10 | Introducing Jazz Repertoire to Young Singers: Interview with Mim Adams
Why is vocal jazz is so fantastic for young (teen) singers? Jazz Educator and co-author of the FULL VOICE Workbooks, Mim Adams discusses why this genre is essential for the developing singer. She breaks down the unique musical challenges in this popular genre and offers great repertoire suggestions including what songs to start with, and five songs to avoid!
Mim’s top jazz repertoire recommendations:
1. Start your young singers off with jazz standards that have a relatable story:
- I Fall in Love Too Easily (Styne/Cahn) – Chet Baker https://youtu.be/3zrSoHgAAWo
Honourable mentions:
- Everything Happens to Me (Adair/Dennis)
- Imagination (Van Heusen/Burke)
- In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning (Mann/Hilliard)
- That’s All (Brandt/Haymes)
2. Songs that allow singers to begin experimenting with melodic and rhythmic embellishment. (aka, songs with long notes)
- Blue Moon (Rodgers/Hart) – Billie Holiday https://youtu.be/ntDnwBiORu8
Honourable mentions:
- Time After Time (Styne/Cahn)
- What Is This Thing Called Love (Porter)
- I’ve Never Been in Love Before (Loesser)
- Moonlight in Vermont (Blackburn/Suessdorf)
3. Songs that have simple harmony and are really good for introduction to melodic embellishment and scatting:
- Centerpiece (Edison/Hendricks) – Lambert, Hendricks & Ross https://youtu.be/QVpW490YCaU
- Comes Love (Stept/Brown/Tobias) – Stacey Kent https://youtu.be/1-eDK2TYgmU
Honourable mentions:
- All of Me (Marks/Simons)
- Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (Farrés)
- I Want To Be Happy (Youmans/Caesar)
4. Songs with awesome swinging rhythms to help develop the appropriate feel:
- They All Laughed (Gershwin/Gershwin) – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong https://youtu.be/ppFVmnmpGz8
Honourable mentions:
- Witchcraft (Coleman/Leigh)
- Just in Time (Styne/Comden/Green)
- I Thought About You (Van Heusen/Mercer)
5. Simple jazz songs with complex chord sounds (7th chords and extensions instead of triads):
- There’s No You (Hopper/Adair) – June Christy https://youtu.be/RvB33qRAXe4
Honourable mention:
- Born to Be Blue (Tormé/Wells)
And here’s a resource we like with great backing tracks: https://www.halleonard.com/product/740181/jazz-standards-for-women-singers
About Our Guest:
Mim Adams is a vocalist, private voice teacher and jazz educator in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is also the co-author of the FULL VOICE Workbooks and one amazing voice arranger.
See Mim’s detailed bio here: https://mimadams.com/about-contact/
