Montreal jazz vocalists: The relationship between their status and improvisation, and the canons of jazz.

Abstract

This thesis deals with jazz singing as it is experienced in Montreal. It examines the interplay between social and musical aspects of vocal jazz. The first chapter deals with the canons of jazz, that is, the established standards within or against which jazz singers construct their vision of vocal jazz. The second chapter examines the status of singers within the larger jazz community, and that of the voice within the jazz ensemble. The third chapter deals with the musical practices of vocalists and techniques in vocal improvisation. This thesis shows how the status of jazz vocalists is inextricably tied to issues of gender and race, and is therefore embroiled in the politics of representation of the jazz world. It also shows that jazz vocalists have been largely dismissed in these politics, and in the process, the specificity of their contribution and means of transmission have hardly been documented. The focus of this study on vocal jazz in Montreal aims to fill this gap in the literature. It also aims to promote the recognition and appreciation of the complexities and subtleties of jazz singing.