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Second Floor Music publishes the music of many great jazz composers, most of whom wrote their compositions for instrumental recordings. We want to invite vocalists to share this world of great music, so we're making lyric versions available when possible. Some of our composers have added lyrics to their own music, while others have benefited from the efforts of fine lyricists.

As a producer and arranger, I've always been interested in suggesting new material to artists. I've found that most singers relate to a new song suggestion best by hearing someone else sing it. In addition to short audio clips, we also have full tracks available, both with and without vocals (in MP3 format, 192 bit rate) in many cases.

If our recorded example isn't in your key and you can't readily figure out what your key would be, send your "comfort range"--low note to high note--to our vocal editor Gloria Cooper who will suggest the right key for you - then we'll post that version on the website for purchase.

Some of you may already have our Sing JAZZ! publication, a lead sheet song book containing 76 wonderful jazz songs. It's another valuable resource.

Please come back to see and hear new additions soon.
Don Sickler

Displaying 1 - 16 of 31 Leadsheet(s):

 

Concert key: Gm
Style: Ballad or Bossa

 

  • Vocal - Nancy Valentine
  • Piano - Cecilia Coleman
  • Bass - Tim Givens
  • Drums - Vince Cherico

There is no key indication because it's not really in a regular definable key. However, it definitely has a minor flavor and very interesting chord progression. Hear the bossa version on this page, press the Details button to hear the ballad.

Exclusive Audio: complete (with vocal) and accompaniment only

Singers' Corner feature

 

Vocal key: C
Style: Ballad


  • Vocal - Nancy Valentine
  • Piano - Cecilia Coleman
  • Bass - Tim Givens
  • Drums - Vince Cherico

Bassist George Duvivier wrote this song (words and music) in the mid-1940s when he was a young man in his early 20s. The beautiful chord progression and melody certainly shows how deep he had already become, musically and harmonically, at that young age.

Exclusive Audio: complete (with vocal) and accompaniment only.
   
Singers' Corner feature

 

Vocal key: F
Style: Ballad


  • Vocal - Nancy Valentine
  • Piano - Cecilia Coleman
  • Bass - Tim Givens
  • Drums - Vince Cherico

Pianist and composer Walter Davis, Jr. understood the power of lyrics and always knew the lyrics of the songs he played. He wrote quite a few songs himself, both words and music, that he never had a chance to record, like this lovely ballad.

Exclusive Audio: complete (with vocal) and accompaniment only.
 
Singers' Corner feature

 

Vocal key: B-flat
Style: Medium swing


Recorded on October 1, 2004, and released on "Dedicated To You" / Gloria Cooper (Origin 82450)

  • Vocal, Piano - Gloria Cooper
  • Trumpet - Don Sickler
  • Tenor Sax - Wayne Escoffery
  • Guitar - Freddie Bryant
  • Bass - Tim Givens
  • Drums - Vince Cherico
  • Arranger - Don Sickler

This lyric speaks of a budding romance between two people whose eyes, we ultimately discover in a nice bit of surprise, are the same color. L. Aziza Miller wrote the delightful lyric to Tommy Turrentine's instrumental Glo's Theme.

Exclusive Audio: complete (with vocal) and accompaniment only.
 
Singers' Corner feature

 

 

Concert key: C and D
Style: Medium swing


Recorded on October 5, 2007, by Judy Niemack for jazzleadsheets.com.

  • Vocal - Judy Niemack
  • Trumpets - Don Sickler
  • Piano - Norman Simmons
  • Bass - John Webber
  • Drums - Victor Lewis
  • Arranger - Don Sickler

This is a great Johnny Griffin title, fun to sing with Judy Niemack's lyric.

Exclusive Audio: complete (with vocal) and accompaniment only.

Singers' Corner feature  - also see the instrumental lead sheet Sweet Sucker

 

Concert key: A-flat
Style: Ballad


Recorded in October and November, 1988, by Rachel Gould on A Sip Of Your Touch / Riccardo Del Fra (Ida IDACD 021)

  • Vocal - Rachel Gould
  • Bass - Riccardo del Fra

Singers' Corner feature

 

Vocal key: B-flat
Style: Ballad


Recorded on October 23, 2004, by Rachel Gould for jazzleadsheets.com

  • Vocal - Rachel Gould
  • Piano - Cecilia Coleman
  • Bass - Tim Givens
  • Drums - Vince Cherico

The lead sheet shows how expertly master vocalist/lyricist Mark Murphy crafted his lyric to fit the beautiful ballad melody of Fritz Pauer's instrumental composition Sound Within An Empty Room.

Exclusive Audio: complete (with vocal) and accompaniment only
 

Singers' Corner feature.

