The Jazz Singers

"As long as there has been jazz, there’s been people singing jazz. Jazz singing has usually been perceived as something ancillary to the core jazz tradition, but the truth is that it’s been at the music’s core from the very beginning: Louis Armstrong was not only the first jazz star as a trumpet player but also as a singer; the great tenor saxophonist Lester Young was an influence on the young Billie Holiday, and she was an influence on him—and a star in her own right. Frank Sinatra came up with jazz greats Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, learned about singing from them and other jazz musicians, and in turn was an example to follow for horn players—including Lester Young again. Jazz began as popular music. The Great American Songbook concept came about through singers adopting a body of songs from Broadway and popular radio, and turning them into standard material passed down to other singers and instrumentalists through the generations. ..."

Bandcamp (Audio)