Exploring the Blues

Hear It and Sing It! "Exploring the Blues" is an effective tool for learning to sing and improvise on blues. Designed for people who love to sing, as well as for students and teachers in vocal jazz programs, it includes a step-by-step approach to learning blues lyrics, forms, harmony, scales and improvisation, with a brand new repertoire of songs.

Vocal examples followed by accompaniment-only tracks make learning easy and enjoyable. New songs include lyrics added to compositions by jazz greats Dexter Gordon (plus lyrics to his solo), Johnny Griffin, Gigi Gryce, Julian Priester and Norman Simmons as well as compositions by Judy Niemack and Sheila Jordan. The book includes: blues forms, scales and harmony; transcriptions of exercises and improvised solos; accurate lead sheets for 14 contemporary blues songs; examples of 12 different blues forms; scat syllables; blues riffs; "Voices in Blues" history chapter; Listening and repertoire suggestions; and two CDs. The CDs include: 14 songs and exercises sung by Judy Niemack, Sheila Jordan, Mark Murphy and Darmon Meader; "Hear It and Sing It" blues warm-ups, riffs, scales and harmony; recordings of each song featuring vocal plus accompaniment-only; exciting accompaniment tracks by top New York City jazz musicians; and more.

CONTENIDO:

Preface
About the book

1. Getting started with blues
-"A Shot of Blues Juice"
-12-measure blues
-The lyric form
-Call and response in blues lyrics

2. Learning to improvise
-Four steps to singing blues changes
-"Basic Blñues Workout"
-Scales to know
-Pentatonic minor scale
-Blues scale
-Pentatonic major scale
-Major blues scale
-Movement of thirds and sevenths
-Hear it and sing it with guitar
-Scat syllabes
-Pronunciation guide for scat syllabes

3. Blues riffs and riff blues
-"Since You've Gone"
-Scatting "Since You've Gone"
-Mark Murphy's scat solo
-Jamming with Darmon Meader

4. Minor blues
-"Something to Say"
-Soloing of minor blues
-"The Count Is Back"
-Trading twos with Sheila Jordan

5. Jazz blues
-Jazz blues progressions
-Singing the changes
-"Jazz Blues Workout"
-Developing motifs
-"New Concept (for a Blue Planet)"
-Trading fours with the drummer

6. Bird blues
-Guide tones
-"In Flight"
-Judy and Sheila trading fours

7. Blues scale on standards
-"Summer Blues"

8. Blues with a bridge
-"Ice White Blues"

9. Original blues lyrics
-"Sheila's Blues"

10. Vocalese blues
-"Run Home"

11. Odd-meter blues
-"Eros"
-"The Meeting"

12. Chromatic melody blues
-"Blues that Soothe My Soul"

13. Simultaneous improvising
-"Over the Brink"

14. Voices in blues

Appendix
Essential listening list
Blues at jam session
Blues with lyrics
Riff blues
Vocalese blues
Resources

About Judy Niemack
Judy Niemack selected discography

Acknowledgements