How many players here sing, as well as play?

[TF]

Do any of you folks playing traditional-harmony "swing jazz" sing these tunes, on the gig? 20s through 50s standards, pop and show tunes, etc.

I have found that, although I play ten times better than I sing, general audiences still want to hear me sing. This has always baffled me.

Some old jazz classics have lyrics that are borderline-repellent and/or ridiculous, in my view. Of course I can skip these ones, but...

Thanks for commentary from any jazz guitarist/singers out there.

[mr. beaumont]

I love singing...I'm not any good at it, but I love doing it. My resolution this year is to do a bunch more of it.

[AllanAllen]

Non-musicians seem to like singing more than great instrumentation.

[joelf]

Um, if you can call it that...

[MarkRhodes]

Non-musicians seem to like singing more than great instrumentation.

We are talking about songs with lyrics, so an audience wanting to hear them sung is not surprising.

[fep]

I love singing...I'm not any good at it, but I love doing it. My resolution this year is to do a bunch more of it.

Sounds about right for me also. I've already started a list of tunes.

[A. Kingstone]

I've never done it on a gig but I learned a bunch of swing and ballads last year. I can carry a tune but not very far.

[Lionelsax]

I do.

[Tim Clark]

I have found that, although I play ten times better than I sing, general audiences still want to hear me sing. This has always baffled me.

I'm baffled that you’re baffled :-)


The overwhelming majority of people worldwide prefer to listen to music with vocals over pure instrumentals. This is a widely acknowledged truth in the music industry.


Bringing it down to the level of gigging professionals or hobbyists, I would go as far as to say that, in general, the ability to attract paying music jobs depends more on singing ability than on instrumental ability.


Here's something I posted on a separate but related thread a few days ago. It might prove interesting to some:


******


Though I have always enjoyed singing, I never considered myself a lead singer, and over the past 12 years always sought female lead vocalists to form duos.


About five years ago my vocalist was about ten minutes late for a gig, so I had to sing and play two songs solo. I was nervous to say the least, but nobody got mad or left, and in fact one guy in the audience was very encouraging.


After my partner arrived (the one and only time she was ever late), she apologetically quipped, “Now don't go solo on me!"


That offhand comment went off like a slow burning skyrocket in my mind. I realized that, while she was more experienced and had formal training, her voice quality was not that much better than mine (though admittedly she was younger and cuter).


So I joined a choir for several years then took private vocal lessons for a year. That made a world of difference: there are a number of basic singing techniques that can dramatically improve your vocals regardless of essential quality of your voice. Learning these basic techniques boosts your confidence in singing, which is half the battle.


So about 15 months ago I started gigging solo with voice, electric guitar, and backing tracks on most—but not all—tunes. Now I'm gigging three to four times a month, sometimes more, which is more than I ever gigged over the past 30 years before putting myself forward as a "vocalist."


Vocals are what people want to hear: 99% of listeners couldn't care less about your guitar playing, and the ones who do usually just want to know what's on your pedalboard.


So the lesson I learned from all this is, if you want to gig, put more of your energy into vocals than guitar.

[nyc chaz]

Chet Baker is my favorite non guitar Jazz player.His biggest selling albums were the one's where he sang not surprisingly.Most patrons don't want to hear 100 choruses of Cherokee.

[Bop Head]

Doing a lot of busking for several months of my life showed me that I am a rather good rock, blues and soul singer.

Jazz is a different story. It makes a huge difference if you sing at blues/rock oriented session with an electric band behind you or at a jazz session with a mainly acoustic band. And some embarassing experiences at jazz sessions showed me that first of all you should be really sure about the key you are able to sing a tune in (range LOL) and that there are some things I really have to work on, like e.g. a good tasteful vibrato on longer notes.

At home I sing all the time when learning tunes to practice phrasing and comping myself.

Maybe I have posted this already somewhere but it does not hurt to post it again. I think it applies to developing a personal phrasing of a tune for instrumentalists as well.

[Hep To The Jive]

I had to start singing, yea. Some gigs were calling for that, sometimes it's not a matter of choice. As far as jazz is concerned, I've done Is You Is Or Is You Ain't Ma Babe and Moonglow, but if needed I can learn more.

I sing a bunch of rocknroll and rockabilly songs regularly... Funny, before coming to China, while I was living in US I always found an excuse, it's my accent (I'm Russian born), I can mess up the lyrics, etc etc. Now I lost all the fear about that, who's gonna give a f.. in China! But even if I go back to US I wouldn't care anymore, I'd sing if I have to.

If you play guitar for a living, seriously, you gotta sing at some point, no need to be great, just intonate and articulate right, everyone can do it! With a little bit of practice of course.

[fep]

My evolution of singing...

Singing along with my guitar, hmm I think I sound pretty good.
Recording my voice, yikes I sound like that? I'll never sing again.
Recording my voice consistently (about once a week or more) for years, okay I don't totally suck.

Part of that was getting used to the sound of my voice recorded, I'm sure there was a bit of improvement also. We all have our strengths, weaknesses, and flaws. Imperfection makes us unique.

[Tim Clark]

Do any of you folks playing traditional-harmony "swing jazz" sing these tunes, on the gig? 20s through 50s standards, pop and show tunes, etc.

I have found that, although I play ten times better than I sing, general audiences still want to hear me sing. This has always baffled me.

Some old jazz classics have lyrics that are borderline-repellent and/or ridiculous, in my view. Of course I can skip these ones, but...

Thanks for commentary from any jazz guitarist/singers out there.

