Jason Robert Brown plays Jason Robert Brown: A new resource for vocalists

Jason Robert Brown is a name synonymous with music theatre, and it’s widely known that vocalists around the world love to sing his music. It’s also commonly agreed that pianists (and singing teachers) don’t love sight-reading his intricate accompaniments, so JRB has come up with a solution.

Hal Leonard Corporation have recently released two JRB collections – sheet music and accompaniment CD –  featuring Jason Robert Brown himself at the ivories for male and female voice.

Being an incredibly accomplished pianist as well as “one of Broadway’s smartest and most sophisticated songwriters since Stephen Sondheim”, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, JRB knows exactly how to play Jason Robert Brown.

In the preface to the books, Jason Robert Brown says:

“For 20 years now, I’ve had singers tell me that they can’t find pianists who can play my songs ‘right.’ It’s hard enough singing my material properly under the best of circumstances, but when the accompaniment isn’t correct – when the singer doesn’t feel supported by the pianist – it can make some of my stuff all but impossible to learn.”

This is a fantastic resource for vocalists, and an invaluable tool for teachers.

“The best versions of any of my songs are the ones where the musicians (singers included) are deeply engaged with the emotions and the passions hiding underneath and around the rhythms and pitches and lyrics. It is my hope that the recordings collected here help singers and pianists alike to bring these songs to life in their own way”, said Brown.

The two new volumes from Brown’s longtime publisher Hal Leonard feature 11 songs each for male and female voices. Brown’s own painstakingly recorded piano accompaniments are on the CDs, which are playable on any CD player. To further facilitate learning, the discs are enhanced with tempo adjustment and transposition software for Mac & PC users.

The Women’s Edition includes:

Songs from a New World – I’m Not Afraid of Anything • Stars and the Moon • Christmas Lullaby
The Last Five Years – Still Hurting • A Summer in Ohio • I Can Do Better Than That • Goodbye Until Tomorrow
Parade – You Don’t Know This Man
Urban Cowboy the Musical – Mr. Hopalong Heartbreak
13 the Musical – What It Means to Be a Friend
From the CD Lauren Kennedy: Songs of Jason Robert Brown – And I Will Follow

Hal Leonard code HL00230089

The Men’s Edition Includes:

Songs from a New World – She Cries • King of the World
Parade – The Old Red Hills of Home • This Is Not Over Yet
The Last Five Years – Shiksa Goddess • Moving Too Fast • If I Didn’t Believe in You
13 the Musical – Being a Geek
From the CD Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes – I Could Be in Love with Someone like You • Nothing in Common • Someone to Fall Back On

Hal Leonard code HL00230090

For more information or to place an order, please visit your local music retailer or www.musicdispatch.com

Visit www.jasonrobertbrown.com to learn more about the composer.

About Hal Leonard Corporation

Founded in 1947, Hal Leonard Corporation (www.halleonard.com) is the world’s largest music print publisher, producing songbooks, sheet music, educational publications, reference books, DVDs, CD-ROMs, children’s music products and more. With more than 200,000 publications available, the company represents in print some of the world’s best known and most respected publishers, artists, songwriters and arrangers. Hal Leonard is headquartered in Milwaukee, WI and also has offices abroad in Australia, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.