A Dreamer's Holiday: Lead Sheet / Fake Book

This lead sheet captures one of Como's signature vehicles, giving your singers and keyboardists the chance to inhabit a classic mid-century pop standard. The straightforward changes and elegant simplicity of the tune make it accessible for students while demanding genuine musicality to breathe life into it.

Wistful and gently nostalgic, the song floats with the ease of a Sunday afternoon memory. There's an unpressured quality to the melody that invites the performer to settle into the story rather than rush through it.

Vocalists preparing standards for jazz choir, coffeehouse settings, or formal recitals will find this a natural choice. Keyboard players can use it for ensemble work or as a vehicle for learning how to support a vocalist in a jazz or cabaret context.

• Shape the melody with rubato in mind; this tune rewards a vocalist who can push and pull the phrase slightly ahead or behind the beat for conversational effect.
• Keep the comping sparse and conversational rather than busily filled. The best setting for this song creates space for the voice.
• Pay attention to vowel consistency on the sustained notes, particularly in the hook. Even a single wavering vowel will pull focus from the lyric.

Pair this with other Como recordings or mid-century standards to build a themed set celebrating American vocal jazz traditions. It works particularly well as an encore or as part of a casual concert where the focus is on intimate storytelling rather than technical display.

• Phrasing standards with attention to lyrical meaning rather than mechanical rhythm
• Comping in a jazz ballad context with minimal, supportive voicings
• Intonation stability on sustained tones and space notes
• Interpreting swing in a relaxed, conversational manner