# Help me pick an up-tempo jazz standard! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291 "2009-05-04T15:32:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/1 "2009-05-04T15:32:12Z")
I am in a jazz vocal workshop, and our last session will be a performance at a club in DC. We each have to pick 3 standards to perform – only one of which can be a ballad – and the instructor wants us to have our choices solidified by next week at the latest. I already have “Built For Comfort”\* as one of my up-tempo songs, and tonight I’ll try out “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most” as my ballad, but for some reason I’m having the hardest time picking another up-tempo song! I’m toying with “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” and maybe “All of Me,” but while they’re both great songs I find myself wondering what else I could do. I think maybe I’m overwhelmed by the options. So, any suggestions/requests from my fellow jazz-loving Dopers? 🙂 Oh yeah: I’m a woman, and my voice is more soprano than alto (so I’m no Etta James or Sarah Vaughan!). \*It’s blues, not jazz, but blues is “allowed” and that song’s a fun classic by Willie Dixon. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/2 "2009-05-04T15:49:21Z")
Have you ever heard [Sugar](http://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions-2/sugar.htm)? Katherine Whalen did it on her 1999 jazz album, but unfortunately I can’t find any clips of any of the vocals, just the music. It’s very jaunty, tho. PM me if you are interested in…more info. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/3 "2009-05-04T15:50:44Z")
“Nice Work If You Can Get It” ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/4 "2009-05-04T15:51:23Z")
Will You Still Be Mine? Goody Goody Nice Work If You Can Get It Strike Up the Band They All Laughed I Could Write a Book ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/5 "2009-05-04T16:46:23Z")
I should have mentioned that I may not address every suggestion in a reply, but I _will_ check all of them out – probably not today, but this week. 🙂 Thanks for the ideas so far . . . it’s interesting that “Nice Work If You Can Get It” has been mentioned twice already! **Sigmagirl** , I’ve always heard “I Could Write a Book” as a ballad: do you have an up-tempo recording of it by someone that I could look for? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/6 "2009-05-04T17:04:50Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > I should have mentioned that I may not address every suggestion in a reply, but I _will_ check all of them out – probably not today, but this week. 🙂 > > Thanks for the ideas so far . . . it’s interesting that “Nice Work If You Can Get It” has been mentioned twice already! > > **Sigmagirl** , I’ve always heard “I Could Write a Book” as a ballad: do you have an up-tempo recording of it by someone that I could look for? Not by a woman offhand, but check out John Pizzarelli and Harry Connick Jr. Here is a lady named Anita Harris singing it. Not too fast, but a nice swing: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qzuJHjZ9d6o/hqdefault.jpg "ANITA HARRIS at Inverloch 2009 - I Could Write a Book.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzuJHjZ9d6o) Here is a lady singing “Will You Still Be Mine?” from a Rosemary Clooney tribute concert: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I0\_C6auu\_Y](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I0_C6auu_Y) ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/7 "2009-05-04T17:05:43Z")
Up standards - tough niche, really. A lot of good ones dropped off the list in the past 50 years, because singers so often prefer ballads or walking tempos. As a result the jazz listener’s ear is conditioned to hear a lot of the earlier stuff as cocktail or wallpaper music, meaning you’d have to blow it out of the water virtuosically to impress anyone. Possibly relevant stat: Google hits for _up tempo standards_: 57. Google hits for _ballad standards_: 2,730. :eek: I have my favorites, but I’m about 3/4 instrumentalist (sax) and 1/4 vocalist, so YMMV, because these are mostly tunes I like to _play_. But all have good lyrics and benefit from an up tempo, even if they were written as ballads. (Note: some “go by too fast” and will need to be played as if twice as long, _but_ in double time.) First consider Cole Porter. His rep has an unusual number of tunes that work at different tempos. A few examples: _What Is This Thing Called Love? Just One of Those Things It’s All Right with Me_ Some others: _My Shining Hour,_ Arlen-Mercer _That Old Black Magic_, Arlen-Mercer _Without a Song_, Youmans-Eliscu _I’ll Remember April,_ Raye-Depaul _The Song Is You_, Kern-Hammerstein (warning: very tough changes) _Speak Low_, Weill-Nash That’s all I can think of right now. I guess I convinced myself with my argument up above. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/8 "2009-05-04T17:17:02Z")
Oh, I love _This Song is You_!! ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/9 "2009-05-04T17:22:57Z")
_The._ Jazz is for nitpickers. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/10 "2009-05-04T17:29:07Z")
Shit! I learned it off John Pizzarelli Live at Birdland, and I just went to check the case . . . sure enough, THIS Song is You! Take it up with Mr. Pizzarelli, who ought to know better, even if I don’t! ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/11 "2009-05-04T17:38:56Z")
In my _Ultimate Jazz Showstoppers_ songbook it’s “The.” 🙂 “It’s Alright With Me” is an interesting idea; I also just thought of “Ain’t Misbehavin.” Thanks so much, everyone – keep 'em coming! ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/12 "2009-05-04T17:51:56Z")
OK, more . . . The Glow-Worm On the Sunny Side of the Street I’m Putting All My Eggs in One Basket A Kiss to Build a Dream On Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/13 "2009-05-04T17:52:35Z")
I like the two jazz standards albums that Lisa Ekdahl did – _When Did You Leave Heaven_ and _Back to Earth_. I mention her because she seems to have a more soprono-ish type voice than your typical female jazz singer. There’s some up-tempo stuff on there, but I’m having a difficult time remembering what is and what isn’t without my mp3 player-- I know “Down with Love” is pretty up-tempo. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/14 "2009-05-04T18:02:25Z")
For soprano jazz, chack out Maureen McGovern. Yes, the lady who did “The Morning After” from _The Poseidon Adventure_. She did a fabulous live cabaret album of all Gershwin called _Naughty Baby_, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Many up-tempo songs you might like to try. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/15 "2009-05-04T18:10:33Z")
How about if you check Ella’s Songbook/Nelson Riddle collections for lists of Gerschwin, Porter and all the other standards? just a thought… Voting for “Let’s Do it” by Porter… ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/16 "2009-05-04T18:57:26Z")
**WordMan** , getting a list of songs is not my problem. As I said in the OP, there are a lot of options! What I’m looking for are specific recommendations (as you provided with “Let’s Do It”): songs that Dopers know and love and would want to hear if they were out at a jazz club. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/17 "2009-05-04T19:07:49Z")
Frim Fram Sauce is nice, if you can carry it off. There’s an old Ella number called Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown that is fun. Everything I’ve Got (Belongs To You), which I think is Rodgers & Hart, also fun, and good lyrics for a woman. If you want a real tour de force, try Twisted (Annie Ross had the best version, I think). Good luck, I did a workshop like that once at Blue Bear, but it was focused on group singing. I did do a solo number, and did Will You Still Be Mine? which someone has already recommended. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/18 "2009-05-04T19:10:35Z")
Not sure of the refrain, but the refrain is: “I’m an errandgirl for rhythm, send me!” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/19 "2009-05-04T19:12:30Z")
Ain’t Misbehavin’ Masquerade Old Black Magic Anything Goes Cheek to Cheek Mack the Knife ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291/20 "2009-05-04T19:20:22Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Not sure of the refrain, but the refrain is: > > “I’m an errandgirl for rhythm, send me!” Nat “King” Cole did it as “I’m an Errand Boy for Rhythm (Send Me!)” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-an-up-tempo-jazz-standard/495291.md?page=2)