Old jazz song recommendations

[Jux]

DD (14) needs some new songs to sing. Thought old jazz standards would be good, like Misty, but can't think of too many. Things which will have a fairly good range and a recognisable tune, so more than just 3 or 4 notes!

Also recommendations of singers she could listen to performing such songs.

Thank you!

Another thread has just reminded me of Dory Previn too (OK, not quite lounge jazz , but definitely proper songs wiv choons).

Ella Fitzgerald? Thinking of range, there are some of hers which are quite narrow but some much broader- Someone to watch over me maybe?

What kind of voice does your DD have?

Youtube Chet Baker. There's all the old jazz standards sung in his unbelievably mellifluous voice. My Funny Valentine is my favourite.

Someone to watch over me - lovely!

Can't believe I'd forgotten My Funny Valentine! Good suggestion re Chet Baker.

Polly, it's very pure and true. She sings a lot of classical stuff, but also folk and country. Mammas and Pappas, that sort of thing.

DH would like some older jazz stuff too, like Is you is or is you ain't and so on, but my brain isn't working.

She might like a song called'June'. It's not jazz, more modern classical- will try and find a link, hang on.

If she has a very pure, true voice, how about some Karen Carpenter stuff?

Grr can't find 'June', sorry. How about stuff from old musicals eg 'if I were a bell' from guys and dolls?

Don't know Guys & Dolls, but I was thinking of a song from Showboat, just can't remember the name. I'll have a look at G&D. Thanks.

Can you tell me a bit more about June? Composer, performer, anything? Maybe between us we could find it.

KC is out I'm afraid. My ever-tolerant and open minded dh put the kibosh on her years ago, so dd thinks The Carpenters are awful. One day - when she's left home - she may go back on that, though she's done her main bit of musical rebellion by getting into folk - particularly Irish folk - in the first place (makes dh scream ), and then bands like Omnia and Evanescence.

DH is encouraging jazz as he can tolerate it slightly more easily than folk. As compensation, he will be doing some rock with her. I think he's got her choosing some Free...

It's a delicate balance

No I can't :( I sang it myself once and can 'hear' the tune in my head but only remember snippets of the lyrics, which aren't coming up on google. Sorry :(

Guys and dolls is amazing! Another great song from there is 'I'll Know'.

OK, I'll check it out.

Re June. Was it the month, or a girl called June or something else? I know how frustrating it is when you can only remember snippets of a song.

God bless the child (that has it all)
Moon River
Blue Moon
Respect
My baby just cares for me
I put a spell on you
Aint got no...Ive got life
Here comes the sun

June was a song about the month- all different aspects of it with 'that's the way of June' at the end of each verse. So annoying I can't remember any more details!

Blue Moon /Moon River excellent suggestions above.

Found June! It was set by Roger Quilter, and if you search for him and June on youtube there are tons of them! Sorry, can't link on this m/c. The poem was written by Nora Hopper and you'll find it here.

It's more classical than we're looking for for dd right now, but it's on the list as a possible audition piece for a Chamber choir she's interested in.

Thanks for all suggestions! More please

Not sure if it's appropriate for a 14 year old...

Wild Women Don't Have The Blues

I also love 'One Hour Mama' but wouldn't want to hear a 14yo singing it.

I feel the same way about Lover Man, all of me and At Last (what business does a 14 year old have in singing 'At last'?)

So how about:

Georgia on my Mind [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AlylMhav7w&feature=kp I'll be Seeing You (in all the old familiar places) if you search 'Cotton Club' on You Tube, you'll find a lot of the old classics.

Then there's

WOW! Never thought I'd find people on MN who know jazz AND Dory Previn!

I'll come back tomorrow, with plenty of info, but meanwhile your pic of alien visitor (or do you already know?) is an elephant hawk moth caterpillar. Was going to send a link, but thousands of characters long, so you can Google for yourself. They eat willowherb, bedstraw, and even fuchsia (I just read!)

