The Jazz Singer's Handbook: Book & Online Audio

by Michele Weir

The Jazz Singer's Handbook provides an inspiring and practical window of insight into the world of professional jazz singing. Drawing upon an impressive career as an arranger, teacher, singer, pianist, and clinician, Michele Weir (faculty, UCLA) has distilled her experiences and observations into two handbook the artistry and the mastery of singing jazz. Also included is a jazz chord library, a professional resource guide, a review of music fundamentals, and an index of terms and symbols. The online audio includes sing-along tracks for standard songs, many of which are in two keys for different voice ranges, plus recorded examples of the performance and arranging concepts presented in the text.

Genres: Music

96 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2005

Reviews

[kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is truly a handbook in the best sense – handy, concise, practical. I learned so many new things I could apply right away at my next rehearsal or gig. If you’re like me and don’t have formal training but have found yourself singing with a jazz ensemble, this is a must-read.

The book was also incredibly helpful for giving me language for things I’ve been able to hear but not talk about articulately – for example, tone color and what it means to sound “rich and warm” vs breathy or bright and focused. This is where the audio component is necessary (make sure you get a new book or used one with an unredeemed code). She has great demonstrations of coloring the melody (inflections, ornamentations, etc.) among other demos.

I was surprised that she emphasized lyrics so much. This was probably the lesson I needed most because I tend to focus on the melody more over lyrics. Maybe it’s because I consider myself a musician first, but I tend to think of lyrics as mere syllables to express a great melody and mood. (Sorry, lyricists!) I have more appreciation for lyrics and how to interpret them now.

My only complaint is the writing. Every other sentence is in passive voice (ugh!) and almost every page is littered with punctuation errors. Maybe the 2nd edition will have a budget for an editor. And here’s a note for that future editor: I was really confused by the annotation of rhythmic kicks. I think it needs a diagram pointing to exactly the part you mean.

I should also add that I got to have a coaching session with the author herself! She’s very warm and creates an experimental, safe environment to practice and get honest feedback.