Name: Irini Konstantinidi
Main Subject: Jazz Singing
Research supervisor: Yvonne Smeets
Title of Research: Phrasing and interplay from the vocal point of view.
Phrasing as the vocalist’s tool to stimulate interplay within a jazz combo
Research Questions: How can phrasing be the tool of the jazz vocalist, in order to stimulate interplay within the band, while singing the theme or improvising?
What are the elements of phrasing that the vocalist needs to develop, in order to participate in the process of exchanging musical ideas on the spot?
Summary of Results:
Phrasing is considered to be one of the most crucial elements in music. Rhythmical phrasing in jazz can be described as the various ways in which instruments articulate their musical suggestions and eventually participate in the interplay-musical conversation. Jazz is all about having a conversation that is characterised by the spontaneous exchanging of improvised ideas on the spot. During this research, I analysed live performances of the masters and of myself and explored the elements of phrasing that need to be developed by the jazz vocalist (or any other instrument in the jazz combo) in order to be able to move freely within the form of the jazz standard tune, create interesting rhythmical variations of the theme and phrase her/his imrpovisational ideas in such a way that can stimulate interplay. Through interviewing some of the most important jazz musicians/educators of today’s international jazz scene, I collected valuable information and enhanced existing ideas into exercices about practicing phrasing and interplay.
Biography:
Irini Konstantinidi is a well-established Greek jazz vocalist currently residing and performing in The Netherlands. Reviews about Irini have been highlighting her lyrical, expressive and clear sound, with which she has achieved a personal, refined interpretation of jazz. Her creative approach to vocal improvisation makes her music performance unique. Scat singing is like an extension of her storytelling and imagination. She graduated from the Jazz department of Athenaeum Conservatory in Athens in 2006. Since then she has been performing and presenting her discography in the most important jazz venues and festivals in Greece as well as on shows of the National Greek Television and Radio. She is now collaborating as a vocalist and lyricist with Nomadic Treasures, a collective international project, based in The Netherlands.
