New York Voices

Vocalese is a jazz vocal style in which singers write and perform original lyrics to pre‑existing instrumental melodies, improvised solos, and full ensemble arrangements. Unlike scat singing—which uses non‑lexical syllables—vocalese uses fully formed words that mirror the exact rhythms, inflections, and contours of the original instrumental lines. The result is virtuosic, text‑driven performances that retain the swing feel, bebop phrasing, and harmonic sophistication of modern jazz. Vocalese is frequently realized by soloists and by vocal groups that harmonize transcriptions of big‑band or small‑group arrangements, often employing tight, jazz‑choral voicings and brisk, swinging tempos.

Big band is a large-ensemble style of jazz and popular dance music built around brass, reed, and rhythm sections playing arranged parts. Typical instrumentation includes five saxophones (often doubling clarinet/flute), four trombones, four trumpets, and a rhythm section of piano, guitar, upright bass, and drum set. The music emphasizes swing rhythms, call-and-response between sections, riff-based writing, and dramatic shout choruses, while leaving space for improvised solos. Born in American ballrooms and theaters, big band became the sound of the Swing Era, providing both music for dancing and a platform for sophisticated arranging and orchestration that shaped much of 20th‑century jazz and popular music.

Vocal jazz is a jazz tradition in which the human voice is treated as an instrument—matching the phrasing, articulation, and timbral nuance of horns or piano. Singers often improvise melodically and rhythmically, including using scat singing (nonsense syllables) to emulate instrumental solos. At the same time, many vocal‑jazz performances favor traditional, pop‑leaning song structures and clear lyric delivery, reducing the overall role of extended improvisation compared with small‑group instrumental jazz. Repertoires frequently draw from Tin Pan Alley and Broadway standards (the Great American Songbook), rendered with swing, ballad, or Latin feels.