Winner of 13 Grammy awards and seller of more than 40 million albums, Ella Fitzgerald left her mark on jazz music as “The First Lady of Song.”
Today at 6 p.m. in the Fowler Museum courtyard, three UCLA jazz vocalists will come together for the Fowler Out Loud series’ event, UCLA Women in Jazz: A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, in order to honor this legendary soulful singer.
The first of these jazz vocalists is Kana Shimanuki, a fifth-year ethnomusicology student with a concentration in jazz studies. Though Shimanuki started singing at the young age of 5 through a performance group her mother was part of, she did not gain her affinity for jazz music until high school in Orange County. Though she plays a little jazz piano and is currently learning how to play an Indian percussion instrument called the tablas, her main focus is her singing. Shimanuki said she enjoys the natural and intimate aspect of singing with accompaniment.
“When I am singing in tune with another instrument, it is like we lock, or like fitting the right puzzle piece or being able to plug your cord in the outlet, that feeling of a click with the music or musician. When that fits, it is so soothing and so comforting,” Shimanuki said.
Tonight, Shimanuki will sing three songs including “It’s Always You.” She said she hopes other people walk away from this tribute to Ella Fitzgerald with the same appreciation she feels for the jazz genre.
“I’d like people to appreciate jazz a little more. Jazz has shifted into different sounds. Jazz allowed a lot of musicians to experiment, … but I feel like not enough people have an appreciation for an American art form,” Shimanuki said.
Vocalist Teira Church, a first-year ethnomusicology student with a concentration in jazz studies, got her start singing gospel music at her grandfather’s church when she was 6 years old. She continued her singing and attended Los Angeles County High School for the Arts as well as Hamilton High School’s Academy of Music. It was during high school that Church began to focus her musical attention on jazz.
“Jazz is my thing. It just feels so right,” Church said.
While some of her musical idols include outstanding jazz musicians like Sarah Vaughan and Nina Simone, she also expressed what Ella Fitzgerald means to her in the world of music.
“Every song (Ella Fitzgerald) sings is a showstopper. Her scatting ability is impeccable. Someday I wish to be in a position where I can scat just like her. I know it is going to take years and years of practicing,” Church said.
Tonight may be the night for Church to harness some of Fitzgerald’s abilities as she sings four songs, including “Angel Eyes.”
Vanessa “Birdie” Whitford is a fourth-year ethnomusicology student with a concentration in world music studies who will also sing in remembrance of Fitzgerald. Besides doing her fair share of singing in the shower while growing up, Whitford also attended Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and studied opera. Whether she is singing jazz, opera or bluegrass, singing plays an essential role in Whitford’s life, and she said she would like to keep music in that role in the future.
“I want to be a singer, that is the only thing I want,” Whitford said. “Whenever you sing a song, you take that song and you try to assimilate it within yourself and you associate parts of your life with the emotions that the song is trying to project. … It is that freedom of being able to take it and make it into something that is your own,” Whitford said.
Tonight, Whitford will sing three songs including an upbeat piece called “A-Tisket A-Tasket” by Ella Fitzgerald. She said Fitzgerald inspired her through her devotion and knowledge of music.
“(Fitzgerald) is a like a good book, no matter how many times you listen to it or no matter how many times you read it, there is always something you will find that inspires you and inspires you to be better,” Whitford said.
Both Shimanuki and Church share similar feelings to Whitford of admiration and anticipation in singing for an event that will be commemorating Ella Fitzgerald.
“I am honored to be a part of the jazz tradition that she perfected. I know if she was alive today she would want her music performed and a celebration of her life, her dedication and her perfection in her craft,” Whitford said.