Vocal Improvisation: Vocal Book & CD

Weir's insider perspective as both a professional jazz vocalist and educator means every exercise targets real musical problems singers actually face. The interviews with DeeDee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Jon Hendricks, Sheila Jordan, and others provide voices of authority that reinforce concepts while showing students the breadth of approaches within jazz singing.

This resource feels like sitting down for a masterclass with someone who has been on the bandstand and in the classroom. The conversational interviews and practical exercises create an encouraging atmosphere where exploration feels natural rather than intimidating.

Jazz singers at any level of experience, from high school vocal jazz students through working professionals seeking to deepen their improvisational toolkit. Instrumentalists developing their jazz articulation and ear training will find the vocal examples and theory chapters equally valuable for connecting theory to sound.

• Use the stereo separation on the CD strategically. In early rehearsals, sing with the full rhythm section to lock into the groove; once students internalize the changes, isolate just the piano and bass to sharpen their harmonic awareness.
• Work through the transcription solos included in the book before attempting original improvisation. Absorbing how professional singers phrase and articulate gives students a vocabulary they can draw from naturally.
• Apply the keyboard chapter exercises at the piano yourself, even if you're primarily a vocalist. Understanding what the accompaniment is doing transforms how you hear your own melodic lines and harmonic possibilities.
• Return to the jazz theory section repeatedly as you progress through the material. Early readings will clarify the 'why' behind each exercise, and later readings will reveal deeper applications you initially missed.

Use this as the foundational text for a vocal jazz elective or as supplementary material in a jazz ensemble class where singers need individual development. The CD accompaniments allow students to practice independently between rehearsals, making it ideal for building accountability in a large ensemble setting.

• Rhythmic flexibility and phrasing over jazz changes
• Scat articulation and syllable choices
• Listening for and responding to harmonic movement
• Transcription of professional vocal solos
• Jazz chord-scale relationships and their application to melody
• Call-and-response techniques with accompaniment