Flirting with jazz

I don't know about you, but I am quite allergic to pop singers flirting with jazz. What I mean by this is that some people, in my country that is, have a built their careers in pop music and suddenly call themselves jazz singers. Just because they gave a few concerts singing tunes like Summertime or Fly me to the Moon doesn't make you a jazz singer. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against pop singers. That's where the money is and why not? If you don't have a problem singing that, do it! But why do you build your career and your whole image on one thing and then claim to be something else?! Like jazz is so easy to be doing that. The biggest problem is that then people think that what they do is really jazz and people who have spend years building a jazz career and studying that music have to struggle to be recognized because the pop singers get all the spotlight. And the main reason why they're doing that is because jazz is IN at the moment so...you have to be IN, right? Gosh...it's a pain in the ass. 

I will be honest, pop is really the easiest thing to start with if you wanna sing at all. These tunes are popular, easy to sing to, people will surely love it. It's a safe way and it brings money. I know. I too started singing pop and even rock tunes, but I also know that it took me years to get the pop-ish sound out of my voice. I had to eliminate everything else and focus on jazz solely to be able to sing it right. And my motto is, if you want to do something - do it right! Or don't do it at all. Anyway, it's ridiculous. 

I am mostly concerned about people who really don't know what jazz is because they will get the wrong image and will never learn. Of course, we could start a whole new discussion about what jazz is, but I'm sure we can agree that some things simply are not. So it's wrong to mislead people and teach them things that are not true. Anyway, I sincerely hope to change this trend...otherwise we'll have a whole nation thinking that pop is jazz and real jazz is something else. That would be tragic.

Another jazz legend is gone...

Just before Christmas, on 23rd December 2007, legendary pianist Oscar Peterson has passed away due to kidney failure at the age of 82.

Oscar Emmanuel Peterson, (15 August 1925 – 23 December 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist, singer and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, and was therefore a member of jazz royalty. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honors over the course of his career. He is considered to have been one of the greatest pianists of all time, who played thousands of live concerts to audiences worldwide in a career lasting more than 65 years.

He began his career in small jazz clubs in Montreal, but thanks to his talent he was soon invited to perform in the biggest concert halls all over the world. During his career he played with the greatest jazz musicians like Ella Fitzgerald, Count Bassie, Dizzy Gillespie and many more.

It is a great loss and we can say that the world will miss this incredible musician.

Find out more about Oscar Peterson on his official website:
www.oscarpeterson.com

and in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Peterson

Oscar - we will miss you and it's been a pleasure! :)

The New Year has begun!!!

Imagine that! We are now officially in the New Year - 2008! Seems to me this could be a cool year for new projects, ideas, inspirations and plenty of great music! I wish you all the best and hope you achieve all that you planned! I have entered the new year on stage, luckily and this means for me that I will probably have more successes. At least that's what I'm hoping for! You know that superstition that says how you enter the new year is symbolic for the year that is coming? I think there's something to it! I hope you had a great time!

Looking at our last poll I was pleasantly surprised to see that most of you didn't wish for anything this Christmas and you only hoped to spend it with the people you love. That's remarkable and I honestly hope that's how you did it! Although a little something as a token of appreciation under the tree would also be nice, no? Some of you wished to go on a trip to a special destination, some wanted to hear a good concert and some hoped to get a cool gadget for their instrument. Anyway, hope you've got what you wished for! :)

This year, I've got many things planned for you and I hope you will enjoy reading this year's posts. Keep on visiting and reading!

And thank for your support!

Dubrovnik Christmas Jazz Gala

There will be a special event going on in Dubrovnik for the New Year's time. It the Dubrovnik Christmas Jazz Gala! The event will include concerts and workshops from various jazz musicians that will take place from the 28th to 31st December.

The musicians performing are:

Douglas Sides (drums)
Shawn Montero (vocal)
Marcelo Godoy (vocal, electric and acoustic guitar)
Filho Nelson (guitar)
Ishaq Abdullah (bass)
Steven Hupkens (keys)
Reggie Johnson (double bass)
Domagoy Ralasic (sax, clarinet)
Jesse Davis (sax)
Julius Green (vocal)

The concerts will take place on: Saturday, 29th December at 20:00h; Sunday, 30th December at 21:00h.

