several octaves on the piano. The human voice can also interpret emotion in a way only a human can. Jazz instruments can express emotion, but the natural gift from within the human voice is conveyed in a variety of ways.

The unique style of Jazz singers is a sound that one doesn't usually hear. For example, the uniqueness can come from the sound quality of the voice or by doing something that sets the Jazz singer on a different plane than the others. Singers of this category are Amos Leon Thomas, Billy Holiday, Lee Wiley, Blossom Dearie, Shirley Horne, Rita Reys, Eartha Kitt, Anita O'Day, Ray Reach, Ethel Waters, Monica Zetterlund, Jimmy Rushing, Louis Armstrong, Cassandra Wilson, Al Jarreau, and Dennis Rowland. Each one has a particular sound of raspy, lush, high pitched, yodeling, vibrato, or gift of humor.

Art Blakey

Art Blakey played with Mary Lou Williams at Kelly's Stable in 1942. Next, with Fletcher Henderson for the next two years, and he toured with. Art then went to Boston to lead a big band, then joined Billy Eckstine's band in St. Louis. Art stayed with that band from 1944-1947.

In 1971 to 1972, Art world toured with the biggest names in jazz music such as Kai Winding, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. He also performed a lot at the Newport Jazz Festival. The best performance was when he was in a battling performance with Buddy Rich, Max Roach and Elvin Jones in 1974. Art continued to tour nonstop with help from Donald Harrison and Terence Blanchard, along with younger musicians such as Benny Green.

Diana Krall

Diana Krall is an accomplished singer, and jazz pianist. Diana was born in British Columbia Canada in 1964. She learned to play piano when she was just four-years-old. Everyone is her family are musicians. When she was in high school she played in a jazz group, and at just fifteen played in many restaurants in Nanaimo. She won a scholarship from Vancouver International Jazz Festival at 17 years old to go to Berklee College of Music. She stayed for one and a half years.

Her first album came out in 1993, called Stepping Out. John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton were part of that record. Tommy LiPuma heard it and produced her next album Only Trust Your Heart in 1995. Her next album was called All For You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio, in 1996. That was nominated for a Grammy award and was on the jazz charts in Billboard magazine for seventy weeks. In 1997 Love Scenes was a hit record with Russell Malone on guitar, and Christian McBride on bass guitar.

Dizzy Gillespie and jazz music

Dizzy was born John Birks on October 21, 1917 in South Carolina. He was the youngest in the family of nine children. His father was a horrible man who beat his children all the time, and died when dizzy was 10 years old. He taught himself how to play trumpet when he was twelve years old. He won a scholarship to Laurinburg Institute but, dropped out of school and went to Philadelphia to pursue music full-time. He played with Frankie Fairfax and recorded for the very first time in 1937. He then was a part of Cab Calloway's band, but was criticized for his solos, calling them "Chinese music". He was thrown out because Cab said that he sent a spitball at him, and Dizzy, angrily stabbed him in the leg with a knife.

Dizzy proved himself overseas in France when he began his third big band, and did several concerts and albums.

For a free fun game online and general online entertainment products check out this link: fun and entertainment reviews.