The Manhattan Transfer

Rasteirinha (often called “funk rasteirinha”) is a mid‑tempo branch of Brazilian funk that slows the classic baile funk groove to a warmer, more sensual pace. It blends the dembow swing of dancehall and reggaeton with samba and pagode percussion (pandeiro, cuíca, surdo, agogô, tamborim, and shakers), typically sitting around 90–105 BPM. Vocals tend to be chant‑like, playful, and street‑wise, with hooks built from call‑and‑response phrases and chopped vocal shots. Harmony is minimal—often one to three chords—so that the syncopated drums and round sub‑bass can drive the dancefloor. The overall feel is percussive, tropical, and intimate—made for block parties and clubs where groove and swing matter more than dense arrangements.

Jazz fusion (often simply called "fusion") blends the improvisational language and harmonic richness of jazz with the amplified instruments, grooves, and song forms of rock, funk, and R&B. It typically features electric guitars, electric bass or fretless bass, Rhodes electric piano, clavinet, analog and digital synthesizers, and a drum kit playing backbeat- and syncopation-heavy patterns. Hallmarks include extended chords and modal harmony, complex and shifting meters, brisk unison lines, virtuosic improvisation, and a production aesthetic that embraces effects processing and studio craft. The style ranges from fiery, aggressive workouts to polished, atmospheric textures, often within the same piece. Emerging in the late 1960s and flourishing through the 1970s, jazz fusion became a bridge between jazz audiences and rock/funk listeners, shaping later styles such as jazz-funk, smooth jazz, nu jazz, and parts of progressive and technical rock/metal.

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.

Pop is a broad, hook-driven style of popular music designed for wide appeal. It emphasizes memorable melodies, concise song structures, polished vocals, and production intended for radio, charts, and mass media. While pop continually absorbs elements from other styles, its core remains singable choruses, accessible harmonies, and rhythmic clarity. Typical forms include verse–pre-chorus–chorus, frequent use of bridges and middle-eights, and ear-catching intros and outros. Pop is not defined by a single instrumentation. It flexibly incorporates acoustic and electric instruments, drum machines, synthesizers, and increasingly digital production techniques, always in service of the song and the hook.

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.

A cappella is vocal music performed without instrumental accompaniment, by soloists or ensembles. The term, Italian for “in the manner of the chapel,” originally distinguished Renaissance polyphonic practice from Baroque concertato styles where instruments often doubled voices. Over the 19th century—amid a revival of Renaissance polyphony and a mistaken assumption that such music was always sung unaccompanied—the term solidified to mean any unaccompanied vocal performance. Today a cappella spans sacred and secular idioms, from chant and polyphony to doo‑wop, vocal jazz, collegiate and professional pop groups, and contemporary styles featuring vocal percussion and microphone technique. Very rarely, the term has also been used as a synonym for alla breve (cut time), though this usage is uncommon in modern practice.