Venue: Hotel Dubrovnik Palace (Club Orlandiño)

On Monday, 31st December the concerts will take place on the Stradun, for the New Year's celebration.

The Workshops from percussion, vocals, sax, clarinet, keys, double bass and electric guitar will take place on the 29th and 30th December (11-13h and 17-18.30h) and they are absolutely FREE!!!

Anyway, this is an event that you shouldn't miss!

Please find more information at:

http://www.jazz.agevent.biz/

Things singers should ALWAYS avoid!

Alright, maybe I am exaggerating but I've noticed that I've been neglecting vocalists since the beginning and I want to share many things I find useful. I am also quite inspired by my own sore throat and a cold that I have at the moment. I hope singers can find all this advice useful and it might help them. These tips are useful at any time. You should know what things we must avoid in order to keep our voices nice and healthy so we can keep on singing! It's actually quite interesting cause you would never guess some of these things are not recommended. The tips are taken from the Vocalist site.

Here we go!

Having problems at Gigs? Do you find that some days your voice seems dry? I'm not going to go into the normal nag about smoking although you should try to avoid anything that is likely to dry out your voice before a performance, so here are a few tips on what to avoid before & during your show:-

1. Orange or Citrus Juice and caffeinated drinks - can affect your throats lubrication.

2. Milk & other dairy products - furs up the throat, avoid drinking Milk, Cream, Tea and Coffee prior to singing.

3. Dry Ice Machines - The chemicals used dry up the throat. If the effect is an essential part of the show use a Fog Machine with cooler (water & glycerine based) or Haze Machine (chemical based but non-toxic). Both can still affect the voice if inhaled, make sure you have plenty of water to lubricate the throat.

4. Eating heavy meals prior to a gig - the food doesn't have time to digest and sits heavily in your stomach. This makes it harder to control breathing, vocal reach and projection.

5. Smoke filled environments - pretty impossible to do if your playing pubs n clubs but do what you can by taking a wander outside for fresh air during the breaks.

6. Asprin - can contribute to tinnitus and vocal chord hemorrhage

7. Excessive loud talking and yelling - can lead to vocal strain

8. Coughing and clearing your throat - swallow or sip water instead.

9. Alcohol - although a small drink may help to relax you, alcohol may numb the chords and too much will cause lack of control (vocally & otherwise!!)

10. Sing out of your range - save the top notes for when you can sing them correctly and don't over-reach or you could end up damaging your voice!

Pace yourself at a gig - move vocally demanding songs to the middle or end of each set to allow your voice to warm up beforehand (a vocal warm up before the gig is also advisable) and then rest your voice during the breaks.

Treat allergies and infections promptly and rest your voice when ill. Drink plenty of water during the day to keep your body hydrated and voice lubricated, 8 - 9 pints is recommended. (Beer doesn't count!). Keep a bottle of water at the side of the stage!

Have a good gig!

Sore throat and what to do about it!

I've decided to give you more tips for singing when your voice is a mess!

This is taken from the vocalist site. Enjoy!

There have been several questions about what to do when contracting viral infections and the subsequent hoarseness and voice loss so I thought it would be helpful to include a section here for anyone suffering!! I am Not a Doctor or Medical Practitioner and advise professional attention should always be sought, however as a regular sufferer of Flu, Laryngitis, Pneumonia, and Bronchial complaints I can provide a few tips!! Regardless of the infection contracted or even if you experience hoarseness and loss of voice through strain/stress the following should aid in prevention and/or recovery.

1. Drink plenty of Water.
   
   
2. Avoid Tea, Coffee, Cream & Alcohol before singing as these can have a dehydrating effect.
   
   
3. Take Vitamin C tablets or eat fruits/vegetables rich in Vitamin C to aid your bodies natural defenses. Hot Lemon & Honey or Blackcurrant both contain vitamin C and anti-viral properties and fresh ginger has natural anti-inflammatory properties - grate a little ginger and add it to hot water, sweeten with honey if required.
   
   
4. REST!!
   
   
5. Severe, violent coughing can injure the vocal folds. Cough Syrup and Lozenges can help, Vocalzone are good and reliable sources have informed me that Slippery Elm lozenges and other products are used by some singers to soothe the throat in the US. Triogesic Tablets relieves conjestion, prevents coughing and is available from most Chemists although it should not be taken with any other paracetamol products or decongestants and should be avoided by pregnant or nursing mothers and Dextromethorphan based products also help to suppress coughing although some people may experience dizziness.
   
