Subway Surfin'

How is it that the A-train experience is so colorful? Right now, I'm watching a man practice his Brazilian Ju-jitsu. The future of the break dance community just hopped off. I think they were afraid of the woman determined to let everyone know her 4-yr old daughter "ain't grown!!" They thought they were next.... I did too. "Concrete jungle where dreams are maaaaade of!" lol, now back to my guitar.

What WHAT?!

With Troy Dolendo (arranger extraordinaire / The Edge Effect) headed to show some love at the Sing Off audition in NYC 

On the Scene With Shoshana Bean!

The only thing better than bonding with a new friend over your mutual love of John Mayer, is when that new friend is Shoshana Bean. That short, Jewish diva that somehow channels all the soul of Aretha Franklin and everything you love about the 70s. After making waves as Elfaba in 'Wicked' (following Idina Menzel), she spends her time touring to promote her newest album that's shooting her up the mainstream ranks. I spent the last week in Orlando with the 'Edge Effect' boys rehearsing a couple of her tunes to deliver some backup awesomeness for her show at Mad Cow Theatre, Friday night. It was a productive week and a pre-cursor to tracking a duet I wrote called "Monster" which will feature Shoshana and probably John Gibson, myself, or some stranger off the streets (I don't really care. I'm just excited this lady is singing something I wrote, lol). Having her say "oh yeah, your tune is still in my itunes... I really like it" is about as cool as crackin' up in Marc Broussard's trailer last year while he sang "That's what he said! That's what he said!" after he watched a YouTube video of mine (that almost got me kicked out of college, by the way, lol). 

Top 40 / Standard Repertoire List

Solomon Jaye: Repertoire List

*Vocal Only

Top 40 –

Crazy – Gnarls Barkley

Crazy in Love - Beyonce (Jay z rap)

California Girls - Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg

Break Your Heart – Taio Cruz
Bright Lights Big City - Cee Lo

DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again* Usher (F)

Dynamite -  Taio Cruz

Closer – Neyo

Empire State of Mind – Jay Z Ft. Alicia Keys

Feel So Close - Calvin Harris
Fly Away - Lenny Kravitz

F.U. - Cee-Lo

Give Me Everything Tonight** - Pitbull

Good Feelin' - Flo Rida

Hey Ya – Outkast

History in the Making - Darius Rucker

I Gotta Feeling – BEP

I'm Glad You Came - One Direction

I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz
Keep Your Head Up - Andy Grammer

Just The Way You Are – Bruno Mars (Eb or E)

Just Dance – Lady Gaga & Akon

Let's Go - Ne-Yo
Locked Out of Heaven - Bruno Mars (Lower Key)

Marry You - Bruno Mars (Step Lower)

Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5

Nothing On You* B.O.B. & Bruno Mars

O.M.G. - Usher

Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO 

Price Tag – Jessie Jaye & B.o.B.

Scream - Usher

Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO

Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye 

Smooth - Santana & Rob Thomas
Suit & Tie - Justin Timberlake

This Love - Maroon 5

Wild Ones - Sia & Flo Rida

Without You – Usher

Motown – 

Betcha By Golly Wow

Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie)

Cruisin' - Smokey Robinson

For Once In My Life - Jackie Wilson / Stevie Wonder

Just My Imagination - Temptations

Lately - Stevie Wonder

My Girl - Temptations

Ooh Baby Baby - Smokey Robinson

Shake Your Body Down – Michael Jackson

Signed Sealed Delivered – Stevie Wonder

Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder

Disco/Dance

Aint No Stoppin Us Now

My First, My Last, My Everything

Never Can Say Goodbye

PYT (In Key of C – Whole step down)

Rock With You

September

Popular Ballad & Mid Tempos

Can’t Help Falling In Love

Kiss - Prince

Let's Get it On – Marvin Gaye 

Let’s Stay Together – Al Green 

Stand By Me – Sam Cooke

Unchained Melody

Unforgettable – Nat King Cole

What's Goin' On - Marvin Gaye

Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong

Standards

A Foggy Day In London Town (D)

Ain't Misbehavin' 

Ain't That A Kick In the Head (Eb)

All Of Me (Bb) 

All Or Nothing At All (Am)

Almost Like Being In Love (G)

Autumn Leaves (Cm)

Beyond The Sea*** (G)

Blue Skies (Dm)

Can't Help Falling In Love With You (D)

Come Fly With Me (Bb)

Don't Get Around Much Anymore 

Dream A Little Dream of Me (G)

Fly Me to the Moon*** (Am)

Georgia On My Mind (Eb)

I Get a Kick Out of You (Db)

I Love A Piano 

I Only Have Eyes For You (F)

If I Loved You (A)

It Don't Mean A Thing 

It Had to Be You*** (Eb)

It Was A Very Good Year (Dm)

It's Only A Paper Moon (Eb)

I've Got a Crush On You (Eb)

