Jamey Aebersold Jazz, Volume 117: Cole Porter for Singers: Vocal Book & 2 CDs

Cole Porter's melodies are instantly recognizable and endlessly rewarding to sing, but finding the right key for your ensemble used to mean transposing by hand. Aebersold solves this by providing each of the fourteen standards in two keys, paired with carefully calibrated rhythm section recordings that stay tight and supportive. Your soloists get professional backing that matches their range.

Cole Porter's standards shimmer with sophistication and playfulness. These arrangements preserve that character; the rhythm section is polished but never stiff, giving singers room to breathe and phrase naturally while staying grounded in strong harmonic support. Singing over these recordings feels like having access to a top-tier jazz combo in your practice room.

Jazz singers preparing for solo performance, recitals, or auditions; vocal jazz combos and ensembles; and music teachers building a repertoire of singable standards. This works equally well for the teenager discovering these songs for the first time and the experienced vocalist seeking reliable accompaniment in a new key.

• Encourage singers to study the lyrics before the first rehearsal. Porter's wit lives in the words, and understanding the text transforms a nice melody into a great performance.
• Use the recorded accompaniment in rehearsals to establish tempo and feel, then gradually shift to live piano as your singers gain confidence with the changes.
• Work the bridge separately from the A sections. Many of these tunes modulate or shift harmonic territory in the middle eight, and isolating that section prevents stumbles.
• Pair high and low voice recordings strategically. If you're performing with both male and female singers, rehearse them on their respective tracks, then blend them together on piano.

Feature these in a jazz or standards concert, or use them as the foundation for a vocalist recital. You can also integrate individual tunes into a mixed vocal program to demonstrate how a single great song can bridge classical training and jazz interpretive skills. The two-key option means you can program the same tune twice with different singers, turning a limitation into a programming asset.

• Navigating jazz harmony and chord changes while maintaining lyrical integrity
• Interpreting Porter's sophisticated lyrics with appropriate phrasing and diction
• Transposing and adapting vocal range without losing musical character
• Working confidently with recorded accompaniment and adjusting to rhythm section feel
• Building swing vocabulary and jazz articulation within a traditional standards repertoire