Vocal

Vocal on vinyl: Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae and the great voices

In short: With “vocal”, the singing is at the centre – above all the jazz and pop singers of the fifties and sixties. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae and Mel Tormé turned standards into works of art of their own. The Vinyl Room currently has 246 records in this style.

What is vocal jazz?

In the fifties, great voices recorded whole albums of songs from the Great American Songbook, accompanied by trios or orchestras. Ella Fitzgerald sang live as in the studio with incredible ease, Carmen McRae and Sarah Vaughan shaped jazz singing with their own phrasing. In “vocalese”, famous jazz solos get lyrics and are sung note for note; Annie Ross and Jon Hendricks made it famous with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.

What to look for

Many vocal jazz records of the fifties came out in mono, and early stereo editions are often sought after. Label, catalogue number and runout together tell you whether you have a first pressing.

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First pressings

Vocal jazz

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FAQ

What does “vocal” mean for records? Records on which the singing is at the centre – above all vocal jazz and classic pop singing.

What is vocalese? Singing with new lyrics to famous jazz solos, made famous by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.

Which jazz singers should you know? Among others Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Carmen McRae.