Approaching the Standards for Jazz Vocalists: Vocal Book & Online Audio

This collection moves through the essential vocabulary of American songwriting—from the blues sensibility of "Now's the Time" to the lyrical sophistication of "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" to the bebop angularity of "Tenor Madness." You'll work through tunes that range from straightforward swing grooves to more complex harmonic territory, building confidence and ear awareness as you progress.

Jazz singers at any stage from beginner through intermediate, whether working solo or in ensemble settings. The dual recording (demo and sing-along) makes it equally useful for private study and group workshop contexts, and the inclusive design means any vocalist can access the material regardless of range or background.

• Use the online audio to internalize the rhythmic and harmonic language of each standard before attempting your own improvisation, then gradually step away from the recordings as your ear develops.
• Study the written improvisation examples not as templates to copy but as windows into how experienced vocalists negotiate phrase length, rhythmic displacement, and lyrical content simultaneously.
• Record yourself singing over the accompaniment tracks and listen back with the transcription examples in hand, comparing your phrasing choices to the models provided.
• Prioritize the composer insights for each tune; understanding what the song meant to its creator shapes how you'll inhabit and eventually reimagine it.

Use these standards as stepping stones into a jazz vocal unit or recital context, pairing them with ensemble work or small-group performances. The book's transcription and vocabulary focus make it ideal for a spring jazz intensive or summer vocal jazz workshop, where singers can workshop one or two tunes deeply before performance.

• Jazz melody improvisation over known harmonic progressions
• Transcription and ear training by learning recorded vocal examples
• Understanding jazz vocabulary and phrasing conventions specific to vocal expression
• Reharmonization and melodic reinterpretation of standard song forms
• Historical and contextual knowledge of the songs and their composers
• Rhythmic flexibility and swing feel applied to lyrical singing