Sip & Sing: Jam Session Guide

- Calling a tune is always preferred to giving the band a chart.

- As always, make sure you know your key and can talk us through the feel, the form, and the tempo.

- Have a back-up tune, in case we don’t know it (we’re not machines).

- Try not to always sing ballads.

- Consider the jam – if it’s a jazz jam, call a standard, if it’s not a full band, some tunes won’t work well.

1. Any jazz standard: NOTE this means the standard 32-bar form with a solo in the middle and a standard intro and outro, not a specific arrangement by Kurt Elling etc, Ella Fitzgerald or Frank Sinatra.

2. Non-standard blues tunes such as Watermelon man, Mercy Mercy etc.

3. A 12-bar blues: NOTE: if there is a bridge, make sure you can talk us through it.

4. Any song which is a 1, 2, or 4-chord vamp i.e. You need to be able to talk us through the chord progression if asked. Some examples of these are:

- Yes you can – Lee Dorsey

- Golden – Jill Scott

- I’d rather go blind – Etta James

- Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapelton

- American Boy – Estelle

- Steal my kisses – Ben Harper

- Wagon Wheel -

Ain’t no Sunshine – Bill Withers

Baby I love you – Aretha Franklin

Back to Black – Amy Winehouse

Better be home soon – Crowded house

Brown eyed girl – Van Morrison

Chain of Fools – Aretha Franklin

Come Together. – The Beatles

Crazy – Gnarles Barkley

Crazy little thing called love – Queen

Crusin’ - Darius Ricker

Dancing in the street – Martha Reeves

Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding

Dreams – Fleetwood Mac

Easy like a Sunday Monring – The Commadores

Get Back – The Beatles

Go your own way – Fleetwood mac

Hey Jude – The BEatles

Hit the road Jack – Ray Charles

Honky Tonk Woman – The Rolling stones

Hound Dog – Big mumma Thornton/Elvis

How sweet it is to be loved by you – Marvin Gaye

I can’t stand the rain – Ann Peebles

I feel Good – James Brown

I gotta woman – Ray Charles

I heard it through the grapevine – Marvin Gaye

I saw her standing there – The Beatles

I’m yours – Jason Mraz

Jealous Guy – John Lennon - (Specify Lennon or Donny Hathaway Version)

Just the Two of Us – Bill Withers

Let’s Stay Together – Al Green

Signed, Sealed, Delivered – Stevie Wonder

Marry You – Bruno Mars

Mustang Sally – Wilson Picket

My Girl – The temptations

Natural Woman – Aretha Franklin

On Broadway – George Benson (be prepared to call the key changes if you want them).

Piece of my heart – Janis Joplin

Put your records on – Corinne Bailey Rae

Son of a preacher man – Dusty Springfield

Stand By Me – Ben E King

Stronger than me – Amy winehouse

Stuck in the middle – Stealers Wheel

Superstition – Stevie Wonder (won’t work well without drums)

Sweet home Chicago

That’s alright mama - Elvis

The thrill is gone – BB King

The way you make me feel – Michael Jackson

Thinking out loud – Ed Sheeran

Three Little Birds – Bob Marley

Time After Time – Cyndie Lauper

Use Me – Bill Withers

Valerie – Amy Winehouse (won’t work well without drums)

Walking on sunshine – Katrina and the waves (won’t work well without drums)

What’s Going On – (Specify Marvin or Donny Hathaway Version)

When I’m Kissing My love – Bill withers.

Who is he, and what is he to you – Bill Withers

Yesterday – The Beatles

You are the sunshine of my life – Stevie Wonder

You don’t treat me no good no more – Sonia Dada