Jay Clayton's Jazz Vocal Practice Series, Volume 1: Vocal CD

This CD gives singers direct access to a master teacher's approach to the fundamentals that matter most: breath control, range expansion, and intonation accuracy. Rather than generic exercises, these workouts reflect decades of professional jazz singing experience, designed specifically to build the control and flexibility jazz requires.

Intimate and direct. Clayton's voice guides you through carefully sequenced exercises that build incrementally, warming your voice while systematically expanding what your instrument can do. The experience feels less like working alone and more like receiving personalized coaching.

Jazz singers at any experience level who want to strengthen their technical foundation through guided, structured work. This is ideal for singers developing a serious daily practice routine, whether preparing for auditions, gigs, or simply deepening their command of their instrument.

• Commit to a consistent daily routine with the CD. The sequencing works best when practiced regularly, allowing your voice to adapt and strengthen over time rather than in sporadic sessions.
• Focus on the breath control exercises first, even if they feel less musical than range-building work. Solid breath foundation transforms everything that follows.
• Listen closely to the intonation demands in each workout. Jazz phrasing often requires pitch flexibility that differs from classical singing, so match Clayton's inflections precisely during these sequences.
• Record yourself periodically as you progress through the CD. Comparing your voice across weeks reveals changes in control and clarity that are harder to notice in the moment.

Assign this as a core daily practice tool for jazz voice students, especially those working toward performance readiness. It pairs well with repertoire study and ear training, functioning as the technical scaffolding that makes authentic jazz interpretation possible.

• Breath control and support for sustained phrasing
• Range extension and flexibility across the passaggio
• Intonation accuracy in jazz contexts
• Vocal strength and endurance
• Pitch flexibility and microtonal awareness