Take the "A" Train: Piano/Vocal/Chords

This collection gathers 75 standards with piano/vocal/chords voicings, making it invaluable for pianists accompanying singers, guitarists supporting vocalists, and solo performers building a jazz repertoire. The breadth spans from swing-era classics to show tunes and jazz ballads, offering genuine variety rather than retreading the same well-worn titles. Strayhorn's own masterpiece anchors the book, but the surrounding standards represent the jazz and popular music landscape he inhabited and influenced.

Opening this book is like stepping into a well-appointed supper club where the music spans decades but never feels dated. The standards carry the elegance and sophistication of the jazz world while remaining accessible enough for a first read-through, with harmonic language that ranges from straightforward diatonic progressions to the more intricate chord changes that defined the sophisticated side of American songwriting. There's warmth here: music written for singers and dancers, for celebration and heartbreak, for the specific pleasure of live performance.

Pianists and guitarists who accompany singers in jazz clubs, recitals, weddings, and studio sessions will find this collection immediately useful for both prepared performances and spontaneous requests. Vocalists building a standards repertoire or preparing for jazz auditions can learn these melodies and harmonic structures with reliable lead sheets. Solo performers and teachers looking to round out their jazz repertoire with historically important material will appreciate the curated selection.

• Treat chord symbols as a foundation for comping rather than strict harmonic law; jazz voicings reward reharmonization and reinterpretation based on the vocalist's phrasing and the harmonic moment.
• Listen to multiple recorded versions of each standard before rehearsing with singers; understanding how different eras and artists approached tempo, rubato, and feel will inform your own accompaniment choices.
• Work out walking bass lines or rootless voicings in advance for uptempo swingers; having these shapes ready prevents hesitation during live performance while leaving room for spontaneous response to the vocalist.
• Balance accompaniment texture by listening to whether your vocalist needs full harmonic support or space to breathe; some standards benefit from lean, spacious playing while others thrive with richer comping.

Build a standards-focused recital around clusters of songs from this collection, organizing by era, mood, or theme rather than composer; a program mixing uptempo swingers with ballads and novelty numbers creates natural pacing and variety. Use it as a reference book for spontaneous programming needs: when a vocalist requests a particular standard or when you need repertoire for an informal performance, having 75 reliable arrangements at hand saves preparation time. This book also serves musicians preparing for jazz auditions or those building a personal library of performance-ready material.

• Reading piano/vocal/chord lead sheets and understanding the relationship between melody, lyrics, and harmony
• Accompanying singers with appropriate texture, dynamics, and responsiveness to phrasing
• Jazz comping techniques including reharmonization, rhythmic flexibility, and conversational interplay with vocalists
• Recognizing harmonic patterns and chord substitutions common across the jazz standards repertoire
• Interpreting rhythmic notation and swing feel in the context of popular and jazz idioms