So You Want to Sing the Blues

Eli Yamin is an internationally presented pianist, composer, educator, and singer. He is the cofounder and managing and artistic director of Jazz Power Initiative, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to ignite the power of jazz arts education to transform lives by fostering self-expression, leadership, collaboration, and diversity. Yamin is also the founding director of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Middle School Jazz Academy, leading its first decade. Yamin has performed in over twenty-five countries and in the United States at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the White House. He teaches jazz and blues history, piano, and voice at Lehman College, City University of New York, and Marymount Manhattan College.

Those looking to truly embody the blues style will make extensive use of the numerous recordings available on the companion website that accompany these chapters. Yamin has considerable experience as both a blues performer and a blues educator. So You Want to Sing the Blues shows his deep investment in honoring the history of the genre and provides encouragement and a reliable blueprint for carrying the genre forward. -- Brian Manternach

• Chapter 1 – Origins of the Blues Chapter 2 – Singing and Voice Science, Scott McCoyChapter 3 – Vocal Health for the Blues Singer, Wendy LeBorgneChapter 4 – The Magic and Mechanics of Blues Singing, Darrell Lauer with Eli YaminChapter 5 – Developing Authentic Style Characteristics: Early Blues WomenChapter 6 – Developing Authentic Style Characteristics: Early Blues Men and Another WomanChapter 7 – Developing Authentic Style Characteristics: Chicago Blues and the Modern Blues Vocal SoundChapter 8 – Making a Soulful Sound and Writing Your Own BluesChapter 9 – Using Audio Enhancement Technology, Matthew Edwards