Some two years ago, I moderated a panel at the International Association for Jazz Education convention in Long Beach, Calif., to discuss the tension between jazz's vocal and instrumental camps. Titled "The Song Is Who?", the topics ranged from the role of accompaniment and importance of musical literacy to sexism and what it takes to merit the status of a "true musician," something singers are routinely denied.

Only in the meet-and-greet afterwards, however, did singer Nora York voice a bone of contention overlooked during the panel. "Nobody wanted to say it," she told me under her breath. "But you know what? It's really about the money."

Commercial success is an important feature when it comes to the dominant image we have of singers today, especially given the prominence of Diana Krall, Peter Cincotti and Norah Jones. As a point of friction, it may spend more time brewing behind the scenes than in plain view, but it occasionally bubbles to the surface. Referring to the rift between vocalists and instrumentalists that this perception has caused, Jimmy Scott is matter-of-fact. "The record companies did that," he says. "It's about the money." It's also presumed that singers have greater opportunities than their instrumental counterparts. As Kurt Elling has said on occasion, "I play the right instrument."

For the complete article, please see our December 2003 issue. What follows is Web-exclusive material to supplement the main feature.