 

 

 

Concert key: B-flat
Style: Medium Latin


Recorded on November 23, 2002, and released on "Tina May Sings The Ray Bryant Songbook" (33 Records 33JAZZ 150)

  • Vocal - Tina May
  • Piano - Ray Bryant
  • Trumpet - Don Sickler
  • Alto Sax - Bobby Porcelli
  • Tenor Sax - Patience Higgins
  • Baritone Sax - Jay Brandford
  • Bass - Tim Givens
  • Drums - Vince Cherico
  • Arranger - Don Sickler

This is the lyric version of Ray Bryant's instrumental Cuban Fantasy. Ray Bryant's been a fan of Tina May's singing since they first met in Paris in 1997. They collaborated in a wonderful project, Tina May Sings The Ray Bryant Songbook, with Tina writing lyrics and singing. The album is a definitive recording of Ray Bryant's compositions with lyrics sung and mostly written by Tina with arrangements by Don Sickler.

Exclusive Audio: complete (with vocal) and accompaniment only.
 

Singers' Corner feature  - also see the instrumental lead sheet Cuban Fantasy

 

Vocal key: G minor
Style: Bossa


Recorded on October 1, 2004, and released on "Dedicated To You" / Gloria Cooper (Origin 82450)

  • Vocal, Piano - Gloria Cooper
  • Trumpet - Don Sickler
  • Tenor Sax - Wayne Escoffery
  • Guitar - Freddie Bryant
  • Bass - Tim Givens
  • Drums - Vince Cherico
  • Arranger - Don Sickler

Exclusive Audio: complete (with vocal) and accompaniment only.
 
Singers' Corner feature

 

 

Concert key: B-flat
Style: Medium swing


Recorded on July 24, 2004, and released on "Wishing On The Moon" / Meredith d'Ambrosio (Sunnyside SSC1159)

  • Vocal - Meredith d'Ambrosio
  • muted Trumpet - Don Sickler
  • Piano - Cecilia Coleman
  • Bass - Tim Givens
  • Drums - Vince Cherico
  • Arranger - Don Sickler
Exclusive Audio: accompaniment only
Singers' Corner feature

 

 

Concert key: B-flat minor (phrygian)
Style: Medium groove


Recorded on April 3, 2010, by Judy Niemack for jazzleadsheets.com

  • Voice - Judy Niemack
  • Trumpet - Don Sickler
  • Guitar - Jeanfrançois Prins
  • Piano - Michael Cochrane
  • Bass - Daryl Johns
  • Drums - Steve Johns
  • Arranger - Don Sickler

Exclusive Audio: complete (with vocal) and accompaniment only

Singers' Corner feature

 

Concert key: C minor
Style: Bossa


Recorded on November 23, 2002, and released on "Tina May Sings The Ray Bryant Songbook" (33 Records 33JAZZ 150)

  • Vocal - Tina May
  • Piano - Ray Bryant
  • Trumpet - Don Sickler
  • Flute - Bobby Porcelli
  • Clarinet - Jay Brandford
  • Bass Clarinet - Patience Higgins
  • Bass - Tim Givens
  • Drums - Vince Cherico
  • Arranger - Don Sickler
Exclusive Audio: complete (with vocal) and accompaniment only

Singers' Corner feature

 

Concert key: B-flat
Style: Calypso


Recorded on November 22, 2002, and released on "Tina May Sings The Ray Bryant Songbook" (33 Records 33JAZZ 150)

  • Vocal - Tina May
  • Piano - Ray Bryant
  • Trumpet - Don Sickler
  • Alto Sax - Bobby Porcelli
  • Tenor Sax - Patience Higgins
  • Baritone Sax - Jay Brandford
  • Bass - Tim Givens
  • Drums - Vince Cherico
  • Arranger - Don Sickler

Ray Bryant's been a fan of Tina May's singing since they first met in Paris in 1997. They collaborated in a wonderful project, Tina May Sings The Ray Bryant Songbook, with Tina writing lyrics and singing. The album is a definitive recording of Ray Bryant's compositions with lyrics sung and mostly written by Tina with arrangements by Don Sickler.

Exclusive Audio: complete (with vocal) and accompaniment only.
 

Singers' Corner feature  -

 

Vocal key: F minor
Style: Latin Lament


Recorded on May 20, 1964, and first released on "Bittersweet" / Carmen McRae (Focus SD 334).

  • Vocal - Carmen McRae
  • Guitar - Mundell Lowe
Singers' Corner feature

 

 

Vocal key: D minor
Style: Latin (bossa)

Recording Information:
Recorded in December, 2002, and first released on "Blue Muse" / Kenny Burrell (Concord CCD 2191-2).

  • Vocal, Guitar - Kenny Burrell
  • Piano - Tom Ranier
  • Bass - Roberto Miranda
  • Drums - Sherman Ferguson
   
Singers' Corner feature

 

 

Vocal key: B-flat
Style: Ballad


Recorded on October 1, 2004, and released on "Dedicated To You" / Gloria Cooper (Origin 82450)

  • Vocal - Gloria Cooper
  • Flugelhorn - Don Sickler
  • Tenor Sax - Wayne Escoffery
  • Piano - Gloria Cooper
  • Guitar - Freddie Bryant
  • Bass - Tim Givens
  • Drums - Vince Cherico
Exclusive Audio: complete (with vocal) and accompaniment only

Singers' Corner feature