Emma Lewis examines Ella Fitzgerald

This past summer, Desautels Faculty of Music student Emma Lewis explored this delicate balance through her Undergraduate Research Award (URA) project, which involved a detailed study of the legendary collaborations between Ella Fitzgerald and guitarist Joe Pass recorded between 1973 and 1984. Working under the mentorship of Professor Karl Kohut, Lewis spent her summer meticulously transcribing and analyzing these recordings to investigate the vocalist's role when the safety net of a full band is removed.

Melody and mystery

While Fitzgerald is globally recognized for her massive vocal range and scat mastery, Lewis’s research focused on melodic interpretation and how Ella manipulated standard melodies into something uniquely her own. By creating a collection of musical transcriptions, Lewis identified several key techniques Fitzgerald used to command the duo space. These included rhythmic anticipation and harmonic generalization, where Ella would occasionally ignore specific chord changes in favor of the tonic blues scale to create tension. Lewis' study also delved into the often-overlooked area of syllabic choice, turning the abstract brilliance of Fitzgerald’s improvisations into a tangible resource.
 

You too can sing like Ella

The project was born out of Lewis’s own performance practice as a vocalist who frequently performs in guitar-voice duos. Beyond improving her own intervallic and rhythmic ear training, Lewis has used her findings to develop pedagogical materials, such as "5 Ways to Sing Like Ella" guides, designed to help other students navigate ballads, medium and up-tempo swing tunes. These resources address a gap in jazz vocal pedagogy, which often lacks specific research regarding small group contexts and melodic elaboration.

For Lewis, the Undergraduate Research Awards provided a vital bridge between her undergraduate studies and her future goal of pursuing a Master’s degree in jazz performance. After many summers spent working at summer camps, the opportunity to treat musical research as a full-time career path was a welcome change. By documenting Fitzgerald's sophisticated approach to the duo setting, Lewis is ensuring that the techniques of the First Lady of Song continue to provide a roadmap for the next generation of vocalists at the University of Manitoba.