Open

Jazz is an improvisation-centered music tradition that emerged from African American communities in the early 20th century. It blends blues feeling, ragtime syncopation, European harmonic practice, and brass band instrumentation into a flexible, conversational art. Defining features include swing rhythm (a triplet-based pulse), call-and-response phrasing, blue notes, and extended harmonies built on 7ths, 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths. Jazz is as much a way of making music—spontaneous interaction, variation, and personal sound—as it is a set of forms and tunes. Across its history, jazz has continually hybridized, from New Orleans ensembles and big-band swing to bebop, cool and hard bop, modal and free jazz, fusion, and contemporary cross-genre experiments. Its influence permeates global popular and art music.

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.