   
6. Hot Water Steam Inhalation, with or without a few drops of Eucalyptus, Peppermint or other Essential Oil helps to clear the sinuses. Many proprietry brands like Karvol, Olbas Oil and Vicks Vaporub use aromatherapy oils as their main ingredient but you should be careful using these products as menthol can have a drying effect.... use sparingly.
   
   
7. Do NOT attempt to Sing and avoid Talking until all medication is finished to allow the inflammation an opportunity to reduce.
   
   
8. On recovery start with some gentle humming for 5-10 minutes at a time and slowly build up to a few vocal exercises in your mid-range gradually expanding the range over several days. The rate of recovery will depend on the severity of illness and how experienced a singer you are. Any recurrance of hoarseness stop and rest the voice for another couple of days.
   
   

I realise that this is easier said than done, especially when an important gig is due!! However, weighing the importance of the booking against the potential damage to your vocal health is a must..........

Here are some tips for the vocalists!

Being a vocalist myself I know what it means when you have a gig and your voice is in bad shape. Especially in these cold winter days when various viruses are waiting in the corner to attack the innocent singer! And your voice is all you've got! It really sucks if it happens and you need to know how to get in shape as soon as possible.

So I've decided to give you some tips on how to keep your voice in good condition so you don't have to worry about these things. I've found on the internet some information about this and it's absolutely true!

Maybe it will help...

1. Try your best to maintain good general health. Avoid viral colds (a regimen of washing hands has been shown to reduce the transmission of cold viruses). Some advocate vitamin C and zinc lozenges, while I find these effective I would recommend their use these only after the student has consulted a physician.

2. Emotional and physical stress both contribute significantly to vocal distress. Exercise regularly. Using your major muscle groups in jogging, etc. is an excellent way to diminish stress.

NOTE: extensive power weight lifting will place some wear on the vocal folds, this should be avoided during times of extended vocal use or vocal fatigue.

3. Eat a balanced diet. At times of extended vocal use avoid large amounts of salt and refined sugar, spicy food such as Mexican, Szechuan Chinese, as well as excessive amounts of food and/or alcohol. One may note hoarseness in the larynx or dryness of the throat after drinking significant amounts of alcohol, caffienated, as well naturally or artificially sweetened beverages. The body needs water to metabolize these foods and beverages, excessive consumption of these items will reduce the amount of water available to hydrate the voice.

4. Maintain body hydration (7-9 glasses of water a day) and avoid known dietary diuretics such as caffeine and alcohol. Moisture is a necessary lubricant of the vocal folds. When one's body is dehydrated laryngeal lubrication diminishes and wear takes place at a much greater rate than normal.

5. Avoid dry, artificial interior climates. Laryngologists recommend a humidity level of 40-50%. Much body moisture is lost while breathing air in low humidity climates, i.e., air conditioned or heated rooms (routinely 10-20% moisture), cars, buses, etc.

6. Avoid smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes. These are bad for the heart, lungs, and vocal tract of not only yourself, but others around you as well. Avoid other irritant inhalants, i.e., marijuana. In addition to the debilitating effect on the vocal tract, you need your head on straight when you sing.

7. Avoid breathing smoggy, polluted air, i.e., car exhausts, smoky bars and lounges when you are vocally tired.

8. Avoid the use of local anesthetics when you are singing. The anesthetic effect masks any signs of injury, therefore encouraging further abuse of the folds. Additionally, singing under their influence is like playing the piano with gloves on (Chloroseptic, Parke-Davis Throat Discs, etc.).

9. Question the use of progesterone dominant birth control pills. These cause a virilization of the female larynx and a decrease of range in your upper register. There may be no other solution for your particular situation, however. The treatment of endometriosis often includes pharmaceuticals which cause permanent vocal changes. Inform your doctor that you are a singer if you are undergoing treatment for this disease.

I know this is difficult but it will help. It's good to know what is good for you and what isn't, no?

These tips come from David Otis Castonguay from the Radford University.

Another site I can recommend is THE VOCALIST where you can find more information about maintaining your vocal health.

Keep on singin' and keep your throat clear!