[Ian Banks I like, but couldn't understand 'M'. Don't laugh, but also read lot of Daphne DuMaurier last year, triggered by "The Birds" and other short stories of hers are also scary!]

Yegods! Of course, The Cotton Club, I'd forgotten; and Stormy Weather and Take Good Care. Excellent. Thanks.

I would have known all those songs in my childhood (parents and most of their friends were musicians). I have no idea what any of them would have meant to me, but certainly would have at least have sung along to them. I think at that age that you understand what you can but it is probably not what was meant, or not entirely, ie. you miss some things, implications etc. Having said that, perhaps not all of them should be sung in public as it could give the wrong impression. I do at least understand your stance that far. Definitely worth thinking about, thank you for raising it.

Ferg, the Alien came to tea a few years ago. I did a thread asking for identification at the time, and someone told me - might even have been you! I shall have a look, but thread was probably in Chat.

I've read some Du Maurier, but not for a while. Maybe I should update my profile?

There are some greats, my personal favourite's to sing are Gee Baby ain't I good to you, My Funny Valentine, Fascintating Rythym (which is great as you can play around with verse & really give speed to chorus), Paper Moon, Orange Coloured Sky, The Man that got Away.....I could go on & on

Check out Ella, Natalie Cole singing some of jazz stuff and also Judy Garland.

I agree with others some of the words in the jazz standards aren't suitable for a 14 yr old

NorthumberlandLass, please do go on and on! :)

Jux. It's a lovely thing to be doing, and you're taking us down Memory Lane with you, too.
Don't forget 'Don't Put Your Daughter on the Stage, Mrs Worthington'!

Can't help lovin' that man of mine - possibly one of my all time favourites.
My funny Valentine - gorgeous song, Northumberland.

All the things you are by the indomitable Miss Ella F. One of my all time favourites and quite apt for a young girl to sing I think.

Also, maybe for a more modern twist, some Bossa Nova Jazz by Astrud Gilberto?? The girl from Ipanema never gets old.

That Ole Devil Called Love
Anything from the Judy Garland Songbook, the The Best Of.. books for Cole Porter and George Gershwin
There's also a good book called All Woman Jazz

That should keep her going!

Bossa Nova, eh? Will check out Astrud.

Judy Garland is another victim of dh's tolerance! Maybe if I don't tell....

Hi again -

You have had plenty of ideas to keep DD going for years I should think!

I'll just add a few links that may be of some use. Does DD also play instruments? Jazzwise magazine used to have an excellent on-line store, but it has changed to "sendmemusic". Jamey Aebersold has a range of over a hundred tutor books on all aspects and standards of playing and understanding jazz, most with CDs. There are also several what are known as 'Fake Books' that contain hundreds of tunes. Here are some JA singer books:

sendmemusic.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=aebersold+singers

As you may know, Dory Previn died last year. All her albums are available on CD, and one of my favourites is "Live at Carnegie Hall", with a smallish acoustic band. What I DIDN'T know previously, is that there are other people who now sing her songs, in particular Kate Dimbleby:

www.katedimbleby.com/

Another brilliant singer, in a totally different style, is the West End and Broadway star, and more recently, also director, Maria Friedman. I will PM you sometime, with more info about Maria:

www.mariafriedman.net/

When I first heard Dory Previn, in the '70s, probably on the John Peel show, at the same time I also got 'hooked' on Pete Atkin. He set to music and sang, words by 'poet' Clive James. They had many LPs in the '70s, but more recently the Internet gave them a new audience. All their CD reissues were lost in the 'London Riots' when the Sony warehouse was burnt down, but many of the songs have newer versions on CD, but they are available ONLY from Hillside Music. The best introduction to them is "Clive & Pete Live in Australia", which incredibly is only £5 for a double CD. Besides songs there are hilarious anecdotes from Clive James:

www.peteatkin.com/hillshop.htm

Finally, to help you RELAX this is a piece I love:

[Keep up the good work!]