Trafficking With Cynics: Lead Sheet / Fake Book

The title suggests a composition with wit and perhaps mild irreverence. The lead sheet format keeps focus on the melodic line while the harmonic foundation supports thoughtful expression.

Singers developing jazz or contemporary interpretive skills, pianists building fluency with lead sheet reading and voicing, and educators looking for accessible original compositions with real substance. This works equally well for solo study or small ensemble work.

• Pay attention to the harmonic rhythm on the page. Eiseman's voicings suggest specific comping approaches that serve the melody rather than overshadow it.
• Experiment with the accompaniment density. A lead sheet invites interpretation, so try versions with sparse accompaniment and fuller textures to find what serves the lyrical content.
• Balance vocal phrasing with the keyboard's rhythmic foundation. The three pages reward singers who listen closely to how the harmonic support shifts beneath different phrases.

Include this in a jazz or contemporary standards concert where it can sit comfortably alongside more familiar material. The three-page length makes it suitable for a pianist to feature a vocalist, or for keyboard students to use as a repertoire building block.

• Reading and interpreting lead sheet notation
• Vocal interpretation over provided harmonic framework
• Keyboard voicing choices and accompaniment textures
• Understanding form and harmonic progression in contemporary composition