New short-term goal: learn to sing ten standards. I want to be able to break into song more often; I keep forgetting how much I love to sing—the physical interaction with the world, the emotional outlet, and all the great feelings that come from the forced breath of song.
But which tunes to learn?
I’m looking in the realm of jazz classics, show tunes, “easy listening” and blues. I’ll skip the pop hits, country western, and opera. I already have a repertoire of folk songs, so I’ll give them a pass for now.
I’m enjoying the novelty songs from the 20s, but I don’t know if I can do justice to Dangerous Nan McGrew. Maybe I’d better stick to Ain’t Misbehavin’.
Tod suggested Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone.
What would you choose?
Posted by kuri at April 24, 2005 10:01 AMYou could get 10 standards just from Cole Porter, but aim to look a little further afield. Start with Begin the Beguine, Night and Day, It’s De-lovely, and Anything Goes, say, and then see what Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler can do for you: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Get Happy, The Man That Got Away (stay away from Over the Rainbow).
Gershwin’s Embraceable You should be something that anyone can sing at the drop of a hat (or, more to the point, the flutter of an eyelid).
And then there’s A Fine Romance, Dancing Cheek to Cheek, The Very Thought of You, I’ll Be Seeing You, I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, After You’ve Gone, Body and Soul, All of Me, These Foolish Things, Bei Mir Bist Du Schon, Stardust, and Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (just kidding).
The trouble is going to be choosing which ten….
Posted by: jh on April 24, 2005 10:57 AMBlack Coffee and Fever.
Posted by: Jennifer on April 24, 2005 08:11 PMAnything big band honey!! I have an interesting sound track from the movie, “Little Voice”. It has some great tunes on it and I sing along with them via my iShuffle. If you would like to hear it, let me know.
Posted by: T on April 25, 2005 03:14 PMI would nominate “You Don’t Know What Love Is”, “Nature Boy” and “My Funny Valentine”:-)
Posted by: Kimura on April 25, 2005 09:18 PM
I assume you mean songs in English, not Enka standards…
Anything from Rogers and Hart. Ella Fitzgerald recorded the Rogers and Hart Songbook. It’s a two CD set on Verve.
Linda Ronstadt did a CD or two of the standards; with Nelson Riddle. Here’s one:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000002H3L/qid=1114443347/sr=1-8/ref=sr_1_8/104-7614523-4438304?v=glance&s=music
Most of Diana Krall’s CDs will fit what you’re looking for too.
mike underbar rosenlof at yahoo dot com