Returning to the original inquiry: yes, I play/sing exactly these tunes, as most of my gigs are for retirees (independent living, residential living, assisted living, and memory care—the most enjoyable and best paying gigs I've ever had).

Because women often comprise the majority at these gatherings, I've started swapping "he" for she" in some tunes. For example, I'm now doing Ain't He Sweet? rather than Ain't She Sweet? (they love it).

Doing this made me notice how outmoded or downright sexist—even misogynist—some of these older lyrics are.

For example, if I were to do My Funny Valentine, which is an absolutely gorgeous tune with amazing lyrics, I would want to change at least one of the lines.

But overall, I find jazz standard lyrics to be beautiful poetry, sometimes even sublime (check out Skylark). Or take this "chestnut":

Blue moon
You saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own

Blue moon
You knew just what I was there for
You heard me say a prayer for
Someone I could really care for

That's great writing, man!

I use the Real Vocal Books rather than the melody-only Real Books as references. It's a real pleasure simply to read through the lyrics of the songs, most of which I will never play. Almost all jazz standards were written with lyrics, so in my view it's important to be familiar with them to grasp the depth of the tunes.

[pingu]

1309828[/URL]]. I can carry a tune but not very far.

that’s very funny A

[TF]

Thanks, folks, for the great replies.

[joelf]

When I do sing, and it's more and more often these days since I'm doing more singles, I try to set the 2 voices off each other in a kind of counterpoint. I might leave chords alone for a while and converse with my vocal with guide tones or just plain whatever notes that'll be interesting and offset my voice.

Also, on ballads mostly (instrumentally too) I take advantage of having only myself there and pause or suspend the time at a key structural point, say a V chord or ritard near the end and play a guitar cadenza, then finish the vocal. Or start the tune instrumentally, then jump in with a vocal whenever I feel it. I'm a jazz musician, and what would jazz be w/o spontaneity?

On a tune like Corcovado, after playing or singing Jobim's intro (from Elis & Tom, orchestrated by Cesar Mariano) I do a wordless vocal b/c I don't sing in Portuguese (though I'm in love w/that beautiful language even when Brasilians just talk), and anyway prefer wordless to the English lyric. But again that's 2 voices.

As confidence in my singing with actual ability has grown, lately I've taken to sitting in at jams sometimes w/o the guitar. I started this practice a few years back while still living in Philly. I'm happy to say I'm pretty well-received in this undertaking. I try to hew to material I know I can handle: I'm OK on ballads, comedy or light stuff, novelty tunes like Slim Gaillard's Poppity Pop (I even have started sing-alongs on that one. Who can't answer 'Pop Pop!'? after simple instructions? I also like Joe Lee Wilson's Jazz Is (Livin' High Off Nickels and Dimes) and it's come off pretty well.

Scat? I have to be in the mood and read the room first---and if I do take the plunge I keep it to one chorus and, of course, try to do it with musical sense, good phrasing and swinging time.

There's something charming and winsome about musicians not primarily singers doing it once in a while. The audience knows you know the songs and already respect your playing if they've heard it enough, so they're on your side. Just don't blow it. Be worth their time and entertainment $.

Since we're guitarists here, these are guitarists I've heard sing somewhat effectively: Gene Bertoncini does a credible job with Estate (the English, not the better Italian lyric). Russell Malone sounds like a real singer. Chuck Wayne told me years ago about singing a certain song of which I don't remember. Anthony Wilson turns anything he touches into gold, vocals included.

Oh, and Jimmy Raney recorded some bebop vocals once upon a time---and later said he hated them when he heard the record. But then he didn't have to sing now, did he? (;

[Peter C]

Yeah, no. Unless it's Burrell level, just stick to playing guitar. In public, or near me, that is.

[Lionelsax]

It's often funny.

[joelf]

Ilya and Marion. Dig them both and have hired them too. When Marion was living in Marble Hill, Bronx and I in adjacent Riverdale---ca late '90s---I wrote probably my best song to date. I excitedly called him and rushed over with the 1st draft. He said something like 'Look at what you just made!'

I also attended his vocal class at Smalls and had him critique me. He also hired me elsewhere to accompany the singers in the class.

Ilya, after very little rehearsal, learned a few of my songs and performed them w/my group twice at Top Shelf in Philly (I mean the guy drove down from NY for a $100 gig! Is that a friend? Is that dedication?!) and once at the late, lamented Fat Cat in NYC.

I think him a great talent generally. Playing or singing he exudes deep soul, a sense of history and focused creative energy. He's a natural who also has worked his tail off.

Marion possesses a rare and great instrument. His timbre is to die for. And his family seems equally talented. I've accompanied his son Alex, a fine tap dancer. There's also a daughter, Emily, supposed to be another singing talent.

And early in his career he gigged a lot singing in tandem with his then-wife Kim Kalesti. They billed themselves as---you guessed it: Kim and Marion...

[Bop Head]

It's often funny.

Alvin!!!

[joelf]

'All I want for Christmas is...'

[John A.]

When I play blues I usually front bands and sing. A few years a started adding vocals to some of my jazz gigs, too. I started out just doing blues tunes in a jazz style, but have added some standards to my repertoire.

[rpjazzguitar]

I like singing old tunes with good lyrics. I've done it on gigs occasionally, but not regularly.

[joelf]

I guess this is kinda funny:

Just attempted to record live on FB, as I've been doing for a week now.

This time I opted to sing For All We Know. I listened back and there was only static and had no choice but to delete.

Gotta wonder though: was that possibly God---wherever she may be---upraiding me for having such nerve this early in my development, as in

'Slow down and cool those jets, young man. I'll let you know when you're ready'...