Anything Goes (From "Anything Goes"): Piano/Vocal/Chords

This collection captures the elegance and sophistication of Cole Porter's songwriting through Bennett's masterful interpretations, making it an invaluable resource for singers studying American song repertoire and jazz standards. The piano/vocal arrangement format allows pianists to accompany singers while learning how to voice and phrase these classics with style and nuance. Bennett's recordings demonstrate how to balance lyrical clarity with musical architecture—a lesson every vocalist and accompanist needs.

These songs carry the urbane wit, romantic yearning, and lyrical sophistication of 1930s and 1940s American musical theater. Bennett's performances radiate ease and confidence while conveying genuine emotion, inviting you into a world where clever rhymes, complex harmonies, and genuine human feeling coexist seamlessly.

Singers preparing audition material, jazz standards repertoire, or concert programming will find Bennett's interpretations essential models for stylistic accuracy and emotional depth. Pianists accompanying singers in studio, recital, or educational settings can reference these arrangements to understand voice-leading, harmonic support, and the art of backing a vocalist with sophistication.

• Listen to Bennett's recording before learning the song; his approach to rubato, phrasing, and breath placement will inform your understanding of the melody's contours and emotional intent.
• Pay close attention to chord changes and harmonic movement, particularly in Porter's sophisticated bridge sections, to ensure your accompaniment supports rather than fights the vocal line.
• Shape phrases around the lyric, allowing words to guide dynamics and tempo rather than imposing a rigid metronomic feel; Porter's melodies are meant to serve the poetry.
• Use pedal strategically to enhance harmonic color without muddying the clarity of the vocal line, especially in ballads like 'Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye.'

Include individual selections in a jazz standards concert or American songbook recital to establish continuity and showcase the depth of Porter's catalog. This arrangement works equally well as a solo piano piece (omitting the vocal line) or as an accompanying resource for a singer program themed around Bennett's legacy or mid-century popular song.

• Interpreting swing and jazz phrasing in a vocal context
• Reading and playing jazz chord symbols and jazz voicings
• Accompanying singers with harmonic sensitivity and textural flexibility
• Understanding the relationship between lyric rhythm and melodic phrasing
• Analyzing and performing sophisticated harmonic progressions typical of golden-age American song