On this episode of The Breakdown, vocalist and 2017 NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater coaches three vocalists with varying levels of experience on her philosophy and concept behind the classic technique of “scatting” as a method of soloing as a singer. She stresses the importance of keeping the melody at the forefront, thinking of a specific instrument when improvising, being mindful of breathing and projecting, and more. Vocalists include Tiffany Austin, Joshua Prabhakar, and Sona Kempner. The episode concludes with a duet between Bridgewater and Austin on the classic Isham Jones composition “There Is No Greater Love” with accompanist Joseph Lauerman.

ABOUT DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER

Describing Dee Dee Bridgewater as one of the most brilliant jazz singers of her generation just doesn't do her justice. Through the sheer force of her ebullient personality, not to mention her astounding vocal chops, the two-time GRAMMY-winner is a commanding entertainer who charms and seduces an audience.

Since she first gained recognition in the early 1970s with the great Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra she’s thrived wherever she’s landed, from Broadway, where she earned a Tony Award for her work in the original production of The Wiz, to Paris, where she spent more than a decade as France’s greatest champion of jazz.

After moving back to the US in 1999 Bridgewater quickly regained visibility at home with a series of brilliant albums, while also hosting NPR’s syndicated radio show JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater. A restless musical explorer who has collaborated with masters musicians of Mali, interpreted the caustic cabaret of Kurt Weill, and delved deeply into funky hard bop of Horace Silver, Bridgewater has never been content with the confines of the American Songbook. Setting a daunting standard as an improviser and a bandleader, she continues to break new ground.