All following claims are based on statements by Jesse Passenier and Freddy Tings in their interviews.

Vocal arranging techniques

When writing vocal arrangements in a Pop-Jazz setting it is important to use strong structures in voicings.

Backing vocals should be used consciously regarding timbre (influenced by register, singing technique and loudness) and function. Since the voice is a quite flexible instrument it can imitate other instruments and their function (e.g. organ, guitar, piano, brass, synthesizer carrying harmonic, melodic and/or rhythmic information) and can be combined with other sounds like wind or other noise for special effects and textures. The most important functions of backing vocals are supporting the lead voice, creating atmosphere like a pad, answering the lead voice or providing rhythmical context.

In a live context where editing multiple takes and other recording techniques are not an option big and difficult interval jumps in vocal arrangements should be avoided as well as register switches within one vocal line where the texture should be homogenous. Also movement and the most prominent vocal aspects from a studio production have to be preserved. Potentially lost textures and qualities can be substituted by other instruments.

Studio production techniques

Since the sound of Jazz-Pop productions correlates a lot with the general trends in contemporary music, as Freddy states in his interview, the overall sound in this genre asks for authenticity and conscious decisions. This means that the main vocals should be very upfront with either (almost) no reverb or a lot of reverb. Except for acapella-like vocal arrangements the backing vocals main function sound wise is to support the main voice with a natural sound and rhythmical and tonal precision. The drums should be sounding „dead“ with no reverb and less high frequencies. The bass should add more low frequencies and sub-bass instead of being too prominent having more of a „production sound“ than a „band sound“. It is not always noticeable and also plays a lot of fills. The other instruments should have more space so they can cut through the mix while having a more natural sound. It is important not to overload the mix so that every instrument can be noticeable.

Effects like reverb, delay, distortion, instrument choice and sounds should be used consciously to create an authentic but nostalgic sound. The character should be either natural or creatively standing out where experimenting with sounds is a big part of it.

To achieve this sound plugins like the Spoundtoy plugins, Fabfilter Pro Q3, Retrocolor RC20 or Sound theory Gullfoss can be helpful.

When mastering a Jazz-Pop production it is important to not push the loudness as extreme as it was a few years ago. The high frequencies should be tamed and the very high frequencies should remain. A warm retro sound is the general goal.

Jesse Passenier is a well known dutch arranger with international references and experience. His interview will be an important foundation for my analysis and arranging process in the studio as well as for the translation of my studio production into a live setting.

The interview took place on the 6th of December 2023 at the Conservatory Maastricht. To make the information gathered in this interview easier to grasp I will summarize the answers in the form of key points.

The Interview (06.12.2023)

What are the basics to consider when writing for backing vocals and choirs on a professional level?

• Aspects and qualities of ranges
  • careful with weak parts of voices
  • careful with difficult intervals where the singers ear might get in trouble
• Strength of structures in voicings
  • Top line and bass note determines options (build a library of options for certain combinations)
    • e.g. Dominant 7 chord with 7th as the top note
      • only allows for a 9th as color in a mixolydian context (may be boring?)
      • adding the 5th would have a rather classical sound
      • sophisticated, jazzy vibe -> b9, #11 sound (octotonic or altered)
  • Nice structures, ideal structures create strength
    • e.g. major triad with 3rd on top

Which options are there when creating different textures with backing vocals?

• Vocal texture
  • Different registers
  • Loudness, dynamics
  • coloring
    • airy or non-airy
    • resonances and overtones
• Texture in orchestration
  • kind of motions of the different voices
    • all homophonous long notes („ohh“, „ahh“)
    • imitation of other instruments like brass or filter sweeps
      • Jacob collier note pyramids sound like a guitar or an organ if held out
      • dynamic effects and transitions
    • different roles for different voices
      • long lines „uhh“, „ahh“
      • ad lip
      • sound effect
      • second line for main melody
    • coloring in orchestration of single lines
      • doubling of „different instruments“
      • changing of vocal textures
      • different static or dynamic (e.g. pulsating transition between two different vowels like „ahh-ohh-ahh-ohh“)vowels layered on top of the main syllables
    • combining a stable voice with unstable sounds
      • creating synthesizer-like sounds for specific effects
      • adding vocal sound effects like wind etc. (more sounds than vocal lines)
• Typical combination
  • 1 male + 2 females
  • anything is possible

Which functions can backing vocals have?

• quite endless possibilities when it comes to creativity
  • Sound effect choir from Hollywood
    • does a lot of sound effects e.g. for commercials
      • voice use
      • voice percussion
      • body percussion
• in contemporary productions
  • supporting main voice
    • doubling
    • octaves
    • harmony
  • countermelodies
  • pad sound for atmosphere
  • question and answer gestures / fills
    • important for layering the music
    • using spaces in the main voice for creating answers
    • e.g. three voices doing similar motives after each other resulting in standing notes and then voice leading into chords
  • percussive sounds
    • a lot of singers are not used to it
      • needs energy, the right pitch and certainty, otherwise it sounds shy and off
• voices can switch functions fluently whenever needed, even within one phrase
  • e.g. Jacob Collier and Take 6 jump functions a lot (e.g. percussive to choir to solo-line)
• difficult to make backing vocals sound right, like musical voices
  • not stiff, boring or un-dynamic
  • start from moment one with right intention and attitude
    • focus from the beginning on sound and not only on notes

Tips for transferring produces backings into a live setting?

