The New York City Jazz Record

If the voice is the first instrument, even before the drum, it is also the most personal and adaptable one. In this Vocals Issue, we cover a wide range of practitioners, from those who have long been departed to those in the midst of carving out their niche in the pantheon.

Dinah Washington (On The Cover) died almost 56 years ago but her presence is still felt in today's bluesier singers. She joins her fellow female singers Betty Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Bessie Smith and Sarah Vaughan as the latest member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame and will be celebrated at Dizzy's Club. Allan Harris (Interview) is both a compelling performer in his own right and a masterful interpreter of two very different legends: Eddie Jefferson and Nat "King" Cole. He celebrates both at Dizzy's Club. While Veronica Swift (Artist Feature) will soon release her major-label debut, the 20-something singer has been at it for almost her whole life. She appears at Birdland and 92nd Street Y's "Jazz in July". Lorraine Feather (Encore) and Mark Murphy (Lest We Forget) represent the best that jazz singing lyricists have to offer. And check out our vocals-focused CD Review section (pgs. 14-16) for an overview of singers past and present.

On the Cover: DINAH WASHINGTON

"I can sing anything, anything at all" is Dinah Washington's most repeated quote, an epigraph for almost every piece written about the singer, who died in December 1963...Washington was one of three black women, along with Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, who dominated the jazz vocal landscape in the '50s. A tribute to Washington with Evan Sherman Big Band with guest Joy Brown is at Dizzy's Club Jul. 16th as part of the 2019 Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame inductions.

Interview: ALLAN HARRIS

By Jim Motavalli; photo by Sandrine Lee (courtesy of the artist)

Allan Harris is the consummate jazz singer with a wide-angle view, as well known in, say, Istanbul or Moscow, as he is in the United States. He's a regular with jazz orchestras all over Europe. Though perhaps most celebrated for his dedication to and vocal interpretation of Tin Pan Alley, the Brooklyn-born Harris also plays guitar and is a composer of note. His musical, Cross That River: A Tale of the Black West, draws from his own experience working on a family ranch and explores a little-known chapter in American history, that of the African-American cowboy. Harris' most recent album, The Genius of Eddie Jefferson (Resilience) pays tribute to an influence, the man who paved the way for vocalese and wrote lyrics to many of jazz' most enduring solos. Harris recently returned from Chicago, where he was challenged to wrap his creamy baritone voice around a big-band set recreating Jefferson's 1962 album Letter From Home. Harris is at Dizzy's Club Jul. 9th.

Artist Feature: VERONICA SWIFT

By Marilyn Lester; photo by Raj Naik (courtesy of Mack Avenue)

Child prodigies—defined as a person under the age of ten who produces meaningful output at an adult level—come along in one out of 10 million or so births. Jazz singer Veronica Swift qualifies. At nine she recorded her debut album...Swift has just turned 25 and has already had a full and important career to which other performers would aspire. Swift is at Birdland Jul. 2nd-6th and Jul. 15th with Benny Benack and 92nd Street Y's "Jazz in July" Jul. 23rd.

Encore: LORRAINE FEATHER

By Ken Dryden

A native of New York City, Lorraine Feather is the daughter of jazz journalist Leonard Feather and his wife Jane, who sang professionally. Although a music career seemed predestined, her parents did not push her towards performing. On her own she developed into an expressive vocalist and inspired lyricist who has earned several Grammy and Emmy nominations writing for her own CDs or other artists, in addition to film and television.

Lest We Forget: MARK MURPHY

By Scott Yanow

Mark Murphy was arguably the most innovative male jazz singer of the past 50 years. His roots were in bebop but he extended the music in his own unique way. His improvisations, which often found him jumping between eccentric-sounding falsetto to deep bass notes, were unpredictable yet he often displayed real sensitivity on ballads. A tribute to Murphy with Nancy Kelly is at Birdland Theater Jul. 4th-6th.

Record Label Spotlight: RELAY RECORDINGS

By Eric Wendell

Tim Daisy is the quintessential musical multi-hyphenate, dutifully wearing the hats of drummer, composer, improviser and bandleader. In 2011, he added record company founder when he established Relay Recordings. Daisy is at 244 Rehearsal Studios Jul. 24th.

CD Reviews

Look for other sections like In Memoriam, On This Day, In Print, On DVD, VOXNews, NY@Night, Recommended New Releases, Birthdays, and our invaluable Event Calendar.

Thanks so much for reading The New York City Jazz Record, the city's only homegrown gazette devoted to the music.