The Art of Lyric Improvisation
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THE ART OF LYRIC IMPROVISATION A Comparative Study of Two Renowned Jazz Singers ______________________________________________ A thesis in partial fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Music in the University of Canterbury by S. J. de Jong University of Canterbury 2008 _________________________________________ de Jong i Table of Contents THE ART OF LYRIC IMPROVISATION ........................................................................................................ i Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................................... i Abstract .................................................................................................................................................... iii Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Historical and Biographical Overviews ....................................................................................... 5 1.1: Jazz Historical Background ................................................................................................................ 5 1.2: “Sometimes I’m Happy” .................................................................................................................... 6 1.3: Sarah Vaughan ................................................................................................................................... 7 1.4: Carmen McRae ................................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 2: Sarah Vaughan .......................................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Analysis of SV#1 1st Chorus: ........................................................................................................... 11 2.12 Analysis of SV#1 2nd Chorus: ........................................................................................................ 15 2.2 Analysis of SV#2 1st Chorus: ........................................................................................................... 22 2.22 Analysis of SV#2 2nd Chorus: ........................................................................................................ 26 2.3 A Comparative analysis of SV#1 and SV#2 ...................................................................................... 32 Chapter 3: Carmen McRae .......................................................................................................................... 36 3.1 Analysis of CM#1 1st Chorus: .......................................................................................................... 37 3.12 Analysis of CM#1 2nd Chorus: ....................................................................................................... 40 3.2 Analysis of CM#2 1st Chorus: .......................................................................................................... 45 3.22 Analysis of CM#2 2nd Chorus: ......................................................................................................... 52 3.3 A Comparative Analysis of CM#1 and CM#2: ................................................................................. 57 Chapter 4: Analysis of Vaughan and McRae............................................................................................... 62 Chapter 5: Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 70 Glossary ....................................................................................................................................................... 73 References ................................................................................................................................................... 75 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................ 77 Discography............................................................................................................................................. 81 Sessionography ........................................................................................................................................ 82 Videography ............................................................................................................................................ 83 Nomenclature .......................................................................................................................................... 84 Appendices .................................................................................................................................................. 85 de Jong ii Acknowledgements Without the artistry of Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae this dissertation would not exist. They have been inspirations in the art of jazz singing, phrasing, rhythmic development, time feel and scatting. This particular study of their lyric improvisations has provided boundless information that can now be utilised in both a personal and professional manner, in performance and education. Unfortunately both have passed but through audio recordings, video presentations, written biographies and published articles, their musical lives are captured in perpetuity. Leslie Gourse, the biographer of both Sarah and Carmen, must be thanked for compiling a wealth of information including detailed discographies and, of more interest to the author, sessionographies, detailing the musicians who performed with these great singers. The record companies who continue to release classic material on CD, and now, on DVD must be congratulated for their commitment to jazz. To the staff of CPIT Jazz School, especially Dr. Jane Gregg, I thank you for your support and encouragement and to Dr. Roger Buckton and Dr. Jonathan Le Cocq for your support and allowing me to study for my Masters of Music in Jazz through the University of Canterbury. I gratefully and sincerely acknowledge the support of my supervisor, Dr. Tony Gould (Victoria, Australia), who guided me through the rigours of academic and musical writing with such support, wisdom and candour. His enthusiasm was gratefully received and made clear the hidden, murky waters of academia. Thank you. de Jong iii Abstract This research is an analysis of the range of skills and knowledge required to produce, effectively, results in the Art of Lyric Improvisation in the field of jazz singing. Lyric Improvisation is the art of retaining the primary lyrics of a song but, using improvisational inventiveness, changing every other aspect. The study focuses on the manipulation of melody, rhythm, time feel, style, range, articulation and improvisation in the performances of renowned jazz vocalists Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae. The research is based on their multiple recordings of “Sometimes I’m Happy” (Youmans/Caesar) between the years1955-1965. The method compares different elements of the individual singers’ improvisations to the published notation. These elements include: syncopation of the rhythm, motific development, expanding the range of pitch, variances in timbre and articulation and spontaneous re- composition of the melody all while maintaining the original lyric. The outcomes, however, can be applied over a multitude of tunes from any American Song Book composer or jazz standard sung in historically swing styles of the past century, or with contemporary developments. “You have to improvise. You have to have something of your own that has to do with that song. And you have to know where you’re going when you improvise” Carmen McRae1 1From James T. Jones, IV, "Cut the Crap," Downbeat June 1991. Introduction de Jong 1 Introduction Purpose : The aim is to discuss the process of lyric improvisation as practised by two of the most renowned and inspiring singers in the history of jazz, Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae. For the purpose of this research, the art of lyric improvisation has been defined as maintaining the integrity of the original lyric and the essential musical material yet extemporaneously creating melodic and rhythmic variations unique to each individual. It will draw, through analyses, comparisons between the two singers’ styles and focus on their ability to take a simple song and create new interpretations of the tune while maintaining the original structure of the piece. Sarah Vaughan’s phrasing skills are well documented in both studio and live audio recordings and video broadcasts. Consequently when looking for inspiration in lyric improvisation she is a prime candidate. She has amassed a vast repertoire sung in a variety of styles over her forty-year career and has repeated numerous tunes with consistently inventive lyric improvisations. With a similar stylistic freedom, Carmen McRae, also an outstanding jazz singer, but who is generally not as well known to mainstream audiences, has also performed particular tunes repeatedly throughout her career incorporating various lyric improvisations. An extensive research reveals a surprisingly small amount of literature examining the art of vocal jazz as it pertains to the phrasing of lyrics. Most published works in the jazz genre focus on instrumental improvisation, which to vocalists is the equivalent of scat singing (unworded