I'm Adam Menn. And I'm Peter Martin. And you're listening to the You'll Hear a podcast. Daily Jazz advice coming at you.

Another special day to day because we have another special guest who we got. That right we have the great brian owens what's going on brian what's up

fellas Brian for those few of you that may not know is is an amazing vocalist friend of open studio

friend of ours yep a friend of many and yeah we're really excited to have you here today we talk about

vocals sometimes but we're gonna be speaking with an expert

yeah yeah we are in fact we we're already a little bit nervous about this

because when it's just pianist you know we can do everything from just the

piano standpoint so we're gonna be getting it from the vocalist standpoint. That's right. Very cool. All right, so we have a list of our seven favorite jazz vocalists today. Brian, who you want to start out with? This is a non-exhaustive list. Let's disclaim. Yeah, yeah. You were very, yeah. There might be a few bonuses, too. Yeah, there might be a few of bonuses. Yeah, yeah. Well, we, we already told,

Brian, I just to let the listeners know that we were very clear that we miss a lot of things. So we always have an asterisk. And this is a free podcast. So we don't have to give anybody's money back if you screw it up. So feel free to go wherever you want to go. All right. Well, okay, so let's start with the most for me which would be the most obvious is Ella Fitzgerald

can't go wrong I mean that yeah when it comes to go. All right. Well, okay, so let's start with the most, for me, which would be the most obvious is

Ella Fitzgerald. Can't go wrong. I mean that, yeah. When it comes to what the epitome, I believe,

a jazz vocalist is, which I think it has to include the ability to improvise. I think, I mean,

she's the gold standard. She sounds like a horn when she's improvising.

Her phrasing was impeccable, you know.

I agree.

You can't get a better combination of just pure natural voice that has no holes or flaws.

And then amazing taste, amazing improviser, storyteller, all of that.

And she didn't read music.

That's right, right. But she could. And what was the thing, the story, I mean, you never know if these stories are true, but they always seem like with her that they would be, that she would learn the song. She could sing them in any key, but she would first, like, was it that she was reading it and see, or something like she would learn everything and see, and then whatever key they were going to do it, she could just go there immediately. I'm not sure, but I don't doubt it. Yeah. You know, I totally don't doubt it. I mean, but she was just one of those rare, you know, immensely talented individuals. Like, she could just sing the way she did. And I think, you know, her time with like the bands that she was with early on,

like Chick Webb, I believe it was, and working with band leaders like that.

And eventually she took over the band when he got sick and passed away.

I mean, she was running the band.

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