Philadelphia-born composer and vocalist Joan La Barbara was formally trained as a classical singer, but by the late 1960s, she’d decided she wanted to push her artistry into unfamiliar territories. She found her inspiration in New York, especially from scat singers, free improvisers, and the jazz avant-garde. In her early experiments, she taught herself to […]
Tag: vocalist
Posted inMusic
Sacha Mullin, singer-songwriter and backup vocalist extraordinaire
“I want to assemble things as if I’m storyboarding in my head. In a way, I feel like a casting director for sound.”
Posted inMusic
Andrew ‘Big Voice’ Odom sang for blues stars but never became one
Andrew “Big Voice” Odom toured internationally—and also used to drop by Maxwell Street and overwhelm the makeshift sound systems.
Posted inMusic
Prewar blues great Georgia White died forgotten in Chicago
Singer and pianist Georgia White made dozens of classic records for Decca from 1935 to 1941, then fell off the map in the 1970s.
Posted inBlogs
Phil Minton and Audrey Chen plumb the pre- and post-language possibilities of the human voice
Phil Minton—one of world’s greatest vocal improvisers—performs with duo partner Audrey Chen for the first time in Chicago.
Posted inMusic
Jazz bassist and vocalist Katie Ernst rises like the tide
Jazz bassist and vocalist Katie Ernst hasn’t helped only herself with her talent, wit, and confidence—she’s also lifting up her peers and students.