• depends on the situation
• reduction is one of the hardest things
  • when e.g. reducing three voices to one all of the texture/harmony gets lost
    • Solution: substitute all those ideas with other instruments in the band (keys, guitar etc.)
  • reducing choirs/multi-layered studio recordings to small band setting (e.g 30 to 3 or 4)
    • listen to result of studio-production, what is prominent?
    • prominent things need to remain
    • small ear candy/noisyness/far-back-textural features can be solves through other instruments
    • the front feature things have priority
  • effects/plugins can solve textural issues in live context
    • effect chaines e.g. delay etc.
• think in layers
  • foreground
    • obligartory
  • middleground
  • background
• preserve movement rather than roles
• the drama bow that comes out has to work!
• switching functions within a single voice

Freddy Tings is a skilled producer teaching at the Conservatory Maastricht. He produces, mixes, masters and releases his own music from which he draws his real life experience and knowledge of current trends and developments in the modern producing scene. His knowledge will help me to recognize and analyze the music production techniques used is Jamie Cullum’s and Jacob Collier’s music and put them into context.

The interview took place on the 7th of June 2024 at the Conservatory Maastricht. To make the information gathered in this interview easier to grasp I will summarize the answers in the form of key points.

The Interview (07.06.2024)

What are the most obvious general developments regarding sound in the world of vocal Pop-Jazz music these days?

• general trends in music (apply also to Pop-Jazz)
  • vocal upfront, very loud but not as harsh as 5,6 years ago
  • slightly more natural sound (less pushed) than 5,6 years ago
• trends in Jazz-Pop 
  • more experimenting with sounds
    • e.g. unusual use of phaser
    • more distortion than necessary
    • strange delay pitched around etc.
• Indie bands also show these developments quite clearly
  • 10 years ago: dense, composed, pop-sound
  • today: moody, intimate sound, details in sound are more present
    • e.g. audible movements of the drummer
    • bassline is noticeable but not all the time e.g. more fills
    • it is all about authenticity!
    • e.g. no use of shaker just to have a shaker
• Generally ether very extreme sounds (e.g. TikTok) or very authentic, natural sounds
  • no more middle way „major-label-like-sound“ mainstream-hit
  • niche is mainstram and niche is always authentic, standard mainstream is no more really existent
  • no more music for „the broad public“ because there is no more broad general public because of the individualization of listening habits through online streaming
  • you need to be authentic in order to have a real target audience

Which current developments can be found when looking at the different instruments in detail?

• Vocal
  • very upfront
  • no reverb („dry sound“)
  • or a lot of reverb
• drums
  • no reverb
  • no present high frequencies („dead drums“)
    • comes from drummers on TikTok inspiring each other also sound wise -> recordings not in big studios but in „dead“ rooms (e.g. bedroom with no natural reverb due to absorption of sound by blankets, beds, curtains etc.)
  • examples: Phoebe Bridgers sounds
  • Kick and Snare no reverb
  • cymbald a little tamed
• backing vocals
  • more natural sounds
  • very polished
    • time correction
    • pitch correction
  • only support main vocals
  • exception: acapella like vocal arrangements
• bass
  • sub bass-like sound
  • adding low frequencies
  • development from „band-sound“ to production-sound“
  • upright bass is a statement these days
• piano/keys/guitar
  • a lot of sub-genres with own sounds that reflect into bigger genres
  • generally a lot of experimenting with sounds
  • piano-sounds warmer than 10 years ago
  • more space for piano so it doesn’t need to be as harsh sounding to be able to cut through the mix
• strings/brass/pad-sounds
  • „Neo-retro“ -> sound like they come from the 80’s but with modern frequencies
  • nostalgia is a very big part of it
• General Instrument sound is more noticeable/present
  • in general more tidied up/not as dense mixed so every instrument can be more present

What are the current developments regarding the use of effects in the Jazz-Pop-production realm?

• Jazz is generally a more conservative genre
  • if used the effect has to really stand out (e.g. sampled voice)
  • also there a lot of experimentation with sounds in current productions
• Jazz-pop developments are a little bit slower -> same as jazz, but with a few years delay
• big influence of technical developments
  • everyone can produce nowadays with only a laptop
  • no more limits of effects and tracks in DAWs -> more freedom
  • plugins easily manipulate sounds without having to have a deep knowledge of what they exactly do
    • factory presets are often enough to make boring sound interesting
    • easy to use interfaces -> big parts of sound processing are automated/simplified (example: knob for „warmth“)
• Plugins:
  • all Soundtoys plugins (e.g. decristalizer)
  • Fabfilter -> very neutral, but really good
    • proQ3 is probably the most used plugin
  • Retrocolor RC20
    • more a „producing-plugin“ than a „mixing-plugin“
    • for the trending retro sound
  • Oeksound-plugins
    • Soothe 2
    • bloom
  • Soundtheory
    • Gullfoss

Which aspects regarding sound are important when mastering Jazz-Pop music these days?

• dependent on genre
• less sharp high frequencies, highs are still there but even higher -> sounds less sharp for the ear
• loudness still important but generally not quite as pushed as before