Popular Performer: Great American Songbook, Book 2: Piano Book

Coates has a distinctive talent for honoring these standards while writing idiomatically for the piano. Each arrangement sits comfortably under the hands and builds genuine sophistication without demanding virtuosic technique, making this collection rewarding for intermediate-advanced pianists who want substantial repertoire that audiences actually recognize and love.

These arrangements capture the elegance and sophistication of the Great American Songbook while sounding fresh under the hands. The writing is pianistic and expressive, honoring the jazz sensibilities and romantic sweep of each standard.

Advanced pianists preparing recital material, hobbyists building a collection of standards they love, and professional musicians seeking well-crafted arrangements of enduring repertoire. This book serves anyone who wants these beloved melodies at their fingertips without technical barriers to performance.

• Balance the melody against the harmonic foundation. These songs succeed when the tune sings clearly, so voice the supporting material to enhance rather than compete with the primary line.
• Lean into the jazz harmonies and voice leading that Coates includes. The sophistication of these arrangements emerges through attention to chord color, not just tempo and dynamics.
• Let rubato serve the lyrical quality of these standards. These are songs with roots in vocal tradition; phrasing that breathes with the melody will feel more natural than metronomic precision.
• Explore the recorded versions of these songs before learning the arrangement. Hearing Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, or other classic interpreters will inform your interpretive choices and help you understand what these melodies are meant to express.

Program selections from this collection alongside classical sonata movements or contemporary art songs for a recital that showcases interpretive range. A complete Coates standard or two makes an accessible closer that audiences will leave humming, or pair one as an encore that shifts the mood of a concert.

• Voice leading and harmonic awareness through jazz-influenced chords
• Stylistic interpretation of songs with roots in vocal tradition
• Pedal technique for blending rich harmonic colors
• Balancing melody and accompaniment in mid-range texture
• Musicality and rubato in the context of familiar melodies