Up-Tempo Vocal Numbers

[rkwestcoast]

I'm working with a new vocalist and putting a set list together - any suggestions for up-tempo numbers that would work well with guitar & vocals??

[MarkRhodes]

I've been listening to this off and on all week: Nina Simone's version of "Love Me Or Leave Me."

This is a piano version, but Jonathon Stout has a nice swing-comp for this at his website.
Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five, featuring Hilary Alexander - Swing Guitar Blog

[rkwestcoast]

Cool - thanks Mark that's a great suggestion

[edh]

Route 66

[jasaco]

How High the Moon can be done pretty up-tempo.

And Diana Krall has several good'uns. Off the top of my head, I can recall "I Love Being Here With You". Also "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" can be up.

[rkwestcoast]

Thanks edh & jasaco

[MarkRhodes]

Route 66

Duke Robillard teaches a nice version of this (based on Oscar Moore's playing with the Nat Cole Trio in their great version) on the "Sonic Junction" site. It's a tune that everyone seems to know and like.

Another good choice might be "All Of Me." It swings, you can play it up, and it makes people happy. (That's one of the tunes I play to 'pick myself up' when I need it.)

[jasaco]

Loads of them from the swing era. For instance, "Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter"

[yaclaus]

The lady is a tramp and almost like being in love!

[markf]

Anita O'day live in sweden, some of the tunes are on youtube.

Her arrangement /performance of sweet georgia brown, youtube, "jazz on a summer day".

[Patrick2]

Spain!

[EightString]

"Autumn Leaves" is a great one to rev up the tempo.
"Days of Wine and Roses" is another favorite of mine to swing.

"Almost Like Being in Love"
"I Get a Kick out of You"
"All the Things You Are"
"They Can't Take That Away from Me"


A great source is to basically look at songs Ella recorded and you'll find a lot of ideas for swingin' uptempo numbers.

Category:Ella Fitzgerald songs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Larry Feldman]

Have you heard Tuck and Patti do a song called Togetherness? Swings like mad for a duo. Tuck does a drop D tuning.

[pubylakeg]

"Just One Of Those Things" by Cole Porter.

[ecj]

I Got Rhythm
Secret Love
There is no Greater Love
All the Things You Are
All of Me

Are good tunes to do uptempo. The trick is to find relatively sparse melodies. It gets awkward trying to sing lyrics quickly.

[rkwestcoast]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions - will definitely check them out

[ronjazz]

One Note Samba, Norwegian Wood, Tristeza, Summertime in a quick 5/4. Get out of the 40s occasionally.

[wizard3739]

Anita O'day released several albums years ago with many "Old Standard" upbeat tunes on them.

wiz