Day In Day Out: Piano/Vocal/Chords

This collection captures the full range of Mercer's artistry in one accessible volume, making it an invaluable resource for singers, pianists, and guitar accompanists exploring the American songbook. The inclusion of 46 standards spanning ballads, novelty songs, and jazz-inflected pieces gives performers authentic material for recitals, jazz ensembles, or cabaret programming. The piano/vocal/guitar format supports multiple performance contexts and skill levels, from solo recital preparation to ensemble collaboration.

These songs evoke the elegance and wit of the American songbook era, blending romantic lyricism with sophisticated harmony and rhythmic play. Mercer's words bring warmth and specificity to every phrase, whether painting intimate scenes or capturing the humor of everyday life, while his collaborators' melodies create settings that feel both timeless and distinctly of their era.

This songbook serves singers preparing recital programs, pianists accompanying vocal students or in jazz ensembles, guitarists looking for accessible standards with full harmonic guidance, and music teachers building a comprehensive American songbook curriculum. It's equally valuable for music theater programs, jazz combos, and anyone exploring the depth and variety of mid-twentieth-century popular song.

• Study Mercer's lyrical phrasing and use the natural speech rhythms of his words to shape your melodic interpretation; his lyrics often suggest where to breathe and where to lean into a phrase.
• Use the guitar chord frames to understand harmonic movement and voice leading, even if you're performing the piece with piano alone; Mercer standards often feature sophisticated jazz harmonies that reward careful listening.
• Consider the song's origin (stage, film, or popular recording) and listen to classic recordings to absorb the stylistic context before finalizing your arrangement choices.
• Balance the vocal line with piano accompaniment by exploring different levels of density; these songs work equally well with full chord voicings and spare, minimal accompaniment depending on the performance venue and mood you want to create.

Build a recital showcasing Mercer's range by pairing contrasting songs across the collection; a program moving from the introspective "Skylark" to the upbeat "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive" demonstrates his versatility and gives audiences a full picture of his artistic scope. This book also provides foundational material for jazz vocal courses or American music history units, allowing students to study how lyrical content shapes interpretation and performance choices.

• Interpreting complex lyrical content and using text to shape phrasing and dynamics
• Reading and performing jazz chord changes and functional harmony
• Accompanying singers with appropriate harmonic voicings on piano and guitar
• Understanding the historical and stylistic context of American popular song standards
• Developing sight-reading fluency across multiple keys and chord progressions