The Art of Vocalese

This album, which is scheduled for release on Friday, is one for Toledo-area jazz lovers to embrace.

First, take note of the title. Vocalese pioneer Jon Hendricks grew up in Toledo, and that's only part of what makes this a cool album. Another reason is that the songs are expertly sung and produced by nine-time Grammy winner Janis Siegel.

Siegel spent her career with The Manhattan Transfer, a long-running supergroup in the world of vocalized jazz. She is one of the more famous of a long list of great artists whom Hendricks influenced, which also includes Al Jarreau and Bobby McFerrin. Siegel does more than just give a nod to the style of jazz that made Hendricks famous. She deftly executes it and, in so doing, shows her love for Hendricks, who died in 2017 at age 96. Several of the songs feature lyrics that Hendricks wrote. Many jazz aficionados, including his son, have wanted people to better understand the contribution Hendricks made to music as a lyricist.

"No figure looms larger in the [vocalese] tradition than Jon Hendricks, the legendary lyricist, singer, and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross co-founder whom Time dubbed 'the James Joyce of Jive,'" a publicity statement for Siegel's album reads. "Hendricks became both mentor and close friend to Siegel over decades," it continues. "He frequently visited her Manhattan apartment with cassette tapes, headphones, and yellow legal pads spread across the room. Hendricks often described the process simply: 'The music talks to you.'" Siegel recalled that it seemed like Hendricks was "translating from one language to another." "He's translating the little black notes into emotion, into words, into stories, into meaning," she said.

I really liked the first two songs Siegel performs, both with lyrics from Hendricks: "Barbados (Back to Barbados)," inspired by bebop sax legend Charlie Parker, and "It's Sand, Man," which included a contribution from Hendricks' former bandmate, Dave Lambert. Siegel does a great job on reinterpreting the traditional song made popular by Miles Davis, "Bye Bye Blackbird," and there's a fun bounce to a Dave Brubeck song, "Unsquare Dance."

The only song I wasn't real enthralled with was her group's take on "Pick Up the Pieces," the 1974 instrumental hit that made Average White Band an overnight sensation. I have to admit, though, that my ear might be so trained to the funky instrumental version that it has trouble adapting to a slower-paced vocalized version.

Overall, this is an incredible album, Siegel's first since The Manhattan Transfer disbanded. She puts both her amazing enunciation skills on display with her vocal talent. From beginning to end, it's in the hands of a real pro, and the backup musicians who accompany her are, of course, fantastic. In addition to bebop and swing, there's a hefty dose of funk, Brazilian music, fusion, and blues.

"This record reflects where I am right now," Siegel said. "This is my culmination as a harmony singer. That's what I am really, at the core. I love being in the middle of a chord. I love hearing harmony around me and knowing I'm part of making that chord sound."