So You Want to Sing Jazz - by Jan Shapiro Paperback

About the Book

In So You Want to Sing Jazz, singer and professor of voice Jan Shapiro gives a guided tour through the art and science of the jazz vocal style. Throughout, Shapiro hones in on what makes jazz singing distinctive, suggesting along the way how other types of singers can make use...

Book Synopsis

In So You Want to Sing Jazz, singer and professor of voice Jan Shapiro gives a guided tour through the art and science of the jazz vocal style. Throughout, Shapiro hones in on what makes jazz singing distinctive, suggesting along the way how other types of singers can make use of jazz. She looks at such key matters in jazz singing as the role of improvisation, the place of specific singers who influenced and even defined vocal jazz as we know it today, and the unique way in which jazz incorporates vibrato, conversational delivery, rhythmic phrasing, and melodic embellishment and improvisation.

Review Quotes

So You Want to Sing Jazz, which in nine chapters provides the aspiring jazz vocal professional with the tools necessary to become just that. The book is highly practical, peppered with real-life tips that run from gargling lemon and honey to dressing appropriately for the job. The plethora of exercises and tips makes this book an excellent resource for those just finding their jazz singer feet, and will also be useful for the more seasoned singer to dip into.

For the reader intent on pursuing a career as a jazz vocalist, the entire book is useful; however, several chapters are indispensable.... This volume never wanders from a practical approach. Shapiro walks the singer through professional preparedness and etiquette, from the creation of lead sheets to appropriate apparel. She describes the challenges faced by the prospective jazz singer, such as a diminishing number of performance venues, and a proliferation of easily accessible recordings (usually as close as a cell phone) that lessens the demand for live performances. The author is not pessimistic, however, about the genre; nor does she discourage the reader to pursue jazz singing, either as an avocation or as a profession. Instead, she paints a realistic picture of the challenges and rewards that await the singer who is serious about a career in jazz.
-Brian Manternach

About the Author

Jan Shapiro has been on the faculty of Boston's Berklee College of Music for the past 31 years. She is a world -class practitioner of the art of jazz singing. She served as chairwoman in Berklee College's vocal department for over a decade.