The Mark Hayes Vocal Collection: Eight Favorite Solos from the Great American Songbook: Vocal Book & Acc. CD

These arrangements respect the soul of each standard while offering genuine harmonic and textural surprises that keep singers engaged and listeners invested. Hayes brings his orchestrator's sensibility to these solos, crafting accompaniments (available as piano reductions or full professional CD recordings) that frame the vocal line without overshadowing it. The collection spans a mix of holiday favorites and timeless standards, giving you programming flexibility across the calendar.

Sophisticated yet accessible, these arrangements blend the warmth of the Great American Songbook with contemporary harmonic thinking. Whether you're navigating the lush textures of a Hayes orchestration or the clever reductions in the piano part, there's a sense of purposeful arrangement work throughout, neither overstuffed nor sparse.

Advanced high school and college soloists, professional singers building recital programs, and voice instructors seeking contemporary interpretations of beloved standards. This collection appeals to performers comfortable with jazz-inflected harmony and stylistic flexibility, and to anyone drawn to fresh arrangements that respect tradition while moving beyond predictability.

• Study the recorded accompaniment first to hear how Hayes envisions the overall sound and pacing; then use the piano reduction to understand the harmonic movement beneath your melody line.
• Pay attention to where Hayes adds contemporary harmonic colors or rhythmic displacement; these moments are often where the arrangement reveals its artistry and deserve careful attention to balance and clarity.
• Let the accompaniment breathe between phrases rather than rushing to fill silence; Hayes's arrangements often create space that becomes part of the musical storytelling.

Anchor a cabaret-style recital with these eight selections, mixing the holiday items (Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, I'll Be Home for Christmas) with standards like Over the Rainbow and They Can't Take That Away from Me. Use the CD recordings for concert contexts where live piano accompaniment is unavailable, or pair the piano reductions with your own accompanist for intimate recital settings.

• Interpreting contemporary harmonic language within a tonal framework
• Balancing vocal line against sophisticated piano and orchestral accompaniment
• Stylistic flexibility across jazz, pop, and classical idioms
• Phrasing and breath management in longer melodic lines
• Expression and nuance in standards with familiar melodic material