I've Got the World On a String (D)

I've Got You Under My Skin (Db)

Lady Is A Tramp (Bb)

Let's Fall In Love (Bb)

L-O-V-E*** 

Love And Marriage (Bb)

Luck Be A Lady (Db)

Lush Life (Db)

More (G)

My Funny Valentine (Bm)

My Romance (A)

New York, New York (D)

Night & Day*** (D)

Old Devil Moon (F)

One For My Baby, One More For the Road (C)

Orange Colored Sky (C)

Our Love Is Here to Stay (D)

Pennies From Heaven

Smile (Eb)

Strangers In the Night (F)

Summer Wind*** (Db)

Summertime (Dm)

Sway (Dm)

The Best Is Yet to Come (Ab)

The Last Dance (F#/Gb)

The Look Of Love (Fm)

The More I See

The Way You Look Tonight*** (Eb)

Under My Skin*** (Db)

Unforgettable (F)

What Is This Thing Called Love (Am)

What A Wonderful World*** (F)

You Don't Know Me (C)

1980's

Billie Jean - Michael Jackson

Beautiful Ones - Prince

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Cruisin' - Smokey Robinson

Kiss - Prince

Never Too Much - Luther Vandross

On the Wings Of Love - Osbourne

Purple Rain - Prince

She's Out Of My Life - MJ

1990's

All My Life - K Ci and JoJo

Bitter Sweet Symphony

Drive - Incubus

Kiss From a Rose

Nice and Slow - Usher

No Diggity

Now that We've Found Love

Poison - BBD

Smooth 

So Hard To Say Goodbye

This is How We Do It

You Make Me Wanna - Usher

2013!!

2013 is gonna rock. The End. To kick this year off right, I've revamped the website (which has my brain all mushy... which I guess is probably normal, though...?). Haha, ok yeah. HERE WE GO!!

www.SolomonJaye.com

Check it out and share with a friend!!

On the Road Again...

I'm back in Santa Barbara after rockin' with The Edge Effect on a rooftop in Denver, CO last night. It got off to a sketchy start as I could feel every bit of the 'mile high atmosphere'. lol, pretty sure the first word out of my mouth after just the first 20 minute set was "sh*********t" I try to keep it clean but it took me a minute to adjust to the altitude, haha. 

We totally got rained out and everyone was forced to stand under this overhang conVENiently next to all the food and drinks ;-) Food + Drink + Standing Crowd = Dance Party. The rest of the night was awesome. Danced like the world was ending, haha. Adrenaline will dance you through any altitude. Goooood tiiiiiimes. 

Now I'm here in Santa barbara getting ready to work with my favorite PVAC kids. I missed their performance of 'Footloose' last night but at least I made in time to get them ready for their Fiesta Parade performance ;-D So much going on... I'll have to catch the Olympics on YouTube. While I'm on the subject, let me just say the '92 U.S. Dream Team (featuring 11 NBA Hall of Fame(ers)) could take these new kids any day. That's all I'm saying about THAT.

The air is sweet here between the mountain and the ocean... Loving life #grateful

Bonus: Check out this video with one of my current favorite Superstars, Stefanie Clouse

Showing Up is 1/2 the Battle

In a city that basically begs you to perform, it's so important to force yourself out the apartment door and into someone's Cabaret, Piano Bar, or Open Mic (preferably 78 Below on Columbus).  I mean REALLY, it can only make you better. Raw performance ability is a big deal, so why not do everything in your power to make yourself a more desirable entertainer?

So many nights I've felt "OMG I DON'T WANNA DO ANYTHING!!" lol, but I drag my arse outta the room and into the subway, park, art galleries, auditions, and whatever other stages welcome me. There's NEVER a night you finish and think "hmm, coming to sing has made me worse, thus ruining my career indefinitely." What's more, every time I go out to sing I've been fortunate enough to be invited to songwriter circles, write with other artists or sing their material, perform duets with AMAZING singers & bands, and perform elsewhere (even if just another open mic, it's a plus... new potential fans). Along with game-changing constructive criticism, people will record you, forward your info and performance to other friends, and in the midst of ALL this... you JUST got better. Some might call that a "Win Win" scenario.

As a singer, I promise you'll feel a lot better about your life in general when you sing. Showing up with a business card never hurt anyone either ;-)

I spent a lot of the last few years feeling like I was playing catch up with people who have been performing since they were old enough to walk. I thought "oh this person is better on guitar... this person sings higher than me... that guy is a better dancer..." Then a friend of mine (Sarita Lilly) said, "So what? Maybe there are people better at all of those things... but when its time to step up, they might not show up."

"Faith without 'works' is dead" and showing up is half the battle. I'm so grateful for the doors opening here in this city and expecting even greater things to come :-D

www.SolomonJaye.com

www.facebook.com/sjmusic

P.s. There's still free music to download on the homepage of my website. Take it all!... and sharing is caring ;-)