The idea is so simple - music to a couple of dozen wonderful songs arranged for bass/baritonesingers, and a simple piano accompaniment on the enclosed CD. If you regularly need to audition, or just like to sing along with the piano part, it's well worth the money.

Reviewing "The First Book of Broadway Solos" (part one with black cover). Twenty-three selections for baritone/bass: Comedy tonight; Edelweiss; Get me to the church on time; The girl that I marry; Gonna be another hot day; How to handle a woman; I talk to the trees; I've grown accustomed to her face; If ever I would leave you; The impossible dream; Just in time; Leaning on a lamp-post; My cup runneth over; My defenses are down; Oklahoma; Some enchanted evening; Soon it's gonna rain; The surrey with the fringe on top; There is nothin' like a dame; They call the wind Maria; This nearly was mine; Try to remember; Wunderbar.

The printed music is clear, clean and bright. A CD with piano accompaniments to all the songs is contained in an envelope inside the book. Pianist Laura Ward energizes the songs with an understanding of performance style. If you find her tempo is not right for you, you can CHANGE her tempo, making it slower or faster using the free software included on the CD. The software is called Amazing Slow Downer. This software also lets you TRANSPOSE the piano accompaniment up or down. The free software on the CD does not seem to allow you to save your adjusted version. One solution is to purchase the full software (costing about $[...] from the company's website [...]) which allows you to save your adjustments to the accompaniment track for burning to a CD, etc. For the budget-mined, tech-savvy singer, a free software like Audacity might allow you make alterations and save the file for burning.

This is a great starter book for Baritone/Bass. Yeah I know the younger kids are going to want songs from newer shows like Avenue Q or Hairspray but you won't find any of those shows here. What you will find is a good collection of standard theater songs. The best part about it is the CD. Now the CD is not a Demo performance or anything so you won't hear anyone singing the song at all. It is just the piano playing the arrangement as written in the book. Some of the tempo's may be just a bit off, but if you either don't play well or don't have a piano at home you can play the CD and sing along with the accompanyment. Here is a list of the songs included

Contents: Comedy Tonight, Edelweiss, Get Me To The Church On Time, The Girl That I Marry, Gonna Be Another Hot Day, How To Handle A Woman, I Talk To The Trees, I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face, If Ever I Would Leave You, The Impossible Dream (The Quest), Just In Time, Leaning On A Lamp Post, My Cup Runneth Over, My Defenses Are Down, Oklahoma, Some Enchanted Evening, Soon It's Gonna Rain, The Surrey With The Fringe, There Is Nothin' Like A Dame, They Call The Wind Maria, This Nearly Was Mine, Try To Remember, Wunderbar