Dream: Piano/Vocal/Chords

This collection captures Mercer's unmatched range across 46 standards, making it an essential resource for any program that values both historical substance and immediate musical payoff. The piano-vocal format with guitar chords serves singers and accompanists equally well, whether for recital preparation, jazz repertoire study, or ensemble programming. You'll find everything from intimate ballads like 'Skylark' to infectious novelties like 'G.I. Jive,' which means you're not building a single-mood songbook but rather a complete toolkit for understanding American popular song.

Mercer's catalog spans the emotional landscape of the American experience: melancholic nocturnes that linger like smoke, joyful celebrations of life's pleasures, and wry observations about love and loss. The collection moves fluidly between sophisticated harmonic language and straightforward melodic charm, creating an intimate sense of connection between singer and listener. Whether you're interpreting the ache in 'Days of Wine and Roses' or the playful swagger of 'I'm an Old Cowhand,' these arrangements honor Mercer's gift for making the personal feel universal.

This songbook serves singers preparing solo recitals, jazz ensemble members building their standard repertoire, and music teachers seeking authentic arrangements of essential American popular songs. Piano accompanists, guitarists, and music students studying songwriting and lyrical analysis will all find immediate value in the breadth and depth of material here.

• Study the recorded versions of these standards before rehearsing; many have iconic interpretations that inform phrasing and lyrical intent, even if you ultimately chart your own course.
• Treat the guitar chord frames as a conversation with the piano part rather than a replacement for it. The chords tell you the harmonic story when you're accompanying or studying voice leading.
• Pay close attention to Mercer's use of internal rhyme and assonance within single lines. These sonic choices are integral to the song's meaning and require precise diction to land.
• Use the variety in this collection to your advantage in rehearsal: alternate between up-tempo novelties and ballads to maintain energy and prevent emotional fatigue.

Program selections from this collection alongside works by Mercer's primary collaborators (Arlen, Carmichael, Mancini) to create a thematic concert on Great American Songbook composers. Use shorter novelty numbers like 'Jeepers Creepers' or 'Goody-Goody' as concert openers or encores, reserving deeper ballads like 'Laura' or 'Autumn Leaves' for mid-program spots where they can anchor a longer set. This book also serves as primary material for jazz history units, standard repertoire classes, or vocal coaching contexts.

• Interpreting lyrics with specificity and emotional authenticity
• Reading and executing guitar chord frames at the piano
• Understanding song form through standards (AABA, ABAC, etc.)
• Sight-reading vocal melody with idiomatic phrasing marks
• Building fluency with the harmonic language of jazz standards
• Analyzing how melody and lyric interact to create meaning