What is jazz singing?

Discussion

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Introduction

• Janis Joplin on jazz singing

“When Hentoff asks if she considers herself a jazz singer, Janis’s answer demonstrates the articulate precision she can bring to bear on subjects that matter to her: “No, I don’t feel quite free enough with my phrasing to say I’m a jazz singer. I sing with a more demanding beat, a steady rather than a lilting beat. I don’t riff over the band; I try to punctuate the rhythm with my voice.” (bold not in original)

John Byrne Cooke, On The Road with Janis Joplin (New York: Berkley Books, 2014), 147.

ISBN 978-0-425-27411-8 (hardcover)

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP Published by the Penguin Group New York, New York

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NOTES